I Obtained a Tour of the Fresh Tiffany Retailer From the Giant title Architect, Peter Marino, Himself

“Mild and vivid! Don’t disclose me one thing grey or brown! I desire white marble and mirrors, now not one thing dark and creepy. And I desire a huge post-COVID opening, a recognition of the grandeur of Tiffany,” Peter Marino says, standing in the insanely fine, stupendously over-the-high, necessary heralded new Tiffany store. It is three days earlier than the legitimate opening of what the corporate is calling The Landmark, and Marino, the legendary architect and trend designer accountable for rethinking, re-envisioning, and relaunching what’s now a 10-story extravaganza, has agreed to rob me on a tour. He’s dressed for the event in his same old mufti—a stout on leather-daddy ensemble total a with Marlon Brando inThe Wild One cap, accessorized by a trio of silver crosses around his neck and a hoop consisting of three broad interlocking silver birds that would possibly rob your see out whenever you happen to open to absorb inconvenience.

I myself am clad in layers of tulle and my standard superannuated Kewpie-doll absorb up, and collectively we absorb slightly the pair—no wonder we’re fast friends. Or even it’s because I hail from Massapequa, Long Island, and Marino is from Douglaston, Queens, and we each and every piece a deep cherish of Tiffany. “Audrey Hepburn—that became as soon as my first memory of Tiffany’s—the Truman Capote movie,” Marino tells me. “Before I became as soon as ever in the shop, I needed to press my nostril against the window.”

We originate on Ten, a flooring that he loves, though you would possibly potentially by no methodology get to observe it—it is far reserved for the toniest VIP clients and rigged out to ogle cherish a Peter Marino home. The crimson-and-sad coloration scheme became as soon as inspired by Elsa Peretti’s home. Marino labored with the legendary Tiffany jewelry trend designer relief in the day. “She became as soon as a hoot!” he says. If you happen to’re contemplating spending millions on jewelry, you can also get hungry, and by likelihood there would possibly be a eating room, and a Daniel Boulud restaurant in-home to feed you. Works by Jenny Holzer and Sarah Sze, among others, grace the partitions, and there would possibly be even a recreation of the normal Jean Schlumberger salon. Schlumberger created just among the most notorious Tiffany pieces all the method thru his long association with the corporate, and among his many notorious designs is the irresistible diamond Fowl-on-a-Rock brooch. (If somebody cares, this creator is raring to possess this merchandise.)

“Let’s disappear to Seven! Such good issues!” Marino says, and we rob the elevator—there ragged to be three, now there are eight—to the diamond flooring. The partitions are lacquered and inlaid with mom of pearl, and Marino designed the artful present conditions. When I witness that it is far also robust to showcase jewelry, he chuckles. “That’s why I get the broad bucks. They’re made by the same foundry that makes issues for me in France. And I made these blue vases in Murano, Italy—you can also watch a movie of me making them on YouTube.” “Wisely, you’re with out a doubt a really artistic fellow,” I disclose, and he laughs. “That’s what occurs while you grow up in Douglaston,” he says.

We fall the broad twisted staircase that Marino explains became as soon as essentially essentially based totally on Peretti’s iconic bone bracelet, and now we’re on the homeware flooring. ABreakfast at Tiffany’s-inspired desk and chairs set up by Julian Schnabel—along with two of his art work—are advance the elevators. On the relief of the flooring Lauren Santo Domingo, the brand new artistic director for Tiffany Dwelling, has designed the tableware on present.

Marino suggests we glimpse into the Blue Field Cafe, where we get a surprise: the chef himself is in notify. “Monsieur Boulud, comment ca va!” Marino asks his ragged buddy, while I watch what seem cherish hundreds of Tiffany blue containers striking from the ceiling. Boulud jokes, “If you happen to guess what number of containers, you get a free lunch!” Marino did the satisfied, coloration-swabbed flooring and even designed the dishes; the artist Molly Hatch interpreted 19^th century Tiffany jewelry in the exuberant works on present. Boulud provides me a most welcome Tiffany-blue pastry to pop in my mouth—touring ten flooring makes you hungry.

“Floors Four and Five are where quite lots of the cash is made,” Marino says in a stage notify as we fall the steps to the silver flooring. And indeed, there are many more cost-effective issues right here—stationery, handbags, an engraver available to personalize your purchases—however the showstopper is a tiny field that is pure Peter. “Moon River” plays in the background, and Audrey in her night dress is standing open air the shop, apparently without raze, on an never-ending movie loop. A vitrine holds the categorical Givenchy dress she wears in the movie. Three days from now, this is in a position to well maybe present the backdrop for never-ending selfies. “I told them, I gotta effect that, I gorgeous bought to effect it!” Marino says, explaining how major this homage became as soon as to him, to each person who first got right here to know Tiffany thru this movie, and who can title with Holly Golightly’s looking forward to one thing unimaginable, glamorous, and noteworthy.

Even supposing his handlers are getting slightly twitchy—Peter, you produce other appointments at the present time!—we’re now not executed. He desires to disclose me gold on Four, where he essentially essentially based totally the partitions on a Picasso harlequin portray. Right here is where Paloma Picasso, who labored with Tiffany for just a few years, has a room dedicated to her jewelry. “I seen her in Venice! She’s going to absorb us some new issues. She’s coming to the opening.”

The clock is ticking, but we tranquil are attempting to seek recommendation from the bridal field, where the rosy ambience is meant to absorb you feel, Marino says, the methodology you effect early on in a relationship, “cherish you’re floating on a cloud.” An vintage Tiffany lamp graces the peony suite, a interior most VIP room enormous ample to accommodate now not gorgeous the chuffed couple but a persnickety in-law or two. In consequence of of the corporate’s history of the use of many semi-precious stones, Marino shows off a leisure room swathed in purple onyx.

In the end it is time for the notable flooring, which is what the hundreds—millions!—of visitors will first watch as soon as they substandard the brink in the arriving months and years. The glass diamond-in-the-sky ceiling is meant to evoke a skylight; a huge Jeff Koons sculpture, but to attain, will tower over the notable entrance, and there are clearly showcases groaning with fine jewelry. Nonetheless I will’t rob my eyes from the essential video monitors that wrap the room. This coronary heart-stopping set up provides a admire of a delightfully skewed, imaginary Fresh York, whereby a pair of Schlumberger birds infrequently flutter and swoop—it be a must to protect looking ahead to them! And I would possibly stand all day and effect gorgeous that.

If right here’s as shut as I, and most others, will get to proudly owning one in every of these diamond-studded flyers, that’s ample. They will be right here for us, hovering over a fantastical Fresh York, residing in a dream panorama, a spectacular landmark, about to open on Fifty-seventh and Fifth.