American in Paris Celebrates Relaunch at Grand Reopening
American In Paris hosted its grand reopening event last Thursday evening, celebrating the 25-year-old boutique’s re-launch and debut of its latest service, AIP BESPOKE.
Joelle Solimano first opened American In Paris (AIP) with her daughter Alexandra in 1996, and after Alex’s fashion career took off and required her to travel, Joelle took the reins. After Joelle’s passing, Alex was determined to honor her mother’s legacy. Having witnessed this boutique undergo so much transformation the last 12 months, it’s thrilling to see it all come to fruition. AIP has become a destination for independent labels.
The debut of AIP BESPOKE brings a quarterly suite of bespoke and custom experiences ranging from design-your-own accessories and hand-painted monogramming to made-to-measure tailoring and custom footwear from some of South America’s most elite polo boot makers. As someone who’s been wearing her favorite polo boots for ten years and keeps having the heels and soles replaced – I cannot wait for this!
Another impressive display showcased a custom lacquer handbag station where customers were invited to design their own version of a clutch designed by Alex in collaboration with MOLA Acessorio. Customization options ranged from base color and exterior designs including initials, names, graphics, to semi-precious stone crystal adornments, fabric lining, and detachable chains. Samantha happily shared her own personal example, a truly unique idea for gifting bridal parties, or even just for the bride herself.
We nibbled on cheese and charcuterie from La Fromagerie while sipping on paired wines from Le Vintage. Collaborator and local artist Sue Henry of Tulusa was hand-painting initials and emblems onto apparel and accessories, while DMV-based Soulshine Aura Photography provided aura readings and portraits.
I’ve been attending and putting on events for over 20 years, and the aura reading was one of the coolest activations I’ve ever participated in. Stepping inside the black photo tent, I sat down and placed my hands on a blue metal device with outlines on which to place your hands. It made it feel very intentional, like an emotional lie detector test – but a fun one. I imagined the device asking: “Tell me how you’re really feeling. Because you can say ‘everything’s fine, fine, fine, but your aura won’t lie.’” When I shared the experience with my hubby later, he was like, “Oh, like a mood ring.” Not exactly.
As you can see from my photo I have many colors (and no, I didn’t rig it because my name is Rainbow). The red signifies being grounded, passionate and hard-working (like writing into the wee hours). There is a grayish area above my head, likely due to a stressful call I received right before entering. But seeing some of my favorite women definitely made that disappear. One of the more surprising notes was the white dots on my chest which signified being enlightened and connected to the divine. Very cool, would definitely love to do another one in the future!
The other thing that I love about this boutique is the friendships and collaborations it’s fostering. While I was there, I bumped into Courtney from MVMNT, Celthia and Abby from Bellacara and Emily from Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop. I also saw a customer I had made friends with at the last event (because we both grew up in Staten Island, shhhh…) and was introduced to so many more women. I have cards and text messages that still need replies.
And I’m inspired by the creativity of the women who work there, including jewelry designer Ana Tkabladze of Galleria GeorgiAna, whose stunning enamel pieces are on display.
Where Alex has already succeeded is bringing in brands and items that can’t be widely found anywhere else. Case in point: I was eyeing a sunhat in the front window, but was distracted by something else…wine, cheese…my aura. I next saw Celthia trying it on in the mirror and instantly remarked how good it looked on her. Then I realized it was the hat. That’s the thing about Alex’s pieces – if you see something you want – buy it, before someone else snatches it. They go quickly.
Great music, nice bites, and always good energy. Very excited for the custom riding boots coming in the fall…but for now, I’m going to keep going to MVMNT so I have the confidence to rock one of those amazing swimsuits on the rack – that no one else will be wearing at the pool!
See Also: Street Style: Meet Alexandra Alvarez de Toledo of American in Paris
