Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/56249
STYLE SETTERS ALL ABOUT THE MIX Nobody creates a feeding frenzy for a new It Bag, or can woo a collaborator quite like Intermix. When the boutique opened its first doors in New York in 1993, it was one of the first boutiques to present a curated selection of merchandise from established and emerging designers. Now, with 28 stores in cities from Dallas to Toronto, it's safe to say that Intermix has revolutionized the way women shop. We caught up with the company's founder, Khajak Keledjian, to learn how it all began. It's hard to believe that Intermix has been around almost 20 years. Could you have ever predicted the success you've experienced? We had the right concept at the right time—there was a void in the marketplace for a multibrand specialty retailer with an intimate, European feel that mixed emerging and established designers. With Intermix, we created a luxury shopping experience that combined these two aesthetics, placing the hottest emerging designers next to the established must-haves and we our clients how to combine the pieces to create stylish, unexpected looks. Are you still as hands-on with the company as you were in the early days? How has your role changed? My role has evolved and expanded but my vision has always remained the same. My experience has made me a stronger merchant. I'm still as hands-on now as I was at the start. Intermix has some of the best and brightest and we work as a team…just with more layers now than we had in 1993. I like to say, "one dream, one team." There are more than 180 designers carried at Intermix. How many did you start with in 1993? We opened our first boutique with a mix of 50 vendors; some established, some emerging. When did you first begin the designer collaborations? We've been working with designers since inception to create exclusive styles for Intermix that appeal directly to our clients' lifestyles. Thirty percent of our merchandise is made exclusively for us. Which of the brands that you've signed over the years have been the most crucial to your success? Tell us about your Designer Exclusives. Each label we carry contributes to our success; just a few are Stella McCartney, Rag & Bone, ALC by Andrea Lieberman, Jimmy Choo and Helmut Lang. We also launched Elizabeth and James and re-launched Hervé Léger. Is your merchandise tailored to your different locations? We have a well-edited mix of the newest designer must-haves and latest trends. Our selection in each store is curated based on the locals' lifestyles—we add special pieces and certain relevant designers that are very localized and specific to the neighborhood. Khajak Keledjian HAPPY FEET "In France, 20 years defines a generation," explains Christian Louboutin. "This is a celebration of the first generation of this brand." And what better way to celebrate than with a capsule collection that embodies the iconic themes from the past 20 years, including the Copt sandal, seen here. PETIT LANVIN Is there anything Alber Elbaz can't do? His first-ever collection of children's wear debuted over the holidays leaving us Lanvin-philes without littles ones of our own contemplating children in order to swaddle them in tulle, taffeta and washed organza. Available exclusively at Oxygene. 34 BAL HARBOUR s h o w e d