Shopping’s Gilded Age Has Arrived

Photo: Courtesy of Adam Lippes

Had the robber barons been boutique shoppers, they might have found themselves right at home in a crop of new stores with especially ornate interiors — where the walls are wood-paneled, the display cases are claw-footed, and the couches are heavily throw-pillowed — that have opened around the city. Buttresses decorated with stone lions’ heads mark the exterior of French crystal-glassware-makerLalique’s(21 E. 63rd St.)latest store, called Maison d’Artiste, which occupies the Beaux Arts Chopard Mansion. A flock of crystal sparrows dangles from the entryway ceiling, and a gold-luster crystal swan is available for $9,000.

Lalique Maison d’Artiste.Photo: Courtesy of Adrian Gaut/

A block away,Adam Lippes’s shop(828 Fifth Ave.)fills a parlor-floor apartment in a Romanesque Renaissance mansion that was built for coal magnate Edward J. Berwind in 1896. Racks with perfectly spaced hangers holding floral luncheon dresses line the walls of the space, which has Louis XVI–style crown molding and a working marble fireplace. Previous residents include Donna Summer and Adolfo, the fashion designer who dressed Nancy Reagan; Lippes plans to move into the apartment across the hall.

At jewelerJessica McCormack’s first New York store(743 Madison Ave.),a velvet doghouse with tasseled trim sits at the bottom of a dark-wood staircase while hundreds of carats of diamond jewelry glint in museum-vitrine-like display cases. Bowls of rainbow-colored jelly beans abound. “It’s almost like walking into someone’s home — you feel very comfortable, and it’s very warm and embracing,” says Robin Abrams, a vice-chairman at Compass who specializes in commercial real estate with a focus on luxury brands. “It’s the opposite of what we were seeing a decade ago, when everything was kind of very clean and modern.” Abrams notes that cheaper rents on side streets may also be part of the draw and can offset the cost of an involved build-out like that of Lalique.

Another such side-street store isHouse of Matouk(20 E. 67th St.),where shoppers can browse scalloped place mats in Upper East Side prewar townhouse situ. Iksel wallpaper with a jungle print covers the bathroom walls; downstairs, there’s a working shower and a garden area.

Downtown,Nickey Kehoe’s two-level home-goods and furniture store(49 E. 10th St.)is located in an 1850s Italianate rowhouse where Jackson Pollock once lived. Its second-floor “salon” is framed by crown-molded arches with a Murano-glass chandelier and gilded mirrors. The space was designed with the help of afeng shuiconsultant.

Hauteline
A clothing-rental store — with pieces from Chopova Lowena, Blumarine, and Pleats Please Issey Miyake — offers the Rent the Runway experience to the Dimes Square set.(95 Orchard St.)

Fleur du Mal
The brand behind Kylie Jenner’s Knicks-themed blue-and-orange lingerie set opens up shop in Brooklyn, where visitors will find an imported 1970s Italian-style bar.(Opens late July; 324 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg)

Sabah.Photo: Courtesy of Steven Stinson

Sabah
Candy-colored Sabah loafers, woven sun hats, and roll-up leather backgammon boards are on offer several blocks up from Fleur du Mal.(168 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg)

Flabelus
The Spanish espadrilles-maker brings its bow-adorned friulanes and double-strapped velvet mary janes to its first permanent U.S. store.(Opens early August; 505 Broome St.)

Rocksbox
Gen-Z shoppers can find tarot-inspired pendant necklaces, opal stud earrings, and under-$100 tennis bracelets from Kendra Scott, Lele Sadoughi, and Ana Luisa at this multi-brand jewelry store.(239 Elizabeth St.)

The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

Tags:

• the strategist
• store openings
• new york magazine