Opening a boutique with staying power in a city like NYC is no small feat, but Claire Distenfeld was up for the challenge. She opened her Upper East Side fashion mecca, Fivestory, last spring - and one year later, it's still going strong, hailed by critics as one of the best curated high-fashion boutiques in the city. The multi-story townhouse carries everything from Balmain to Carven, but no matter what she puts in her store, her goal is to always make women feel good, telling us, "I'm never gonna buy pieces that won't make a woman feel good. She can feel different, she can feel unique, but you're not gonna see a garbage bag with holes in my store." Click through to see how Claire Distenfeld was able to use her background in fine arts to make a name for herself in the cutthroat fashion industry, and stand out from the rest. More>>

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Photos by Nellie Park.

Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side
Interview: Fivestory's Claire Distenfeld, The 27-Year-Old Fashion Force Taking Over The Upper East Side