Alexis Bittar: Go West, Young Man!

“The West Village has gone through a real evolution over the past few years,” says Alexis Bittar. “There’s been this injection of energy, and it makes you want to just reach out and grab it. It’s one of those rare neighborhoods that is unbelievably commercial, yet still manages to remain truly special and quaint. It's a great location to further the branding aspect of the business.”

And further the branding aspect of the business is exactly what the Brooklyn-based jeweler – whose Lucite, Elements and Miss Havisham collections are carried in hundreds of stores and museums around the globe - is doing with the new outpost he’s opening on Bleecker Street in May (his original NYC flagship, which opened in 2004, will remain on Broome Street in Soho).

“It will be a bit more intimate than the current store, which I think is appropriate given the quaint, village-like feel of the neighborhood,” he adds of the 350 sq. ft. Bleecker Street space, which is designed to feel like someone’s home – if that someone was Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, and home was Chicago’s Drake Hotel, as seen in the Alfred Hitchcock film, North by Northwest (Bittar’s stated inspiration for the new venue's look, which includes dark grey carpeting, oak veneer cases and Cherry blossoms on one wall - the latter a direct nod to a scene from Hitchcock's classic).

“I want to make this retail experience different from anything else out there,” explains the charmingly down-to-earth designer. “Much like the showcasing of modern art, the world of retail has become so stagnant and formulaic, with its white sheet rock walls and concrete floors. I really feel like there needs to be a change. People are bored with that aesthetic, as am I. I want my customer to feel something special upon entering my stores - like they are stepping back in time, catching a glimpse into an old 1930’s bedroom. I'm very conscious of the customer experience and there's a disconnect there that I'm really interested in - looking through the glass like you’re not supposed to be there. But then there has to be some sort of trust established; you have to find a way to take the museum-like qualities, and add a touch of modernism to make it feel relatable.”

Hmmm. Museum-like quality? Modernist? Relatable? Sounds kind of like his jewelry design.

Another element that makes shopping – or just browsing - in an Alexis Bittar store so pleasant is the staff, such as Broome Street employees Eric Joppy and Nadia Dev, who rank among the friendliest, most knowledgeable and professional sales help we’ve ever encountered when shopping (and we shop a lot).

We asked Bittar what he looks for when hiring his stellar sales staff.

“I look for people who are eclectic, artistic, personable, genuine and honest, first and foremost,” replied Bittar. “There seems to be this odd formula these days for sales staff in so many retail stores: They barely engage with the customer at all, and if they do, it's usually them just standing back and saying ‘that's cute,’ even if it's not. That totally turns me off. I want my customers to feel welcomed and comfortable - to be confident that they will get honest opinions from a skilled and genuinely attentive staff."

Mission accomplished, Mr. B!

Next stop: Los Angeles, San Francisco, London and New York's Upper East Side, all of which are slated to get their own Alexis Bittar boutiques within the next five years.

Photos courtesy Alexis Bittar

Comments

[nousha.com]

Love them!