Breakfast at Tiffany’s just became a lot more fun. This autumn, the 180-year old jeweler unveiled a redesign of the fourth floor of its iconic flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Its dedicated to accessories, tabletop and home décor items, and if you haven’t stopped by, you really should. It’s a new era for the iconic retailer, and just in the nick of time.
When Reed Krakoff became the new Chief Artistic Officer for the company in January, we have to admit that we were a bit skeptical. He was the mastermind behind the creative success of Coach, in partnership with CEO Lew Frankfurt. But what works in contemporary apparel and footwear doesn’t always translate to high jewelry and home décor. Different price point, different consumer, different channels of distribution, and a much different design cycle.
Unlike apparel, which sees new deliveries and product as often as once a week, the rhythm of new offerings at a store like Tiffany’s is much slower. It’s much harder to test and learn, and exponentially more difficult to chase sales when something becomes a hot seller. Get the product and merchandising right, and you’re golden for at least one quarter. Get it wrong, and you’re stuck with a lot of slow-turning (or unsalable) inventory.
The good news? Krakoff and his team have nailed it, at least for round one. We totally love what we saw of the new Tiffany’s home floor. The mood is relaxed and inviting – the site lines are open and uncluttered. The offerings still feature a great deal of silver, crystal and robins-egg blue. But the spirit of the place has been rejuvenated. Out with items that feel fussy, overly engineered, and very last century. In with sleek silhouettes, whimsy and an urbane sense of humor. Krakoff calls if “offhanded luxury,” and it works.
Everyday items that would normally be rendered in paper or plastic are now smartly crafted in china and silver: “paper” plates, “paper” cups, and “plastic” straws, some with witty one-liners or visual puns engraved upon them. If you have to face a New York morning, this refined and elegant approach would get you out the door in the right frame of mind.
You’ll find attaches, small leather goods, tabletop items, tea kettles, games, desk accessories, hourglasses, baby gifts, dog bowls and leashes, blankets, and all manner of other ephemera for the home and office.
Some of the items are clearly meant as statements and priced for PR value: there’s a sterling silver robin’s nest for $10,000; a sterling silver ball of yarn for $9,000, and a “coffee can” flower vase made of sterling silver for $1,500. They make for fun browsing and chattering with your companions — and might be the perfect gift for someone on your list.
Many of the offerings have a good sense of fun – the leather passport holder proclaims “Top Secret,” and looks like something a debonair gent would keep in his suit pocket. What struck us is that there’s a sense of grace and charm here that’s missing in a number of other spheres of life and commerce right now. Timing is everything, and this is definitely a moment when many of us are looking for an oasis of civility, generosity and flair. Who knew it could exist right next to Trump Tower?
In addition to home goods, the store holds a new fragrance laboratory and a vintage book library (we spotted one poor male sound asleep in the library, shopping bags piled at his feet).
There’s also a swanky new — and hard to get into — cafe that serves breakfast and lunch. Yes, that’s right — you can now have breakfast at Tiffany’s. But it helps to have some hustle – you have to reserve a place online and the tables fill very quickly. Channel you inner Audrey Hepburn, but don’t be too refined, or you’ll totally miss out.
Before or after your meal, you’ll surely find many things for sale here that you don’t need, but that you’ll find yourself wanting anyway. And there are many wonderful gifts that will be appreciated by brides, grooms, hosts and hostesses for years to come. If you have a summer house anywhere near the sea, you’ll love the vibe of fresh salt air that permeates the space (even if you only wish you had one, you can buy a piece of the dream here). Browsing the aisles will make you smile, and the staff is friendly and helpful.
Time will tell if the fresh breeze will continue to blow through this grande dame of a retailer – but we love what we’ve seen so far. Nicely played, Tiffany’s.
