Just as the holiday season takes hold, Roxanne Assoulin has opened up a pop-up shop in New York City, giving her customers a space to create with “jewelry that makes you smile.”
Assoulin has an extensive wholesale business, and while the creative hosts private shopping events at her NYC studio from time to time, this is her first pop-up for the public, even sharing candidly that she has been on the fence about opening her own brick-and-mortar outpost. “I’ve always been a bit resistant to retail — it’s a very different model, and I was mindful of not taking on something that might distract from the business we already have” she said to WWD. “But my realtor, who I’ve worked with for decades, called me on a Wednesday night and said a Madison Avenue store had just been papered up and might be available. I went to see it the next morning, and we signed a week later. Sometimes things don’t arrive with a plan. They just show up — and you listen.”
Roxanne Assoulin’s Upper East Side pop-up.
Courtesy of Roxanne Assoulin
Located at 1069 Madison Avenue, the 750-square-foot store is in good company situated along New York’s toniest shopping enclave and features a full assortment of pieces including puffy heart charms, initials, colorful cords, stacked bracelets and build-your-own bead pieces and more.
Toward the back of the space is a private studio for private gatherings, activations and collaborations. “I love our private events,” Assoulin said, having done events for Chanel, Away, Net-a-porter, and The Ritz-Carlton. “They can be anything from a birthday celebration to a corporate gathering. We create a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere with light bites, drinks, and then everyone comes together to make something personal. It feels like an art studio, but without the mess. There’s a kind of childlike playfulness to it. People make bracelets, necklaces, all kinds of pieces — but the real magic is the laughter and the connection. I love how creativity quiets the mind and allows everything to flow. It brings so much joy.”
Roxanne Assoulin’s Upper East Side pop-up.
Courtesy of Roxanne Assoulin
As the store rolls into the new year, Assoulin is planning new exclusive pieces: new cords, new colors, new charms, and new ways of putting things together. “What is exclusive right now is the experience,” she said of the opening. “Being able to try things on, to play, to experiment. The client becomes the creator, and that’s really the point.”
While a pop-up is often looked as a testing ground, Assoulin already feels she’s “tapped into something special” which could see the space become something permanent.
Roxanne Assoulin’s Upper East Side pop-up.
Courtesy of Roxanne Assoulin
“There’s a real sense of community. We’ve had triple-digit growth over the past few years, both online and in wholesale, and this feels like a very organic next step,” she said.
