Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/601986
photography by rony Shram, Styling by amanda Weiner (model) 150 aspenpeak-magazine.com The Bling Rush The high country gets an über-luxe makeover as new high-end retailers and jewelers explode onto the Aspen scene. Top-of-the-line jewelry and ac- cessory lines are commonplace in aspen, but unprecedented expan- sions by ultra-glam brands have created a new standard for luxury in town. Meridian Jewelers (525 E. Cooper Ave., 970-925-3833; meridianjewelers.com)—which carries everything from Alessan- dro Barellini to Yossi Harari— bought out the adjacent store last year to expand its space and introduce a Rolex specialty shop. "We've been a partner with Rolex for years, so when we had the op- portunity to get additional space to better highlight the brand, we took it," says kenny smith, who co-owns the 12-year-old jewelry boutique with his wife, Robin. similarly, Van Cleef & Arpels (400 E. Hyman Ave., 970-544- 1852; vancleefarpels.com), whose jewels and watches are the height of fairytale opulence, is renovating its pop-up space on the Hyman avenue mall to create a three-foor, 2,500-square-foot facility that fea- tures not one but two Vip rooms with sweeping mountain views. "given the quality of our products and the fact that the aspen clien- tele truly has a taste for the best, it was easy for us to make a per- manent home here," says boutique director Ignacio Munoz, who also oversees the Audemars Piguet (970-544-1868; audemarspiguet. com) and Panerai (970-544-1868; panerai.com) boutiques on the same corner. "We're creating a real jewelry hub," says munoz. "and, [given how] aspen is [growing], this is the perfect place." Strike Gold! Aspen gets bejeweled this winter with marquee openings and expansions. Make rooM for luxe The Aspen 1 Building's new look means "high-end all the way" in downtown Aspen. While Aspen has played home to the rich and famous for decades, the last few years have taken the idea of high- mountain luxury to a higher peak. For a town of barely 6,000 year-round residents, Aspen boasts an unprecedented and coveted cache of luxe brands and boutiques that would be as at home on Fifth Avenue or the Rue du Fau- bourg Saint-Honoré as they are on the Mill Street Mall. We already have the staples—Gucci, Prada, Fendi, and the like; the only-in-Aspen shops, like haute couture boutique Pitkin County Dry Goods or high-end vintage and Western retail- er Kemo Sabe; and the glittering panoply of jewelers that keep Aspenites and visitors alike alight with shimmering bling. But, even still, new stores continue to fock to town like skiers to fresh powder. Retail sales in Aspen topped $600 million in 2014, when the luxury market saw a full 16 percent increase over 2013. With the rate of new develop- ment, and the slate of high-end retail storefronts already in the works, those numbers are only expected to rise. When the building that housed the gap, also known as the aspen 1 Building—located on the corner of east Hopkins avenue and south galena street—was bought by de- veloper mark Hunt for $13.25 million in 2012, there was little wonder what would take its place. Hunt's plan was to divide the formerly large space at the gap into three separate retail storefronts. and though some lamented the loss of the moderately priced clothier, the overwhelmingly positive response to the new tenants swiftly quelled dissent: Dolce & Gabbana (970-925-2367; dolce gabbana.com), new York– based contemporary fash- ion label Theory (970-544- 0079; theory.com), and yoga-inspired athletic apparel company Lululemon (970- 925-2033; lululemon.com) all opened in the ground-level retail space in 2014. Their ar- rival, along with the booming economy, marks a welcome trend on the aspen fashion scene, as well as the hint of more high-end retail to come in 2016—and beyond. fAshion Dionysus Blooms print shoulder bag, Gucci ($2,700). Swiss watchmaker Panerai holds court on "luxury corner" with Van Cleef & Arpels and Audemars Piguet. Absolutely Aspen! Haute couture and high country go hand in hand in the Roaring Fork Valley.