“I picked this spot because . . . well, the locals still use this block,” said jeweler Aurélie Bidermann with a smile at the opening of her New York City shop last night, located on Lafayette Street, just south of Prince. She has a point: SoHo proper, just adjacent, is a bit trickier to navigate with its perma-throngs of tourists and sightseers. Lafayette is where “you can still stroll and stop in whenever you feel like it.”
Given Bidermann’s enticing boutique an entrance with retro-inspired tile work from Madrid, whitewashed and wood-toned interiors dotted with her gilded bohemian designs, and an overall “homey” feel we’re willing to bet she’ll snag her fair share of passersby.
The Frenchwoman has designed an exclusive capsule for her Manhattan outpost as well: golden-chains, charmed with lapis scarabs. While those are égyptienne in provenance, their deep navy color is all Empire State, rife with coolness and vitality.
Following a champagne welcome at the store, guests marched it was cold a few blocks north to Lafayette, a French restaurant named for both its location and presumably the Marquis. There, Leandra Medine in go-go Valentino boots Kate Young, Inez van Lamsweerde, Hannah Bronfman, Alexandra Richards, and more congratulated Bidermann over autumn salads and apple tartines. To close the evening, Laure Heriard Dubreuil, the night’s cohost, toasted her friend: “We’re so happy you’ve brought your lucky charms to the Big Apple.” Happy, and lucky, indeed.