Profile

Upscale hippie-chic reigns supreme at the Calypso string of stores. Owner and French native Christiane Celle's love of St. Bart's is brightly reflected in her resplendent silk-beaded skirts and dresses, flowing kurtas, and candy-colored silk camisoles, while the soft leather accessories, shoes, sarongs, and patterned bikinis evoke sultry island vacations. The coveted house line of candles and fragrances—including favorites like Mimosa and Chevrefeuille—are redolent of the tropics, too. Aside from these Calypso classics, each store’s stock varies according to its specialty. The baby shop pampers well-heeled kids with mini sequined cashmere sweaters; the company’s home store, a beautifully-decorated space on Lafayette, is full of silver-plated lanterns from Tunisia, French mohair quilts, Indian printed pillows, and unique smaller items, like horn-embellished keepsake boxes and calf-leather coasters. Sheets and bedding patterned after Calypso's skirts help create a soothing domestic tropicalismo despite the call of the urban jungle. — Jeannette Park

Key Departments

Bridesmaids

The five floors of Calypso Christiane Celle offer versatile apparel that bridesmaids will still be wearing years after the wedding. Many of their pieces can be special ordered in silk, including bustiers, balloon-sleeved “Vista” wrap tops, “Katia” bustle skirts, and long wrap dresses, like the popular “Julia”—expect them in ten weeks.

Related Stories

Featured In

• Craze: Calypso's Pretty, Bohemian Things (6/26/06)