NEW YORK — After courting Hollywood with its D-Side collection co-designed by Brad Pitt, Damiani is ready to woo Manhattan.
The Milan-based jeweler’s first boutique here, at 796 Madison Avenue, displays Damiani’s entire assortment of jewels, from Pitt-designed platinum rings to diamond and Tahitian pearl Ninfea necklaces, white and brown diamond Jungle rings and diamond Ego watches.
The boutique, which opened on July 6, is part of the company strategy to make a major push into the U.S. market. Damiani already operates a store in Honolulu, and is to open a unit at the King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pa., in September. Plans also call for stores in Beverly Hills, San Francisco and Las Vegas in the near future.
“[The U.S. market] is very important, now even more,” said Giorgio Damiani, chairman and president of Damiani USA Corp. and an offspring of the jewelry family who founded the company in 1924. “We want to concentrate our efforts in this market as we are sure that it could become a very important one for us, given the taste of the American people.”
The 350-square-foot boutique is narrow and rectangular, but it appears light and airy. Created by Italian architect Antonio Citterio, the shop features light marble floors and palisander wood displays, from a large central case to square-shaped window displays recessed into the wall, and long, rectangular glass boxes suspended from the ceiling. These are lined up graphically toward Madison Avenue and form the overall window display for those strolling the thoroughfare.
“We are selling luxury, so it has to be an elegant but also a very warm atmosphere to invite the customer to enter freely into our jewelry stores,” said Damiani, adding that it’s common for customers to feel intimidated because the merchandise is so expensive. “We wanted to compromise between an elegant and modern store.”
In the boutique, clients will find turqoise and diamond Bolle rings, at approximately $4,450, snake-like white gold and diamond Eden bracelets, $16,980 and wave-inspired white gold, blue sapphire and diamond Flutti rings, $14,850.
In Milan, Damiani is on Via Montenapoleone, in Rome on Via Condotti and in Paris on Place Vendôme — so Madison Avenue seemed a natural choice. “Damiani is located in all the best locations in the world, so Madison Avenue was the most important location to be,” Damiani said.
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In addition to Honolulu and Madison Avenue, Damiani sells its jewelry to upscale independent jewelers and specialty chains such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. First-year sales projections for the new boutique are $1 million.
“Madison Avenue shoppers are America’s most discerning consumers; they only want the best of what the world of luxury has to offer,” Damiani said. “Therefore, our being here is a perfect match.”