Marisa Perry, New York
OWNERS: Marisa Perry and Douglas Elliott; FOUNDED: 2002; OPENED FEATURED LOCATION: 2015; ARCHITECT: Julie Hardridge/Architexture; EMPLOYEES: 5 full-time and 2 part-time; AREA: 1,000 square feet, TOP BRANDS: Douglas Elliott, Christian Bauer, Benchmark, Zenove, Marisa Perry
MARISA PERRY knew it was past time to move her store into larger quarters when she realized that the staff member in charge of manufacturing (the most organized man she’d ever met) had a desk so small that diamonds were sliding off its surface and becoming ensnared in electrical cords.
Transitioning from 500 square feet in Soho to 1,000 square feet in the West Village may not seem like that big a deal, but doubling the space of a ground-floor atelier is a leap of faith when Manhattan-size rents are involved.
The wish list was: spacious, functional, secure and compatible with the distinctive look and feel of the brand.
“We carried over the design elements of the store,” Perry says. “The chandeliers were a signature look in my old store, three chandeliers running down the center.” So, of course, the chandeliers made the trip to the West Village location on Hudson Street, which turned out to be perfect.
“It’s the bomb. It’s mind-blowing,” Perry says. “When I moved here, Hudson had a lot of closed stores. It’s turned out to be a spectacular location, which I did not know in advance of renting it. A lot of my customers find me by being in the neighborhood.”
The look and feel of the place also needed to appeal to a client of 25 to 35, the demographic at the heart of the business, which is shared by Perry and her husband, jewelry designer Douglas Elliott.
When the couple met in 2001, Perry fell in love with Elliott and his jewelry designs at the same time, she says. Elliott was then designing a fashion-driven, semi-precious jewelry collection, Elliott, which was sold at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, among other stores. Concurrently, he maintained a custom jewelry design business for private clients, for whom he created elaborate diamond pieces. Enchanted, Marisa saw an opportunity to create a new venture to bring Elliott’s diamond jewelry designs to the forefront.
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Prior to establishing her fine jewelry company, Marisa had a successful career in gourmet food marketing, working with top chefs and artisanal food producers. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she moved to New York City to work in the fashion world after graduating from L.A.’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
Together, they launched Marisa Perry Atelier in 2002. At the new location, Marisa Perry Atelier showcases Elliott’s artistry along with a curated selection of pieces by other designers. They specialize in diamond jewelry, with a particular focus on wedding jewelry, including engagement rings, wedding bands, and other custom-crafted pieces.
While the previous store had the look of a Parisian boutique, Perry wanted this one to combine classic and antique elements — French moldings, custom-made showcases and luxurious furnishings — with contemporary lighting elements and edgy art. Pops of color from fresh flowers add drama to the soothingly neutral room with its light and airy ambience and diaphanous white draperies.
A long, custom-made community table is the centerpiece of the store’s selling area.
“No matter what I have in my showcase, people want to design their own rings,” Perry says. “They want it round instead of emerald cut, 2-carat instead of 3-carat. We get a selection of diamonds in and they pick it. We make sure they get the best stone for their money.”
Salespeople can be as comfortable as clients when they’re collaborating around the table, where Elliott works on the pieces from drawing to execution, choosing every diamond, no matter its size, himself. Elliott and his team made 725 pieces of jewelry by hand last year.
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“Customers deserve the best no matter what they spend,” Elliott says. “But our average sale is around $30,000. This is not a refrigerator or a car. You can’t make a mistake with an engagement ring, and you’ve got to make sure these people are treated with love. If the diamond isn’t beautiful, we don’t sell it. Everything is bespoke and made in New York.”
The experience of shopping at Marisa Perry Atelier is elegant, of course, and serious, but also relaxed and inviting. Max 2.0, the couple’s chocolate Lab, is the company’s greeter.
“Every sale is a party,” Perry says. “We hand them a glass of champagne. On weekends, men don’t have to wear a suit, so they’ll come in with their dog, carrying a coffee cup and wearing gym clothes and buy a $50,000 diamond. It’s very relaxed, easy to just pop in. It should be really fun and not a science project like a lot of men make it out to be.”
Elliott says most of the New York brides-to-be he works with want the most delicate diamond rings possible with very thin bands.
While Perry runs the business and marketing side, Elliott runs design and production.
“He has his department and I have mine,” Perry says. “ If I want a piece of jewelry made I can tell him, but whether he makes it or not is his choice. I’m not allowed to interfere. He wants full creative control. Our marriage would not survive my butting in.”
On the other hand, Perry has complete control over branding, marketing, decor, and how the company is run.
“We’re very compatible and we’re both strong people,” Perry says. “He’s really bossy. I can be very bossy. By some miracle we get along well. We understand each other. We will ruffle some feathers, but it just kind of works. We do respect each other’s boundaries … sort of.”
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PHOTO GALLERY (15 IMAGES)
5 Cool Things About Marisa Perry Atelier
Behind the magic curtain. To accommodate celebrities and others seeking privacy, concealed pocket doors can be closed to make the back half of the store completely private. There’s also a side entrance behind a blue drape.
Trial period. Perry credits divine intervention for finally being able to have the level of talented staff she’s always wanted. But because of some difficulty hiring in the past, she began asking job candidates to work for three months before either party made a commitment.
Sales strategy. “We do a lot of training, and Douglas and I are involved in every sale. We talk strategy before every appointment. If they’re walking in my store — unless they’re here to shop for a gift — they’re going to buy an engagement ring. It’s just a question of whether they buy it from us or not. There’s lots of competition from the Internet and 47th Street, but people are willing to pay more for our settings, because they are better.”
If the shoe fits. They created a Christian Louboutin sales incentive program. “When any employee hits a certain profit margin on any given sale, we take them to the Christian Louboutin men’s or women’s boutique for a pair of shoes of their choice,” Perry says. “We love that brand and we wear that designer shoe most all the time.”
Only precious metals. “I was selling tungsten carbide because I love it, but I’d have to tell a guy I didn’t recommend it because if something happens, you can’t cut this ring off your finger,” Perry says. “It’s dangerous. The ER can cut silver and gold right off you, but not tungsten carbide. I’m like the mother hen for my customers. I want them to have something they can leave to their son or grandson.” Elliott strongly agrees that men’s bands should be made only in gold and platinum. “If you want to wear wood on your finger for the rest of your life, that’s your business, but you won’t find it here,” he says.
Try This: Be Specific About Responsibilities
The buck stops there. Each team member has specific jobs for which they are ultimately responsible. “It’s great for me as an employer because if something doesn’t happen, I know who to go to,” Perry says. “The buck stops there.” Not having assigned responsibilities for every staff member is the most critical mistake business owners can make, Perry says.
And Try This Too …
Express yourself. “We have started to put extra emphasis on encouraging our employees’ individuality by having them dress in their own unique style and sell in their own unique way,” Perry says. “We think it is better for them to be different from one another and create a balanced set of skills and talents over all, then all be the same, and all offer the same things. Employees are happiest when they can be themselves and are encouraged to develop their own self in a safe and happy environment.”
What Our America’s Coolest Judges Said
- Sofia Kaman: Everything about this store is so cohesive, and represents high-quality craftsmanship. From the online experience to the marketing materials, to that adorable dog, I’d want to shop here!
- Lyn Falk: Great story and fun interior with interesting pops of design elements (chandeliers, black and white wall mural).
- Tiffany Stevens: Inviting and organized; very attractive.
- Mia Katrin: The husband and wife collaboration is a nice touch. A compelling story for a bridal boutique!
