“I love New York,” Alysa Teichman said firmly. “I believe in New York and what it can do for a brand.”
Teichman is proudly once again a New Yorker — she went to business school in the city — opening a second location of her Dallas-based luxury piercing boutique Wildlike in NoHo.
At first the Big Apple could seem a nontraditional next step for building a brand, but the founder sees the city serendipitously. “It really helped me spread my wings and find my voice and be my best self,” she said, betting it will do the same for Wildlike — named for piercing’s broad appeal, from “Wild” to “Like.”
The 1,700-square-foot space at 49 Bond Street is in good company, down the street from Goop, blocks away from New York University and the luxury shopping enclave of SoHo. With its large street-facing windows, brick details, bright neon sign and array of colorful design — even incorporating its first piercing studs — it’s an immediately inviting space.
“Wildies,” as founder and team call them, are greeted by a case full of playful piercing options that run the gamut, encouraging self-expression: pavé diamonds, semi-precious stones and even gold emoji like studs. The assortment is a mix of mostly Wildlike’s own collection with a curation of well-known piercing specific brands. The store has three piercing rooms with state-of-the-art sterilization equipment and a lounge area, a casual and chic space for clients to convene and gather.
A second generation jeweler, Teichman’s family owns Ylang23, the well-known Dallas jewelry boutique highly regarded for its expertise, astute eye and curation in the fine jewelry market. Along with Wildlike, which she self-funded, she is a co-owner and vice president of business development of the family business.
Her love for the art of jewelry runs deep — on any given day you will find her dripping in a knockout assortment of who’s who in the market, each piece with a story about the designers she champions.
As ideas of self-expression through the lens of social media growth, all types of people are leaning into new ideas of ornamentation with multiple piercings in the lobes, curves and rooks of their ears. A mix of elevated piercing retail concepts are popping up to meet the demand but Teichman says her point of view is “very much” the perfect marriage between the designer jewelry luxury world she knows and understands well, “and the grit of the body piercing and tattoo world that I did not come from but I’m learning more and more about every day.”
What sets her apart, she explained, is having a “piercer-first culture and point of view,” where she gives her team full rein to drive the ear styling. “These other places that are popping up will make their piercers pierce with hoops or do things that they don’t necessarily feel comfortable with,” she said.
Teichman plans to host a mix of events, a strategy that worked well for her in Dallas forming a community around the boutique. She can usually be found on the retail floor chatting with clients about their why. “The things I hear about are so amazing,” she said. “‘It’s my grandmother’s birthday,’ ‘I finished chemo a year ago’ or clients who got pieced as a way to take their bodies back after sexual assault. It’s an empowering experience,” she said.
Settling into downtown, she will split her time between the city and Dallas, but she keenly has an eye on what’s next. “I think New York definitely needs another one uptown,” she remarked. “I see 1 million reasons why Wildlike needs to be in every market.”
