COUTURE: What’s notable about your store, what is your unique point of view?

Amie Guarino: We have created an experience-based environment. We recently remodeled and we built a beautiful, full service bar where we only use Baccarat as our exclusive glassware of choice. We also carry Baccarat in the store so we practice what we preach! We have this world where we show you how to incorporate items that we have in the store into your everyday life, it’s really fun. This is not a “do not touch” space, everything is accessible and ready to play, and we invite people to come play with us. We celebrate joy, happiness, achievements and all the things that make you feel good in this industry, so we like to show everybody how we’re wearing the jewelry we carry, how we’re using our products.

We host guest bartender days, where bartenders who are well-known in the area come in and tend bar for us and on Saturdays, we always try to have somebody behind the bar at all times. Last holiday season was the first year we had the bar up and running and it became a meeting place for shoppers, and not just for the guys, it’s for everybody. The bar adds a level of social time and community, so people are not just in and out of the store. We also have several seating areas throughout the store where you can gather and have conversations.

When we remodeled, we modernized while ensuring that we left some DNA of our original store that personalizes the space, like our custom-cut, carved pillars. We’re still putting the finishing touches on everything, putting our scent on things. As an example, we have this one wall where we have original artwork from a local gallery hanging, and now we’re going to be adding wallpaper that’s in line with our taste and aesthetics.

What COUTURE designers or brands are your clients really responding to lately and why? 

AG: We’ve done business with Sweta from Goshwara for a long time and it’s such a great line because it’s so rich and there’s a straightforwardness to it, but it’s also a great way to get into color without committing to too much, it’s easy to work with.

Graziela has also really taken off for us and certain pieces, like her floating diamond necklaces, I can’t keep in stock, we’re constantly replenishing them. She has so many great foundational pieces in which she leans into nature and protecting the rain forest and she herself is a very lovely person. I actually own one of her pieces, a blue titanium and diamond flower ring that my kids picked out for me, that I wear all the time. I wasn’t sure it was my style, but when I put it on, I realized I love it!

I am so excited I’ve finally been able to put Buddha Mama in front of my customers. We’ve always carried a lot of talismans, that notion is a personal favorite of ours and one that never gets old to me, so I love sharing Buddha Mama with customers, especially those who claim they wouldn’t normally wear something like a Hamsa. When they see the art, the color, the enamel, and realize this is a universal symbol of all good things, that there’s nothing being pushed, that it’s all about personal interpretation, they fall in love. That’s what I love about jewelry in general. You’re able to say about a piece, “This is what it means to me.” It’s a very personal and gets people excited about how they can express themselves through jewelry.

This industry has come such a long way in the way things lay and manufacturing in general, we see so much more thought in designs and how they function. Getting pieces on is a big thing and we’re really focused on the accessibility in jewelry; we like to find those pieces that are really easy for women to put on, that excites me. We have a lot of self-purchasing women that are not just waiting around for their significant other and have the attitude that there’s no time like the present! Sometimes the husband knows sometimes he doesn’t, and for many of our clients, it’s like going and buying a new pair of jeans, so we try to curate for everybody to come in and shop.

Our giftware department is a smaller part of what we do, but what we offer, while not necessarily fancy, is exclusive, it’s art for the home. We love Ginori 1735, we visited their flagship in Florence, Italy and I caught the bug, it is so beautiful, it’s very Italian, and it kind of transcends all of these different styles, you can really work it into any décor and it looks really sophisticated, and very European. We’re Italian so I’m maybe a little biased!

Where’s the best spot in town to grab a quick lunch?

AG: We’re in the South Hills, south of the city, and I would have to say, Il Pizzaiolo in Mount Lebanon, or this little hidden gem called The 404 that’s seconds away from the store. I’m very particular about Italian food, and those are two good, locally owned options on either side of us.

Where’s the best restaurant for entertaining clients or out of town guests?

AG: Arlecchino is a great place to go, it’s Italian American, and Jonathan, the owner, has two restaurants, one in the city and one here in the suburbs. Another amazing place is Dish Osteria, it’s unbelievable. I hadn’t been in a long time, and we went last month; I had forgotten how good it is, it’s the closest thing to Italy you can get here in Pittsburg.

What’s your favorite bar?

AG: The bar at Louis Anthony! Also, in Mount Lebanon, The Saloon or the wine bar at Il Pizzaiolo. There’s also wine bar called Apercena that’s very nice.

What’s your favorite local cultural spot?

AG: Both Heinz Hall and The Benedum Center of the Performing Arts are fantastic, we’re really excited about our theater scene here in Pittsburgh, it’s awesome. And right near the theaters is a place called the Duquesne Club which is a private club where we can get in for a quick and convenient meal. My son loves The Andy Warhol Museum in the North Shore, so we’ll do that over Christmas break. And of course, we love our farmers markets! At our new location in the Laurel Highlands area, we’re minutes from Falling Water, one of Frank Lloyd Write’s most famous buildings, so that’s back on my list when I’m in the area tending to the other store.

What’s special about your town? 

AG: One of the things people don’t realize is what a big boating culture we have here. The Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers come to a head and form the Ohio River at Point State Park. The park has an arts festival, free concerts and a beautiful public space; they’ve done a lot over the years to make that a hub. If you head southeast about 40 minutes the Monongahela River looks like a lake and it feels like a lake town, there is so much waterfront and unsullied property in that area. In the summer in Pittsburgh there are boats everywhere, it’s one of the largest percentages of seasonal boaters (as long as we get good weather!), so we are city of bridges and a city of seasonal boating.