Irene Neuwirth, known for playful tropical flower and beaded candy stone necklaces in opal, tanzanite, chrysoprase, tourmaline and other colorful gemstones inspired by sand and surf — and for creating the famous pearl link necklace worn by vice president Kamala Harris — is setting down roots in New York.
The L.A. jewelry designer has signed a lease at 937 Madison Avenue, with plans to open in November.
It marks the second retail store for the designer after her Melrose Place boutique that opened in L.A. in 2014. She also has a shop-in-shop at Laura Vinroot-Poole’s Capitol boutique in Brentwood that opened in 2019.
Like the L.A. store, the New York outpost will be envisioned by interior designer Pam Shamshiri, and will have enough space to host intimate lunches and dinners.
Neuwirth tightened up her business during the pandemic and has been able to increase sales, she said recently. When not designing from the new Malibu home she shares with longtime boyfriend writer/director Phil Lord, she’s been spending time on her first love, riding. Earlier this month, she went from waitlisted to winner at the Devon Horse Show, earning the division championship in the amateur-owner hunters, 35 and older.
Neuwirth launched her collection in 2000, and her one-of-a-kind jewelry has graced red carpets alongside big names like Cartier and Tiffany & Co., worn by Ruth Negga, Sarah Paulson, Busy Phillips, Julianne Moore, Julia Louis Dreyfus and First Lady Jill Biden.
Her earthy-elegant collection is also sold at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, Net-a-porter, Matchesfashion and Marissa Collection, among others.
The designer said she’s looking forward to spending more time in New York, where her artist-mother Geraldine Neuwirth lives, and she’s rented an apartment on the Upper East Side not far from the store.
Irene Neuwirth jewelry at Capitol Boutique in L.A.
Katie Jones/WWD
Source: WWD