boutique

Ulysse Nardin Watches Throws A Show & Tell Event In Boca Raton With Its First US Boutique Opening

There is risk and there is reward, but during December's Ulysse Nardin event in Boca Raton Florida there may be only reward. Opening up a dedicated boutique for the first time in a specific market can be a challenge and a risk. It is an expensive endeavor and failure can hurt your reputation as much as it can your bottom line. High-end watch brands tend to do only one thing well – and that is make watches. Being sales people isn't always their bag.

Lucky for Ulysse Nardin that they don't need to worry much about managing the store with their name on it. They opted for a cleverer means of opening their first US boutique store. Have a successful existing dealer in the area do it for you.

Sprightly and young for a man of his wealth, Bobby Yampolsky who owns and runs East Coast Jewelry can claim to operate one of the most successful watch selling businesses in the US. An existing Ulysse Nardin watch dealer, he was chosen to have the honor of starting and operating the Ulysse Nardin boutique. In the Boca Raton Town Center Mall located relatively close to his main store in South Florida, he put on quite a show for the boutique's opening event.

Tags: bocat raton, boutique, florida, mall, store, town center, ulysse nardin, US, watch

Continue reading “Ulysse Nardin Watches Throws A Show & Tell Event In Boca Raton With Its First US Boutique Opening”

First American Richard Mille Boutique Store Opens In Beverly Hills

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The last year has seen a venerable onslaught of dedicated high-end watch boutique stores - opening all over the world. These stores are direct competition to the increasingly less popular independent jewelry or watch stores. Brands, in order to promote their high-class image, and fend-off inventory going to the gray market, are building boutiques dedicated to selling products from their brands alone. The next few years will see more and more interesting changes to the landscape as the old and new ways of the watch industry reconcile with one another.

One of the best performing luxury watch brands of the last few years, Richard Mille has opened up its very first US boutique in Beverly Hills. Interestingly enough more and more watch stores are populating Rodeo Drive, as well as the surrounding area. Open across the Westime - likely the most well-known high-end watch store in Los Angeles - the Richard Mille boutique will serve as a new destination for fans of the brands often over-the-top complicated sport watch offerings. The store will also be one of the best placed to go to get the brand's exclusive for US product offerings. There will be no competition with Westime that until now carried Richard Mille watches. That is because Westime's owner is also the US distributor of Richard Mille. Now open, the Richard Mille boutique is located at 222 Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: beverly hills, boutique, california, Richard Mille, store, watch

Duncan Quinn's Stylish Den of Iniquity at Art Basel

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos, Events, Art, Men's Style, Luxury Shopping

Dashing designer Duncan Quinn, known for his roguish take on Savile Row style, is giving Miami's Art Basel a glamour injection courtesy of an ultra-cool pop-up boutique (above) opening today. Following the success of his lavish space at last year's festival complete with an indoor croquet pitch, this year's digs in the Design District's Moore Building are a veritable dandy's den of stylish iniquity, complete with a full-fledged casino, vintage sports cars, cocktails, a screening room showing classic Michael Caine films, and of course plenty of razor sharp threads.

Designed with a Casino Royale theme that would make James Bond himself hot under the collar, guests can take advantage of a bespoke lounge with Dormeuil fabrics, an installation of Ruby couture motorcycle helmets from France, cocktails from the mixologists at the Florida Room, and several limited edition items including the new line of Duncan Quinn sunglasses, polo shirts, jackets and more. Classic cars and motorbikes on display in the space include a 1954 Jaguar XK120, vintage Ducatis and Triumphs and Dime City Cycles' "Brass Café" Racer.

