Eyewear brand Illesteva sets sights on Wynwood

Illesteva, a New York-based luxury eyewear and accessories brand, will open its first South Florida store in Wynwood, as the neighborhood boosts its retail offerings, The Real Deal has learned.

Jason Weisman, principal of JAW Commercial, told TRD that he has inked a lease to bring the eyewear company to Northwest Second Avenue. The 1,200 square-foot boutique will open this summer, he said.

Illesteva currently has two retail stores in the United States. It launched its first flagship store in September 2014 in Soho in New York, and opened a store in mid-April in Venice, California.

Wynwood has been attracting more retailers in recent months, including the eyewear brand Warby Parker, which opened its first freestanding store in Miami in March, at 215 Northwest 25th Street, leased by Goldman Properties. Other businesses in Wynwood include Panther Coffee, Zak the Baker, Orange Pedal, Frangipani, jugofresh, Junior & Hatter and Del Toro Showroom.

Wynwood properties have attracted buyers like New York-based Thor Equities, which signed a contract to pay $29 million for nearly a square city block in Wynwood in late April. The property, at 2801 Northwest Third Avenue, includes seven parcels that occupy the majority of the space between Northwest 28th Street and Northwest 29th Street, and between Northwest Second Avenue and Northwest Third Avenue. The site totals 105,000 square feet, with 54,000 square feet of leasable space and a parking lot.

“It’s a testament to Wynwood and the core of Miami that Illesteva has chosen this location as a platform for their rapidly growing global dominance in the luxury eyewear sector,” Weisman said in a statement. “This is probably the most important location in terms of exposure as the company is prominent throughout South America.”