In 1994, former fashion entrepreneur Murray Moss opened Moss in a small former gallery space in Soho, with a determination to transform the public perception of industrial product design. The store quickly became internationally known for its product selection and presentation, with clients ranging from highly informed design professionals, to celebrities, students, and tourists with maps.
 As the shop grew and evolved - expanding to nearly 7000 square feet in late 1999 - the product base also expanded, to include furniture, especially from Italian manufacturers, lighting, watches and jewelry, books, and a significantly increased focus on tabletop. Today, Moss offers one of the world's most sophisticated selections of porcelain tableware, crystal and cutlery, contextualized in presentation by association with furniture and lighting from some of the greatest designers of the 20th century.
 The furniture and objects offered at the shop deliberately blur the distinctions between production and craft, between industry and art, and more recently, between industrial and decorative arts. One may find, for instance, a Hella Jongerius embroidered ceramic pot next to a stainless steel Fisher space pen next to an Edra pink leather Flap sofa. The intention is to force a view of each piece based on the context of its presentation, rather than its function or material.
 At Moss, context is fundamental, and value should be inferred from inaccessibility. The shop intentionally looks and feels like a museum, with everything locked behind glass or raised onto platforms. It’s cold. It’s white. The music is tense. The selling staff wear dark monotone clothing. And Asian, black or white, male or female, they register as one - young, good looking, courteous, helpful, and informed. Above all, informed. Provenance, designer, manufacturer, materials, manufacturing process – the staff is poised to discuss all aspects of each product, including the assembling of component systems of shelving, tables or seating.
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Moss has been instrumental in shaping the direction of design retail, and the shop functions as arbiter, advocate, presenter, as well as gallery, showroom and salon.
 Moss has also helped shape the surrounding Soho retail geography. As art galleries continue to depart, Greene Street has become a housewares enclave and Soho is increasingly filled with high end fashion, such as Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel.
Moss itself has grown by focusing on specific areas of strength and opportunity:
Moss registry was introduced as a service division whose goal was to provide an organized and efficient means of accessing the breadth of manufacturers’ lines we represent for the benefit of couples and their guests.
mossonline.com was launched, first as an experimental outpost of the New York store, offering a small selection of its products, and then as a full service e-commerce site offering nearly everything available at the store.
mossregistry.com combined these two popular divisions.
mossgallery.info
In January 2005, we expanded again, into yet another adjacent space, opening Moss Gallery, which provided a dedicated space in which to mount exhibitions and installations of commissioned work by artist/designers or manufacturers.
In May 2007, we opened a doorway between the Gallery and the main store at which point we also integrated the commissioned limited edition pieces much more into the store itself.
In August 2007, we opened our first store outside New York, on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
Moss
150 Greene Street
New York, NY 10012
tel (212) 204-7100
fax (212) 204-7101
tollfree (866) 888-6677
store@mossonline.com
hours:
Monday - Saturday 11am to 7pm
Sunday Noon to 6pm
Moss (LA)
8444 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90069
tel (323) 866-5260
fax (323) 866-5264
tollfree (866) 902-3423
storeLA@mossonline.com
hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 11am to 7pm
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