“It looks and feels so different from anything we’ve ever done,” said Ylang23‘s cofounder and vice president of business development Alysa Teichman.
Uprooting her family’s decades-old business, refreshing its branding, and leaning into modern ideas of the purpose of brick-and-mortar retail is a big ask, but the Teichman family has made it feel seamless with their new Ylang23 flagship boutique at The Shops of Highland Park.
Founded by Alysa’s parents Joanne and Charles Teichman in 1985, Ylang23 started out in a kiosk at the Galleria Dallas, moving to the Plaza at Preston Center 10 years ago. Now a new chapter has begun with an expansive 3,200-square-foot space, 60 percent larger then their previous store. It was Alysa’s luxury piercing concept Wildlike — which opened two years ago at the Shops — that led her to push to relocate Ylang23. Shopping patterns have evolved and the ownership of the center, she explained, “really understand how women shop today” and curate to meet that need.
Looking forward “has always been in our DNA,” Joanne Teichman added, “when we launched the first designer jewelry website in 2000 or set the bar for hosting designer events in the ’80s. Our vision for the future has arrived in this new store and rebranding.”
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But more space doesn’t mean more jewelry. While that strategy may seem the obvious route for a retailer navigating the ever-crowded fine jewelry space, the Teichmans see a point of difference for what they do. Here more space means finding new ways to tell a deeper story about the brands they champion, like the story cards in cases detailing the work of the creators. The location functions as more than just a store with multiple spaces to gather, including a hospitality bar and a red travertine table where they plan to host lunches and dinners with clients. Customers can hang out, have a beverage, and chat with their in-store bench jeweler, a unique point of difference that Alysa Teichman was keen to be a part of the new location.
The new digs come with a fresh branding identity, too. Out are old gray-hued fixtures, in are new softer blush tone fixtures and lighting, a riff on the store’s heritage. “Pink has been such a big part of our identity since 1985 and it still is,” she said with a smile. “It’s just a different shade of pink.”
Overall the new space reads contemporary with touches of Art Deco, but “not so contemporary that it lacks warmth,” she cautioned.
The days of jewelry stores feeling intimidating are long gone and the multigenerational business sees that clearly. “Shopping for jewels should be something to enjoy,” she said, adding that the overall warm experience will lead to customers spending more time there. “We really do feel our service and the vibe we are able to create is what gives us our edge.”