Gallery: Duncan Quinn Miami 2010

Tags: Art Basel, bespoke, boutique, Duncan Quinn, Jaguar, James Bond, mens style, Miami, Michael Caine, motorcycles, pop-up store, Savile Row

Ralph Lauren Women's Flagship Opens on Madison Avenue

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Shopping

Ralph Lauren has just opened his luxurious new women's flagship store (above) in New York at 888 Madison Avenue, which now stands as the feminine counterpart to the company's redesigned men's flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion across the street, which The Classicist covered in detail a few weeks back. The 22,000-sq-.ft. store, reminiscent of the grand Beaux-Arts architecture of the early 20th Century, is dedicated to Lauren's Women's and Home collections and also features the designer's first domestic Watch & Jewelry Salon. The stately four-story building offers Ralph Lauren Collection, Women's Black Label, Blue Label, Double RL, RLX Ralph Lauren and Home merchandise, along with a range of exclusive products including fine jewelry, made-to-measure women's suiting and Collection sleepwear. While nothing equals the magnificence of the Rhinelander Mansion, the new women's store is a graceful companion to be sure, not to mention larger than its sibling by some 6,000-sq.-ft. At the boutique's official opening the other night Lauren was given the Key to the City by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in recognition of his contributions as a designer, business leader and philanthropist.

Tags: architecture, boutique, fashion, fashion designer, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, Michael Bloomberg, New York, Ralph Lauren, Rhinelander Mansion, store

Thornwillow Press to Open Invisible Boutique at The St. Regis New York

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services, Books, Luxury Shopping

Thornwillow Press to open an invisible boutique at The St. Regis New York this fall.

The St. Regis New York will launch a unique partnership with Thornwillow Press, the limited edition publisher, bespoke stationer, and custom bookbinder.

This fall, The St. Regis New York, which is located at 2 East 55th Street at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, will unveil an "invisible store" which will offer guests a one of a kind retail experience befitting of the Beaux Arts beauty. "Thornwillow at The St. Regis" will showcase the hotel's elegant interiors while seamlessly merging an expertly curated collection of hand-crafted leather books, Thornwillow publications, art, library accessories, fine stationery, and other curiosities personally selected by Thornwillow's founder and arbiter of style, Luke Ives Pontifell. It is a fitting partnership as The St. Regis brand of hotels is known for its unique luxury, customized service and refined elegance.

Nestled within the walls of the hotel, Thornwillow at The St. Regis will be located in a quiet oasis on the ground floor. This unexpected boutique will be the city's best kept secret and will be a welcome change from the traditional shopping experience. Designed with comfortable reading chairs, writing desks and antique paneled cases, visitors will be drawn in by the warm and intimate atmosphere. Guests will be attended to by the Thornwillow Librarian and encouraged to linger, enjoy a cup of tea, an espresso or fine whiskey while surrounded by a unique selection of beautifully designed, one of kind items, all handmade in Thornwillow's artisanal studios. Thornwillow at The St. Regis will also feature a Stationery Bar were guests will be able to mix and match Thornwillow note cards, journals and other items, selecting various motifs and colors, creating a bespoke set of stationery. Thornwillow products retailed exclusively for The St. Regis New York can be seen online.

Gallery: Thornwillow Press to open at The St. Regis New York

Tags: boutique, John Jacob Astor, Luke Ives Pontifell, luxury shopping, Paul Nash, St. Regis, St. Regis New York, stationery, The St. Regis Hotel New York, Thornwillow, Thornwillow Press

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Piaget Finds A Spot On Bond Street With New Boutique Store

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Shopping

Piaget luxury watches and jewelry finds a new home for one of its uncommon boutique stores on Bond Street in London. "Go to luxury shopping streets" around the world are filling up with not just watch stores, but brand boutique watch stores (as opposed to multi-brand stores). Richemont Group, who is the parent company of Piaget, is responsible for the majority of these locations in what can be seen as part of a new marketing and sales strategy. For consumers, it helps showcase the brands as a destination versus just one product out of many in a store.

