When we met Kei Izawa from LXR & Co. in her Soho store at the end of April, I also took a tour of the store and walked through what the shopping experience is like. With so many online resale sites popping up seemingly everywhere, it’s hard to find one that also has a brick and mortar (two in this case: one in LA, one in NYC) location where you can visit the items you’re eyeing in person.
I spent the morning checking out each bag, playing in the store’s Birkin Bar and chatting with Kei and her team about LXR & Co.. The store is situated on one of the most coveted Soho streets, right in the heart of one of the world’s chicest shopping meccas.
When you walk in, you will see the walls are lined with bags, and the center of the store houses vintage luxury small accessories and jewelry. When you look straight to the back of the store, the Birkin Bar will catch your eye, which is where an amazing collection of hard-to-find Hermes Birkins and Kellys are housed. Obviously, I bee-lined to the Birkin Bar and had to restrain myself. I’ve never been in a room where I saw this many Birkins and Kellys in the same place, and that is quite a sight to behold.
The sales associates are well-versed in the items housed in the store, and when you want to see one of the rare gems, an associate will put on white gloves and pull it out for you. But there is no feeling of stuffiness; in fact, the experience is entirely fun and feels approachable. When the NYC store opened with a party, LXR & Co. brought in an artist to paint on some vintage Louis Vuitton trunks and Chanel bags (seriously, amazing).
The store feels like an underground luxury accessories playground, filled with Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Rolex and more. While the e-commerce site is what launched the brand, the physical stores have taken the connection between brand and customers to the next level. (If you live near Toronto, the next location will open this month!)
It’s not always easy to track down the exact bag you want, whether it’s out of production or the wait is far too long, and that’s where LXR & Co. saves the day. Celebrities and fashionistas alike flock to this store to pick up the bags of their dreams. The store carries a vast collection of vintage luxury accessories, which are certified by in-house authenticators; they have one of the best guarantees on the market.
I didn’t leave the store with anything on the day that I went, but I’ve been dreaming about a Louis Vuitton trunk with an artist’s touch or a bright-colored Kelly to round out my collection. If you are in Soho or LA, you should definitely check out the company’s stores, but wherever you are, you can always shop LXR & Co. online as well.
