A while back, the chief operating officer of Japanese handmade fine jewelry retailer Kataoka, Anis Boudraa, told JCK that the company's first American store in New York City would surely bring some excitement to New York's jaded consumer base. The new boutique in Tribeca is 1,600-square-foot and genuinely has an exotic, minimalist feel.
The jewelry cases, which are of vintage Japanese design, stand on skinny legs, while the white brick walls convey an open feeling. Most of the furniture in the boutique were meant for other uses. According to Boudraa, Kataoka's founder, designer, and goldsmith Yoshinobu Kataoka, “only wanted display cases that are antique that have a beautiful patina. They really reflect the theory of Kataoka—working with something that’s old. Our designer hates fast fashion and everything that’s related to fast consumerism.”
All of the gold used in the company's designs are recycled from the Japanese semiconductor industry. Everything is handmade, and the company frowns on mass production, so many consumers will be wearing unique pieces that were specially made by skilled and dedicated craftsmen.
