In a whirlwind year, the female-founded brand Ink + Alloy has opened permanent retail spaces in two of the largest U.S. cities, most recently bringing its handmade jewelry and bohemian vibe to New York City.
Ink + Alloy this month opened a 500-square-foot store is in Nolita, a New York neighborhood known for its chic shopping scene. The 239 Elizabeth St. location puts it next door to American Vintage and across the street from Clare V., two retailers that Ink + Alloy founder Gretchen Hollingsworth says she admires and personally shops.
“It’s like the song says: ‘If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.’ New York was a big check on my bucket list, and I’m so happy to be on such a cool street with so many other brands I love. They also are goals in far as how they present their brands,” Hollingsworth says.
Hollingsworth started her brand as a wholesaler but expanded to direct-to-consumer e-commerce during the pandemic. That platform grew rapidly, she says, so she decided to try pop-up shops. She opened her first brick-and-mortar store in Chicago in June of this year.
“There’s no better way to experience the brand than through physical locations. Such a high percentage [of our jewelry] is purchased in our store versus online,” Hollingsworth says.
The NYC store will hold a grand opening in November, Hollingsworth says, but she is already is seeing a positive response from established as well as new customers. The shop’s exterior is a vivid green, a color that grabs the eye and can draw people into the space, Hollingsworth says. Inside, there are striped walls and colorful tilework—a brand visual for Ink + Alloy across all its retail spaces, she says.
“We went through a brand refresh this past spring, and I’ve always been drawn to that green and navy,” Hollingsworth says. “They’re both two really fun, grounding colors. Then we added pops of negroni, or orange, and lavender.… I like to think I’m neutral, but I gravitate to color. It’s fun to play. Plus, it’s a city where everyone one wears black, so it needed a pop of color.”
The new store has a bracelet bar, where shoppers can create their own stacks of bracelets that fit their personal style. Hollingsworth says these kinds of features, along with in-store events, are designed to encourage customers to visit regularly and add to their Ink + Alloy collections.
“We have so much we want to share with our customers about how you can mix and match, so the bracelet bar is a great addition to the store,” Hollingsworth says. “It’s a real hands-on process, and it’s so fun to see the real-time combinations that you may not be able to see if you’re shopping online.”
Another key component in the Ink + Alloy universe is charity, Hollingsworth says: The brand donates a proceed from every purchase to Commit2Change, a nonprofit organization that advocates for opportunities for young girls and women across India and Southeast Asia to attend school.
Top: Ink + Alloy just opened a colorful retail location in New York’s Nolita neighborhood that has a bracelet bar where customers can put together their own stacks of bracelets to wear. (Photos courtesy of Ink + Alloy)
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