The Return of Alexis Bittar

Years ago, when The Shoe Hive expanded and started carrying jewelry, one of the lines I desperately wanted to carry was Alexis Bittar. He has been around since the 1990s but started his own brand in 2010 and it was so exciting. Nothing else out there was like it. I went to the jewelry show in New York, grabbed a map, and went on a hunt for Alexis.Come to find out, Alexis Bittar was a man who was so strikingly handsome that I found it difficult to even talk to him. This was probably around 2013 and his line was huge. I was impressed that even though he was in Neimans and all the big stores, he still showed up in person to market; it says a lot about the brand and the person behind it.Alexis Bittar is actually credited with reviving the costume jewelry movement back in the 1990s. This isn’t just any jewelry, this was handcrafted from Lucite. It mixed perfectly with fine jewelry and I just couldn’t get enough of it. Neither could our customers.So here is where I have to be straight with Stylebook readers: I stopped carrying it for a few years because after he sold the company, the designs went a little nuts. I would go to the booth and it would make me sad. Where were my simple but different pieces that had just that perfect bit of sparkle?So we broke up.Then a few months ago I was back in New York City at the Coterie show and there was the cutest gold Volkswagen bus. I looked closer and it said on the side “Alexis Bittar.” I couldn’t help but take a peak, I mean, after all, it was a gold bus.What was inside this vehicle made me want to jump for joy. The brand was back! Back to what it was good at: simple, elegant pieces that are easy to wear, and even though they sparkled they were perfect for day or night. Somehow the Lucite seemed to change colors with what folks wore so they always matched.The jewelry is still handcrafted in Brooklyn and we are so pleased to announce the return of one of my favorite jewelry lines to The Shoe Hive.