NEW YORK — With a 97-foot-long catwalk filled with mannequins bisecting the center of the store, MNG by Mango asserted its style in the fast-fashion company's first Manhattan unit, a 7,500-square-foot flagship that opened Wednesday in SoHo.

Mango — U.S. stores are called MNG by Mango for trademark reasons — signed a lease for the space at 561 Broadway in May 2006, but the opening was delayed. The previous tenant, Kate's Paperie, didn't want to vacate. There also were negotiations with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Mango wanted to make changes to the building's facade, and finally agreed to install only a cast iron canopy above the entrance.

"It was a long negotiation with Kate's," said Jose Gomez, vice president of business development at Mango. "We wanted them to leave earlier. We really wanted that SoHo location. I negotiated and sat on [the location] until I got it."

The store features a mix of antiques and modern furniture. Antique mirrors hang on the walls, and sweaters and accessories are displayed on 18th-century tables. A row of 80-year-old chairs salvaged from a theater that closed in Barcelona line the edge of the runway and provide shoppers with a place to rest. Gomez declined to estimate volume.

The Barcelona chain operates 1,070 stores in 92 countries; its competitors Hennes and Mauritz and Zara have stores in 28 countries and 68 countries, respectively. However, H&M and Zara are more developed in the U.S., which Mango entered a year ago. Zara has 25 stores in the U.S. and H&M has 132.

Mango has moved quickly in the last year, opening 15 U.S. stores. An MNG by Mango shop opened on Nov. 16 at the Northbrook Court mall in Chicago. Others are to launch in Boston, San Francisco International Airport, Puerto Rico and Washington.

"It's very tough because real estate is very tight," Gomez said. "It's hard to find AAA locations. SoHo is a AAA location because it has an international clientele, American tourists and New York shoppers."

Gomez said Mango eventually might open as many as 270 U.S. stores. "The market will tell us how many stores we can open," he said. "In Spain, we have 270 stores. We could replicate that number."