Cappuccino Thoughts 22: On the Retail Experience Today
From Tiffany's and Khaite to an indie boutique in Brooklyn—and what the heck is Chanel doing?
I won’t bury the lede here: I’m super jazzed to share that my bags are now being sold in By Liv, a boutique in North Williamsburg. It was always my goal to get my bags into a physical retail store because I truly believe in the experience of shopping IRL—discovering interesting items, trying them on, talking to shop owners. I’m thrilled with this latest update on the bag project, which so many of you have shared kind words about in the last few months.
It’s got me thinking about what makes a great retail experience today. There’s been much said, particularly due to C*vid, about where retail is headed and if physical stores make sense for brands. So I’m sharing some hits (and some misses) from my perusing the last few months.
By Liv in North Williamsburg
I, of course, have to start with By Liv. It is becoming harder and harder in major cities to find unique boutiques that sell truly original items. When I first had the idea for my bag project, I happened upon Liv’s store and knew it would be the perfect place for them. She’s an amazing designer who upcycles textiles like handkerchiefs, linens, and doilies to make one-of-a-kind skirts, dresses, jackets, and more. Her looks have been worn by people like Adwoa Aboah and Sabrina Carpenter.
What makes it a special retail experience: It’s truly all about discovery and special finds here. Liv carries a rotating assortment of independent designers and will alter items for you right in store. She’s not just a designer, but also a curator of her space.
Tiffany’s Landmark
I visited the newly redesigned Tiffany’s store on 5th Avenue with my friend S. visiting from Boston and it far surpassed my expectations.
What makes it a special retail experience: Tiffany’s has leaned way into its own brand mythology. The Tiffany Diamond is on display (and is absolutely jaw-dropping in person), as is the turquoise Basquiat from those infamous Beyoncé ads. Upstairs, they have the black dress and jewels Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (in my humble opinion, her worst role). There’s even a cafe on the third floor if you want to have your own Breakfast moment. I love a brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Of course, Tiffany’s is still luxury, but those moments of connection with items customers might recognize make the store more accessible. And fun. All the sales associates were also quite approachable and excited to chat about the items in their display cases (if anyone is doing some early Christmas shopping for me, I’d take an Elsa Peretti bone cuff in silver, please and thank you).
Khaite
Khaite could take a note from Tiffany’s. While I really admire the brand and what their founder is building, the store experience was old-school luxury retail in the worst ways. At their new Soho store, the windows were heavily tinted and a guard stood right next to the door to buzz me in. While I understand that security is increasingly necessary to prevent shoplifting, it immediately felt like an unwelcoming environment. No fewer than ten sales associates stood in the otherwise empty store. While one offered help, the rest stood around gossiping about last night’s party (what did Kevin do?!). I loved the handbags in the popular crescent shape and a gorgeous trapezoidal structure, built in rich chocolate brown suede and white leather. But the clothing was arranged on sparse hangers, not styled together, and with only a couple dozen items on the floor, leaving me with very little impression of the brand vision. I have heard from certain sources that Khaite is leaning more into luxury versus their “contemporary” priced pieces. I can guess that VIPs (or personal shoppers to VIPs) may have a different experience. And maybe they knew I wasn’t the target audience. But if part of the goal of a physical store is increasing brand reach, this wasn’t the answer.
Atelier Beauté Chanel
I stumbled upon Chanel’s new retail concept in Soho via Google Maps and realized I must have walked past it several times already, since it’s on the second floor, not ground level. A curious location for a curious concept. It was like Sephora meets Glossier, with Chanel skincare and makeup products out on the floor to try à la Sephora. But if you wanted to buy anything, you had to tell a sales associate who would put the order in for you, and then go to a special desk at the front of the store to pick up the items on your way out, akin to Glossier. Chanel has been touting this store as a test-and-learn brand playground. But I didn’t see anything particularly innovative. My best guess is they’re thinking about building more stand-alone beauty boutiques because they don’t want to sell in LVMH-owned Sephora. They do seem to have private events there, so if you’ve got access to that corporate credit card, I’d look into doing your next team-building event there.
Look of the week
What’s on the bedside table
I received Emma Cline’s new book The Guest as part of my ticket to see her interviewed by Jeffrey Eugenides and I honestly didn’t intend to read the book, but that cover is just so enticing. I devoured it on the plane to and from a work trip a few weeks ago. It’s a quick read with a brisk pace, covering the protagonist Alex’s six days living basically homeless in the Hamptons. She manipulates her way into staying as a guest at the homes of the various social groups that make up the beach town. Cline spoke about making an active choice to not share anything about the character’s past with the reader, so we’re left totally in the dark as to her motivations or future plans. It reminded me a lot of Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados. I would give it 4/5 stars—it’s a great summer read if you want a beach read that’s less Emily Henry and more Bonjour Tristesse.
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This week I will be packing up my bags (and more leather bags for a special collection), to head on holiday—hint, lots of beach reading in store soon!
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