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LIFESTYLES | ALEXIS BITTAR
BEDAZZLING WASHINGTON W
omen in Washington will soon be better accessorized, as Brooklyn-based jewelry designer-to-the-stars Alexis Bittar is opening a new boutique in CityCenter this month. We talked with the designer about his unconventional advertising campaigns, artistic inspirations and the state of style in the nation’s capital. BY ERICA MOODY
messages that are important to me and synonymous with the brand, and present them to the world. It starts a dialogue. The model I am closest to is Iris Apfel. She’s 93, and just a real beacon of strength. She’s counterintuitive of what most people think of aging and I think that’s such an important topic. I’ve really been trying to look at the topic of ageism and really dealing with it by showing images of women who are mature and incredible and beautiful and really pay reverence to that and not just focus on girls who are young twentysomethings and photoshopped.
WASHINGTON LIFE: Why have you chosen to open a store in Washington, and do you see it as a fashionable city? ALEXIS BITTAR I’ve spent a lot of time in D.C. over the years, more so at the White House for Michelle Obama, and, even though the city is never thought of as a fashion forward thinking city, I’m always struck by the hunger for fashionforward brands. When I do personal appearances in D.C. people get really excited. D.C. gets a bad rap for being super conservative but over the years, I’ve noticed that women in D.C. really want to dress up. So we figured this was the perfect time. I think that CityCenter is going to be incredible. D.C. was in need of that.
how we filter and see the world. There’s a whimsy in Jeremy’s style that I relate to.
WL: You have collaborated with many designers in the past (Jason Wu, Michael Kors, etc). Is there one that you enjoyed working with the most? AB One that I feel really close to is Jeremy Scott. I think Jeremy and I have a very similar sensibility. He’s doing great work with Moschino right now. We have the same back-story in terms of our youths and
WL: You’ve received a lot of attention for featuring older women in your campaigns. What is your thought process behind these campaigns? AB One of the good things about not being a public company is that I can make a decision and go with it. I look at advertising as adult graffiti, in a way. It gets the public to look at issues. It has enabled me to drive home
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Moonlight Panther Ring ($275), alexisbittar.com
WL: You also recently featured a transgender woman in one of your campaigns. AB I’ve known many transgender women over the years and I thought it was about time that there was an ad that didn’t have to say the model was transgender. The ad didn’t say it. In fact a lot of people thought she was J.Lo, which was funny. I wanted to handle the topic with dignity and not get too much into politics. WL: Outside of fashion, who/what are your artistic influences? AB I look a lot at Wiener Werkstatte, an
Royal Marquis Sunburst Ring in 18k gold ($2,495), alexisbittar.com
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Bracelet from 25th Anniversary Lucite Collection (available in Alexis Bittar stores)
| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com
A L L I M AGE S CO URT E SY AL E XI S B I T TA R
Gold Muse D’or Vine Clip Earring ($345), alexisbittar.com
Alexis Bittar (Photo by Terry Tsiolsis)
Jagged Diamond Cluster Cuff ($295), alexisbittar.com
Moonlight Cluster Clip Earring ($325), alexisbittar.com
Michelle Obama in Alexis Bittar pin (Photo courtesy alexisbittar.com)
Silver Gaze Marquis Cluster Bib Necklace ($3,795) alexisbittar.com
Moonlight Stacked Cocktail Ring ($295), alexisbittar.com
art movement in Vienna at the turn of last century. It was very revolutionary in terms of how they thought of color and form and shape. Josef Hoffmann was a genius in terms of his ability to look into the future. WL: Do you have a specific target market in mind when designing? AB It’s really broad. Each collection has a different demographic. It’s usually 25-65 but I think overall the woman tends to be a stronger personality. She doesn’t want to hide or blend into the background. She’s artistic, with strong opinions, and just more creative. WL: What do you see as the emerging jewelry trends in 2015? AB There’s definitely a real want for things to kind of pare down, to be slightly less embellished. People are looking for real artistic expression in jewelry, a combination of art infused with jewelry. They want jewelry that’s artistic but unexpected. WL: What’s the number one factor a woman should keep in mind when searching for a piece of jewelry? AB You never want it to wear you. You need to really feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. You want to have fun with it. I think sometimes people take jewelry very seriously. It becomes very competitive. But I think there’s a part of it that’s about self-expression and having fun with fashion. Jewelry can have a lot of power. Women get very attached to jewelry when it has sentimental value. It can send a statement of strength. WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
| M A R C H | washingtonlife.com
Miley Cyrus in Alexis Bittar jewelry (Photo courtesy alexisbittar.com)
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