The Piaget boutique on Bond street for example is able to tell the whole story of the brand's current collection - which ranges from sophisticated to sporty men's pieces, as well as extremely artistic high-end jewelry watches for women. From a distribution perspective, such boutiques serve another potential purpose. As Richemont gears up more brands for online sales, boutique stores double as fulfillment centers for shipping product. This way, Piaget has a local distribution center for online sales made in the UK. This would not be possible or as simple with the traditional model that includes selling product to independent third-party retailers. As far as I know, Piaget is not yet a brand that is available for sale online, but given the direction sister Richemont brands are taking - it could very well be a reality sooner than later.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: bond street, boutique, jewelry, london, piaget, store, watch, watches

The Classicist: Ralph Lauren Re-Launches Famed Rhinelander Mansion in NYC

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, The Classicist, Architecture & Design, Luxury Shopping

Ralph Lauren has relaunched his famed flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York, transforming it into the world's foremost mecca of men's style. Spanning nearly 16,000 square feet, the Mansion, originally converted into an opulent retail palace by Lauren in 1986, now exclusively houses the designer's various men's collections with the company's first Women's and Home flagships due to open across the avenue later this fall. Originally designed in the 1890s by Kimball & Thompson, the the large French Renaissance Revival Mansion is an architectural treasure as well with a classic Beaux Arts façade exemplary of the the Upper East Side's grand architecture.

The new space showcases the Purple Label, Black Label, Polo, RRL and RLX Ralph Lauren collections of men's apparel and accessories, with an emphasis on the most luxurious elements. Service has been stepped up as well, with butlers to serve snacks and drinks on silver trays and a fleet of Mercedes-Benzes to chauffer important clients on shopping trips. The store features a full range of impeccably crafted made-to-measure suits, dress shirts, trousers, topcoats, sport coats and formalwear customized to exacting measurements, and made-to-order accessories and leather goods. Every room in the Mansion has been updated with cinematic decor in keeping with the neoclassical style of the original grand residence, from antiques and fixtures to furniture and art, including 18th- and 19th-century oil portraits and noteworthy photographs from Ralph Lauren's personal collection.

Gallery: The New Rhinelander Mansion

Tags: antiques, architecture, Beaux Arts, boutique, decor, designer, furniture, Gilded Age, Harvard, interior design, Ivy League, leather goods, luggage, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, mansion, New York, photographs, Polo, Princeton, Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, retail, Rhinelander Mansion, store, suits, Upper East Side

Continue reading “The Classicist: Ralph Lauren Re-Launches Famed Rhinelander Mansion in NYC”

Beach Chic: Babalu Opens in South Beach

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Babalu, Miami's latest hotspot, aims to redefine the concept of beach chic with a "luxury convenience store" in the heart of South Beach. Inspired by the allure, power and beauty of beach culture in destinations from Bali to St. Barth's, Babalu offers a fresh interpretation of elegant, unisex beach jewelry in semi-precious stones and 18K gold and silver, in harmony with nature and very personal, individual style statements.

"Our travels absolutely inspire us!," says Greg Melvin, owner and designer. "The collection instantly invokes the beach mind-set...whether one is lapping up the ocean vibe or navigating the urban grid, the collection pieces remind one of the beach's soothing and powerful energy."

"As designers living the quintessential beach life on Bali for a combined 25 years, and a life of travel to exotic beaches and cities worldwide, we know how the nomadic urbanites express their connection with the beach and style," relates Paolo Ambu, owner and designer.

Miami-based, Ambu and Melvin are known for consistently delivering freshly designed Asian-sourced products for US retail consumer markets. Greg Melvin's product development and export experience includes the creation of Palanquin Bali, named "the hottest shopping destination in Bali," according to the Asian Wall Street Journal. Paolo Ambu, Creative Director, was trained in Milan and London, and is an internationally renowned Product Designer and artist.

The store's signature jewelery collection masterfully mixes sculpted sea motif and talismanic symbol charms with hand-knotted semi-precious stone bead cords with stones including black onyx, fossilized ivory, African turquoise, white, brown and blue agates, blue Hemimorphite, Labradorite and Amazonite beads.

