The store features an all-new product mix every 10 weeks
MAISON 10, an innovative boutique that stocks a selection of jewelry, books, candles, accessories and more, recently debuted in New York City with a business concept primed for the modern retail age.
The new omnichannel retailer, which is located at 4 W. 29th St. in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, offers 10 items from 10 different product categories—bags, jewelry, books, candles, fragrance, gift, homewares, men’s accessories, “well being,” and one revolving, themed category—every 10 weeks.
At the end of each 10-week period, the product from each category that has sold the most units (combined online and in-store sales) remains for the following 10 weeks, but everything else goes. So shoppers get an almost entirely new store to peruse every 10 weeks.
The retail space also features 10 works from one artist each 10-week period. A collection of black and white abstracts, XX Interwoven, by Timothy Atticus kicked off the store’s first 10 weeks, and the shop is now showing False Mirror from Paul Morris (see both here).
This Jacqueline Rose choker—which can be worn as a bracelet or anklet—is part of MAISON 10’s second cycle
Even more innovative is MAISON 10’s approach to giving back. Ten percent of each sale is donated to one of 10 charities the retailer partners with—and shoppers chose which one they want to donate to at checkout. Charities include Opening Doors London, which supports older LGBT individuals; the International Rescue Committee, which responds to major humanitarian crises; and Housing Works, an New York City–based charity supporting homeless people with HIV and AIDS.
The idea of building a business around the number 10 came from founders Tom Blackie, Henri Myers, and Carsten Klein, who grew up glued to top-10 pop music countdowns on the radio. Blackie and Myers were married in 2014, and Myers recalls that when he met his future husband, “we totally geeked out over music. And Tom and Carsten bonded over music, too. We all had that in common.”
Gamin NYC’s Aracata earrings—part of MAISON 10’s second selling cycle
The three founders bring a useful collective of experience to their fledgling business. Myers ran a well-regarded fashion showroom in Los Angeles, EM Productions, for many years, before launching the COEUR accessories, gifts, and home-goods trade show in New York and Los Angeles five years ago.
Through the trade show, Myers collaborates with dozens of high-end brands—and he estimates that 90 percent of collections represented at MAISON 10 are COEUR vendors.
Blackie brings substantial nonprofit experience to the operation—he’s a veteran grant writer for major corporations. Klein, who now lives in Amsterdam, “is a whiz at all the product design, packaging, typography, and working with the overall aesthetics,” says Myers. “He built our website and brings a very non-American look and design perspective. We don’t have one logo—we have three logos. It works with the idea of the ever-changing door and format at MAISON 10.”
The idea for a retail business blossomed from conversations between Myers and Blackie: “We love music, art, and design,” says Myers, “so we always talked about opening a little shop that would have flowers and artwork and cool little coffees and teas.”
The chic, well-priced mix of merchandise at MAISON 10 should net a diverse and loyal client base. Jewelry brands for the second 10-week cycle, which began last week, include Bagtazo, Misa Jewelry, Gamin NYC, Jacqueline Rose, K/ller Collection, Hechizo (which has created an exclusive worry-doll bracelet for the retailer), and Kristen Elspeth.
The jewelry selection “is a little bit about my personal taste,” notes Myers. “But we like to have a wide range of price points, too. There are statement pieces, but also pieces people can wear every day. I like things that are unique and different. Whatever someone buys, we want it to be a piece they love, that they can’t take off. “
The third cycle of all-new merchandise at MAISON 10 starts Nov. 27.
Top photo: Hechizo worry doll bracelet
(Photos courtesy of Maison 10)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
