NEW YORK — Judith Leiber is finally ready to give its home base of Manhattan a proper flagship.
The company said Friday that it will open a boutique at 680 Madison Avenue and 61st Street in a space that was formerly occupied by Maxim’s de Paris.
The 3,000-square-foot boutique will be designed by architecture firm Gensler and is expected to open its doors this fall. It will showcase the firm’s entire accessories assortment, from signature crystal minaudières to day bags, shoes, sunglasses and gloves. Its lease was brokered through Garrick-Aug Worldwide Ltd.’s vice chairman, Faith Hope Consolo.
In a statement, Maggy Siegel, president and chief executive officer of Judith Leiber LLC, said opening a flagship at the center of New York’s luxury retail center “reflects the company’s commitment to serving our discerning customers.”
This isn’t Leiber’s first Manhattan store. The division of the Leiber Group already operates a 520-square-foot unit at 987 Madison Avenue, but its lease expires next year and will be reviewed then.
The Manhattan flagship is part of Leiber’s ambitious growth strategy. The company, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, has estimated sales of about $30 million, but Siegel has said that it could grow to $50 million in a few years. Earlier this year, the firm unveiled plans to push into other worldwide markets and partnered with the Falic Group with plans to expand into Central and South America. A boutique is scheduled to open in Panama City, Panama, this spring.
In addition to New York, there are four other Leiber boutiques worldwide: Atlanta, Las Vegas, Costa Mesa, Calif., and London.