This year is shaping up to be a pivotal one for fine jeweler Colette. The brand, founded by designer Colette Steckel, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2021, and this week it’s debuting a glossy new flagship store in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood, a few miles down from its former boutique on Melrose Place, which is now closed.
Located across the street from the iconic Brentwood Country Mart, at 250 26th St., the new shop is more minimal in spirit, and less moody in vibe, than Colette’s Melrose Place shop, which Steckel describes as “darker and more boudoir-inspired.” The new spot is brighter and lighter, and done up in pastels and “creme fraiche” (it’s a color) that render it “reminiscent of a contemporary apartment in Paris,” she adds.
And this shop doesn’t carry just jewelry; it also stocks a designer-curated selection of home accessories from artisans in Paris and Mexico City, representing the dual cultures from which Steckel hails. There are chocolates from François Pralus, velvet backgammon sets by Hector Saxe, artwork by Benjamin Pietri, belts from NDA, and bags from Baní, among other rare finds.
“Spending so much time at home during COVID-19 lockdowns, my family and I came to rely on special little comforts that made us feel good, like board games, home scents, comfy sweatshirts, and more,” Steckel says. “That, coupled with the fact that I think so many of us were looking at different ways to enhance our spaces…influenced this idea to bring in more than just jewelry.”
The designer, who calls herself “a true collector in every sense of the word,” plans to introduce more categories as the store evolves.
Steckel adds that the pandemic played a role in her decision to relocate her boutique, which also functions as a showroom for stylists: “My family and I quarantined together at home in Brentwood.… We’re all so used to traveling and running around nonstop, and the forced slowdown made me really fall in love with home again. It also fueled a desire in me to simplify things a bit.”
And that means staying in her neighborhood most days. “I’m really excited to be part of Brentwood’s community of local businesses [because] I spend so much time there myself,” Steckel says. “I love the camaraderie among neighboring businesses, and I feel super grateful to be part of that mix.”
The designer hopes the flagship’s layout and feel will “take away the intimidation and formality that can sometimes be synonymous with shopping for fine jewelry.” To that end, she’s set up a little vanity area where shoppers can try on jewelry or chat about bespoke projects. But, she adds, “you can also come by, have a green juice, and walk away with a backgammon set from a smaller designer you hadn’t yet heard of.”
The space will host events to celebrate its existing designers and welcome new ones, and will also carry exclusive Colette jewelry designs. “I want the store to be a must-see destination for our local community and visitors alike,” Steckel says, “where you can always count on discovering something new.”
Top: Inside the new Colette store (all photos courtesy of Colette)
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