Design Art and Photography

Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson at the grand opening of Kwiat’s flaghip store in New York City. By Teresa Novellino

New York—Kwiat held the grand opening of its flagship boutique in Manhattan last night, celebrating its new home among the see-and-be-seen group of luxury jewelers that have strung themselves along Madison Avenue recently.

The party’s host was Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, who accessorized her emerald-green cocktail dress with some of the brand’s blockbuster diamond pieces and leaned across the counter to try on more as photographers snapped away.

Actress Eva Amurri and editors from various consumer fashion magazines also feted the brand at its new 1,000-square-foot boutique, located at 725 Madison Ave.

It is Kwiat’s first retail store and part of the company’s efforts to make its name known on a high-end shopping avenue, which also boasts bold-faced jewelry brands such as Graff, Leviev, Honora and DiModolo.

With price points ranging from about $2,000 to several million dollars for red-carpet-style pieces, the jeweler hopes to fill a niche in its new neighborhood and offer a non-intimidating atmosphere for those browsing along Madison Avenue, says Russell Kwiat, whose great-grandfather established the company in 1907.

He says the flagship will allow the brand to test the retail waters and that the company is considering further stores, but is looking globally in shopping hot spots such as Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Russia.

The new store’s interior is decorated in Kwiat’s signature steel-gray hues, and its doors open up to a grand atrium with an 18-foot-high ceiling and a stunning floral chandelier. There is also a private room available for VIPs and celebrities.