Annelore designer Juliana Cho searched throughout the city for the right spot for a second location. “We considered the Upper West Side, but I felt like our girl is definitely a downtown girl,” she says, even though she and her husband—chef Craig Koketsu of Quality Meats and other restaurants—live on the Upper West Side. Someplace like Soho was out of the question: “Annelore needs to be in a neighborhood to be appreciated.”

She eventually landed on a 1,200-square-foot space at 18 Jay. The relative leap in size—the West Village boutique is just 400 square feet—means she can consolidate operations, installing her atelier alongside the new second boutique. (You may even spot her 87-year-old patternmaker working next to the window.) The boutique has a spare, old New York feel, including dressing room doors salvaged from old Warhol studio (via Olde Good Things). To the right is the atelier, which used to be in the Garment District; all Annelore clothing is made in New York City. “You know in the Marais, you see designers working in their shops? I wanted it to be like that. One of my favorite things is to come out and see how a design fits, to see the customer’s reaction. It makes me a better designer.”

Both boutiques carry accessories and jewelry, which Cho tries to source locally. The necklaces pictured below are each one-of-a-kind, made with vintage components; the silvery canisters hold scented candles. In New York City, Annelore is only sold at the brand’s two boutiques. “Customers like that I don’t sell everywhere. You’re not going to see it on every girl in the city.” Not yet, anyway….

P.S. “The name Annelore comes from a Belgian girl I knew who had an amazing sense of style,” replied Cho when I emailed her later. “Femininity without a sense of preciousness. Whenever I’m styling my collection I think of how Annelore would outfit the pieces.” And it’s pronounced ann-eh-lohr.

Annelore is at 18 Jay (between Hudson and Greenwich), 212-775-0077.

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