What a difference a year makes: Alison Chemla, founder and designer of Alison Lou, opened her first retail store and welcomed her second child in the past 12 months.
“It has been a whirlwind of a time—crazy, but all in a good way,” says Chemla, noting that the playful pieces in her new Madison collection pay homage to these milestones.
Chemla opened the Alison Lou flagship store, at 994B Madison Ave. in New York City, in September; its red carpet and furnishings, gold accents, and white walls reflect the brightly colored jewelry Alison Lou is known for, she says.
The Madison capsule collection complements the store’s gold decor and bursts of color with 14k gold and lab-grown stones. Its 18 pieces have Alison Lou’s signature cocktail silhouettes but in more casual designs that are easy to pair with any outfit and season, Chemla says.
“What I love about the Madison collection is how wearable it is,” she says. “Our cocktail collection is one of our best-selling but can feel more evening. The Madison pieces are definitely more wearable day to day. The necklace is perfect for layering, the earrings are amazing with a T-shirt or sundress. I just love them all.”
The Madison capsule includes signet rings with round or rectangular stones, and bezel-set stone necklaces and stud and drop earrings in those shapes plus pear and heart shapes. The collection also introduces a bezel huggie earring, which allows the wearer to mix and match gemstone charms.
Chemla describes both the collection and the store as classic, timeless, modern, and colorful. “Our store is the most elevated version of Alison Lou, and this collection reflects that. It is still very much a reflection of what is signature of Alison Lou—gemstones, enamel, and yellow gold—but with a twist,” Chemla says. “I love having a space where our customers can really get a sense of who we are and all that we have to offer.”
Customers have been enjoying the store, which Chemla says is in her dream New York location. She hopes shoppers feel the love she and her collaborative team bring to the space and to the company overall. Everything the female-founded and -operated brand sells is manufactured in New York City, Chemla says.
“Our new flagship is located underneath the Mark Hotel. It is the perfect jewel box for us to showcase the brand and have that one-on-one experience with the customer again,” Chemla says. “COVID really changed the industry, and people were solely shopping online for so long. I think people are loving in-person interactions again. Jewelry is so personal. You need to be able to touch it and try it on to build that emotional connection.”
Top: The gold necklace with round lab-grown colored stone is in Alison Lou’s Madison capsule collection, introduced in July to offer a more casual take on the cocktail silhouette. (Photos courtesy of Alison Lou)
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