Shop of the Week: Solange Azagury-Partridge
British jewelry designer Solange Azagury-Partridge has opened her second worldwide location with a lush boutique on the Upper East Side. Since starting her biz in the early ‘90s, Azagury-Partridge has become known for her bold, fanciful approach to precious baubles. Fringed collections, diamond cuffs in geometric patterns, eye-popping enamel rings shaped like hot lips – these are not your grandma's gemstone settings.
Nor is Solange Azagury-Partridge your run-of-the-mill jewelry shop. Like Alice in Wonderland, I peered through the peephole of the heavy door and discovered a galaxy of dark and mysterious beauty. Designed entirely by Azagury-Partridge herself, the store has ruby red velvet walls twinkling with over 630,000 hand-set Swarovski crystals. It also features a ceiling encrusted with zodiac constellations and the designer’s own limited-edition home furnishings (including the Rainbow Parquet Rug and Fringe lighting fixture). The jewelry itself is set inside the walls, enclosed by antique gilded frames and backlit like a glamorous gallery exhibition. Just as the company pioneered new expression for precious jewels, the Solange Azagury-Partridge store has claimed its stake on Madison Avenue with a look that's totally original.
Solange Azagury-Partridge
809 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10065
May 2009
Paper Magazine