Jewellery (jewelry)

By Rosemary Feitelberg MANHASSET, N.Y. ? In the midst of a photo shoot at the CH Carolina Herrera store here, the designer looked at ease leaning against a table. But the same couldn’t be said for a young woman who stood gobsmacked in the doorway. Without waiting for the next bulb to flash, Herrera waved the shopper in.

Reflexive as that gesture was, it seemed emblematic of the CH Carolina Herrera business ? all are welcome in these stores, but it’s not something she has made much noise about.

Despite this low-key approach, Herrera has quietly been bolstering the CH Carolina Herrera business. There are currently 39 freestanding stores and concept shops, and that figure is expected to jump to 100 by the end of 2009. This year alone, boutiques will bow in Kuwait, Jeddah, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and next year units will open in Caracas, Venezuela; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. There are nine CH Carolina Herrera stores in the U.S. and a New York flagship is on the horizon, though a location has not been found.”Maybe it?s OK to be a little more elusive and mysterious. Fashion is mysterious.??”? Carolina HerreraLaunched in 2001, the CH Carolina Herrera collection is geared for a modern, effortless chic lifestyle ? much like the one lived by the designer’s daughter Carolina, who is also the label’s muse. Framed photographs of Herrera and her namesake daughter from various stages of their lives are tucked away here and there in the store, often not in full view. Some of Herrera’s favorite books ? including ones by Irving Penn, Peter Lindbergh and Julian Schnabel ? are also interspersed throughout. There are other homey items as well, such as a sterling silver dog dish, scented candles, teddy bears and a leather carrier for a water bottle ? all designed by Herrera.

The at-home feel aims to make shoppers linger. “The feeling is you want to stay here and have a cup of tea or a drink of water,” Herrera said. “No one has the feeling that someone is trying to sell you something.”

And that is not by chance. The store’s salespeople are trained not to hover or trail shoppers around. The last thing Herrera wants is for an employee to insist a customer try something on. The staff is more than willing to help when asked, but Herrera said, “Here, you can shop on your own without many people looking at what you’re doing.”
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