Fashion designer moves into N.Y. club CBGB's space (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The punk spirit of CBGB lives on, but it has cleaned up its act.

Menswear fashion designer John Varvatos has opened his newest boutique in the space that once housed the famed underground music club CBGB, where popular acts such as Blondie, Television, The Ramones and Patti Smith played.

Varvatos has preserved much of CBGBs poster- and graffiti-covered walls and recreated some of its gritty mood with dark wood, Victorian-style crystal chandeliers, velvet curtains and a black ceiling.

The much heralded CBGB, born in 1973, closed its doors in October 2006 after a rent dispute.

CBGBs stage is gone, as is its distinctive original door. But the space still has a slightly cavernous feel, and the decor of guitars, drums, vintage hi-fi equipment and classic album covers evoke its history. Plans call for an in-house disc jockey and concerts by up-and-coming artists.

"Were not trying to reinvent CBGBs," said Varvatos in an interview this week. "Were just trying to respect the past and let people have an opportunity to enjoy what was there.

"It sounds kind of hokey, but the walls kind of talk in that place," he added.

But the floors are no longer sticky, the air is clear and the bathroom is clean.

"Its the most popular question -- what did you do with the bathroom," said Dace-Allen Morris, a spokesman for Varvatos, recalling the clubs notoriously dirty facilities.

Next door, the Morrison Hotel Gallery, which sells prints of photographs of rock n roll stars, has taken over the space that once was a gallery connected to the club.

Preserving the essence of CBGB comes as a relief to club veterans such as Roberta Bayley, who worked at CBGBs front door in the 1970s and also photographed many musicians who gave the club its distinctive sound and character.

Living nearby for more than 30 years, she has watched Greenwich Village, where the store is located, evolve from hip and edgy to commercial and expensive.

"I think everyone was really worried, thinking it would be trendy and upscale, but it looks really cool," she said.

Varvatos, a Detroit native, launched his menswear line in 2000. Twice named Menswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, he has six boutiques in the United States and also sells his designs in stores worldwide.

This store has been open to customers for just a few days, and a grand opening is set for April 17.

Varvatos designs pick up the vintage punk theme, with distressed leather jackets, worn boots, beat-up jeans and T-shirts. But the prices are not for punks: a leather jacket is 2,500, while a pair of vintage boots is 400 and jeans can run as much as 285.

Longtime resident Bayley takes the price of the clothing in stride. "Its for people who dont have time to wear out their clothes," she reasons. "Theyre too busy making money."

Reuters/Nielsen