The urbanite will be drawn to the Babalu peace symbol and dog tag, each of which dances from artful arrangements of semi-precious bead strands. Bamboo-shaped wooden bracelets accented by gold or silver sections. For pure fun and ideal for layering, casual beaded bracelets come in four sun-saturated color combinations: Reef, Ocean, Deco Drive and Delano, all white The iconic yet simple pieces complement many personal styles.

The flagship location's building was designed by acclaimed firm Herzog + de Meuron (interior by John Rawlins and Devinn Bruce). The store also carries perfume, candles, home accessories and travel goods, with prices from $24 and up.

The store is now open at 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami, and most goods are available online at www.babalumiami.com.

Tags: babalu, boutique, miami, south beach

Tod's Revamps Chic Saint Tropez Boutique

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Famed luxury goods firm Tod's has re-designed its chic boutique in St. Tropez with a new "Home Concept" celebrating the luxe Italian lifestyle. Tod's has recently renovated many of its important global flagship boutiques from refined, clean-cut sales floors to a more contemporary, comfortable and warm retail atmosphere, complete with special vintage furniture and unique decorative pieces. The spaces are designed so that upon entering you feel as if you are walking into a close friend's or family's inviting yet impeccable home. No two Tod's boutiques will be furnished with the same pieces, mirroring the group's ethos and selection of finest handcrafted Italian leather goods and ready to wear items. The Tod's "Home Concept" features renowned Elliott Erwitt portraits, handmade precious carpets and distressed oak paneled accents, juxtaposed with bookshelves and open closets that sit seamlessly alongside furniture by some of the 20th century's most outstanding designers including Parisi, Redaelli and Ulrich.

Tags: boutique, Elliott Erwitt, France, Italy, leather, Saint Tropez, St. Tropez, stores, Tods

Ferrari Store Opens in New York City

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Having any sort of car in New York City is a luxury in itself for many Manhattanites; having a Ferrari is the ultimate indulgence. That doesn't mean plenty of people don't want a piece of that prancing horse magic. Hence the opening of a new Ferrari Store in midtown Manhattan the other day, next to the Ferrari showroom at Park Avenue and 55th Street. For the opening event Ferrari had a 1959 250 California, 1984 288 GTO, a 458 Italia, a 612 Scaglieti and a 599 GTO on display at the boutique which stocks a wide range of Ferrari clothing and accessories. Designed by Italian architecture and design firm Studio Iosa Ghini, the space is meant to evoke the speed of a Formula One car. A white glass front wall lures passersby with videos and graphic panels, allowing clear views to the entrancing interior.

[via LuxuryLaunches]

Tags: boutique, clothing, Ferrari, Formula One, Manhattan, New York City, Park Avenue, stores

Victoria's Secret to Open First UK Store

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Lingerie leviathan Victoria's Secret has announced that it will open its first UK store in 2012. The boudoir-esque boutique will be located in London on the "prestigious corner of New Bond Street and Brook Street," the lingerie company's owner Limited Brands tells Vogue UK. The company had previously been looking at locations on nearby Regent Street, but decided the 16,500-sq.-ft. New Bond Street location was better sized. It's the first major US import for the area since Abercrombie & Fitch opened a store a few streets away in 2007, which has since become incredibly popular with the city's younger set. A UK location is especially fitting considering the top Victoria's Secret Angel at the moment is British beauty Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (above), who's said to be a cousin of the Queen of England. Huntington-Whitely has also just been tapped to replace Megan Fox in the next Transformers movie.

Tags: boutique, Limited Brands, Lingerie, London, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, supermodels, UK, Victorias Secret

Greubel Forsey Private Room In Hong Kong Is Elegant Dungeon In Which To Buy Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

"You will not be leaving here until you purchase a watch." Possible words of warning as you attempt to leave the new luxury Greubel Forsey "Private Room" located in the Elegant Watch & Jewelry boutique, in Hong Kong. The brand which makes some of the word's most expensive watches opens their first private location in Hong Kong. The private room is quite literally that, a Greubel Forsey decorated and operated room with a table, chairs, some display cases... and only one way out. "My exit for a watch!"

