PHILIP MANGHISI

Q: Tell us a bit about your background...

Founder of Scottsdale Based Boutique Wunderkind

A: I started my career in retail as a cashier at Jeffrey New York when I was 19 years old. I was attending Fashion Institute of Technology at the time to receive a degree in fashion design and wanted to get a part-time job so that I could further expose myself to luxury goods. I worked as a cashier for about four months before I was moved to the sales floor where I sold women’s shoes and handbags. After about a year of selling, I was plucked from the store to start buying all collections for our two locations (New York and Atlanta) along with Jeffrey Kalinsky and David Rubenstein. I traveled to Europe eight times per year to complete the selection and bought everything from Chanel to Comme Des Garçons for men and women. It was an amazing job and gave me access to the world’s best brands. I loved working for Jeffrey and was there for a total of nine years but decided that I wanted to leave New York so I moved to Los Angeles where I began working for Elyse Walker. I managed the designer store in her Pacific Palisades flagship before I was moved to the buying office after about nine months. While buying for Elyse, I selected all designer ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, accessories, and men’s categories for her stores. I worked for Elyse for five years before ultimately deciding to open my own shop.

Q: What was your inspiration for branching out on your own?

A: I had a moment of clarity during COVID when I realized that I did not want to work for someone else for the rest of my life. I am incredibly grateful to my mentors and learned all that I know from them, but it seemed like the right time for me to go out on my own. The idea to open my own store came to me naturally as I felt that this is what I had been training for my entire career. At this point in time, I had been a buyer for other people for a combined total of 12 years (or 40 seasons) and felt that I was seasoned enough to do the same job for myself.

Q: How did you come up with the store name, Wunderkind?

A: The word Wunderkind means “child prodigy” or “someone who has achieved success at a very young age” in German. I turned 21 on my first European buying trip and took to the process quite easily. Due to my strong innate ability to select product in spite of my young age, Jeffrey Kalinsky referred to me as his wunderkind as a term of endearment. I did not want my store to be named after me but I did want the store name to be about me— Wunderkind is a tribute to my humble beginnings and pays homage to Kalinsky who began my career.

Q: What brands does the store carry?

A: Ready-to-wear and accessories: Alaïa, Alexander

McQueen, Amina Muaddi, Aquazzura, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Chloé, Dries Van Noten, Gabriela Hearst, Gianvito Rossi, Givenchy, Khaite, Manolo Blahnik, Moreau, Stella McCartney, The Row, Tom Ford. Fine jewelry: Anita Ko, Hoorsenbuhs, Melissa Kaye, Sidney Garber, Spinelli Kilcollin, Irene Neuwirth, Ileana Makri, Azlee, Sylva & Cie, Loree Rodkin, Jacquie Aiche, Eva Fehren, Jenna Blake.

Q: Describe the ideal Wunderkind client?

A: A woman who buys what she likes and doesn’t believe in trends. Someone who understands quality and the importance of investing in pieces that have longevity.

Q: You have an exquisite jewelry collection available. How do you decide which brands to include in your store?

A: There are so many great jewelry brands out there. Quality and weight are very, very important to me. If it’s heavy, I will probably love it. Further, I have a finite amount of space to display jewelry so it’s important that any new brand I bring in has something different to say than the other brands I stock. I also like to choose brands that do not have distribution in the area that surrounds my stores so that clients feel like they are finding something special.

Q: You recently expanded by opening your second location. Congratulations! Share with us how you chose your second location, and how does it differ from your Scottsdale store...

A: From the moment I opened my shop in Scottsdale, clients from near and far told me that I should open a store in Montecito. There were several geographic areas that interested me for a second location but when I found the building I am leasing in Montecito, the other options were no longer interesting to me. It is the perfect size in the perfect shopping center in the perfect, untapped market.

Q: What are your long-term goals for Wunderkind?

A: I am beyond happy with two stores at the moment but future growth for Wunderkind would be the addition of more brick and mortar locations. I am not interested in e-commerce and really love the in-person shopping experience. I think there are plenty of underserved markets that could use a store like Wunderkind. I am also hoping to add more established luxury brands to my vendor matrix such as Celine, Loewe, Gucci, and Saint Laurent but these acquisitions take time.

Q: Share with us your favorite trend for this upcoming summer...

A: Denim continues to be strong throughout the summer. Denim bags, denim shoes, denim clothing. I like this trend because it’s easy to wear!