Stepping into the room pretty much means you are going to leave with an extra $300, 000 - $500,000 worth of watch in a large size box under your arm. Or perhaps you get the pleasure of waiting a few months while Greubel Forsey's talented watch markers toil over your brand new family heirloom that the kids can't ever touch. Meetings are likely by appointment only, but I image the private room will be occupied quite often given the fine brands popularity in the watch savvy region.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: boutique, Greubel Forsey, hong kong, private room, private shopping, store, watch

This Is How You Buy Ralph Lauren Watches - New Paris Brand Boutique

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Sweet little set up. This is the welcoming "watch salon" space of the new section of the flagship Ralph Lauren store in Paris. Stop by the famous fashion line's mega store located at 173 Boulevard Saint Germain in Paris, and you'll be eager to step away from clothes and into the luxury watch buying portal. Ralph Lauren watches that I have discussed a few time debuted last year with a modest, but appealing collection of watches. Each contain high-end movements from sister brands at Richemont Group such as IWC, Piaget, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. Good looking watches meant to be sober classics as opposed to wild contemporaries.

This space is all about luxury and service. Feeling anything but a cold and uninviting retail space, the customer sits on a leather stool at a display case viewing the watches. Beautiful wooden tile floors are flanked by a homey environment complete with a mini library and friendly Ralph Lauren "family" pictures. High-end watches below your eyes and a chandelier above your head complete the luxury experience.

Given the nature of the brand, Ralph Lauren watches has found most of its sales occurring in-store at overall Ralph Lauren stores. The new tactic here is to be included in the overall store and Ralph Lauren atmosphere, but to have a slightly separated space given the more complex and intimate nature of selling expensive watches.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: boutique, paris, Ralph Lauren, store, watch boutique, watches

40 Years of Fred Segal Feet

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Shoes

Fred Segal Feet will be celebrating its 40th year in business this year and the tiny LA boutique is as big now as ever, continuing to serve celebrities and the fashion elite as the go-to place for the latest and greatest in men's and women's shoes and accessories.

Located on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, every piece for sale in the 610 sq ft store is hand-picked by the husband and wife team that started it so many years ago, Stanley and Patti Silver. Credited with many 'firsts' including being among the first to bring European shoes to the West Coast, being the first to sell Mui Mui in Los Angeles, and being one of the earliest to fall in love with Uggs, the Silvers make time to travel to Milan and Paris every year (usually twice) and have a knack for scoping out the latest and greatest in fashion and design. Brand names include the likes of Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Christian Louboutin, and Giuseppe Zanotti and they have hundreds of offerings for both men and women. The Beatles, Desperate Housewives, and countless other celebrities are common in the store although the Silvers like their goods to be accessible to everyone, and so stock a variety of offerings starting as low as $60 and ranging well up into sky-high thousands. Congratulations on such a long and successful history, with no end in sight!

Source

Tags: boutique, boutiques, fred segal feet, FredSegalFeet, handbags, shoes

Ralph Lauren Opens New Outposts in Gstaad

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Ralph Lauren has just opened the first of two new boutiques in the ultra-chic ski resort of Gstaad, Switzerland, haven of royalty and the international jetset. The designer restored and revamped a historic, intimate three-story building in the center of the village (above) for the first outpost, while the second is planned for the lobby of the luxe Gstaad Palace hotel. Capturing the architectural heritage of local alpine chalets mixed with a dash of American mountain lodge, the interior is finished in pine, oak, local stone and plaster evoking an atmosphere of comfort and warmth. Navajo rugs, antiques, beautiful showcases and unique artwork exuding the Ralph Lauren lifestyle make up the interior decor. The store highlights the brand's iconic collections - Ralph Lauren Collection, Purple Label, Black Label, Blue Label, Polo and RLX Ski - as well as the three new Ralph Lauren Watch collections.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: boutique, Gstaad, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, ski resort, skiing, SkiResort, Switzerland

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