Alexis Bittar began his career in jewelry design in his East Village apartment over a decade ago. His latest creations are inspired by 1930’s Bakelite and Lalique glass, and are made of hand-painted Lucite, ranging from punk to pretty. His unusual color combinations and bold designs attract everyone from Barbara Walters to hip hop’s sweetheart Eve.
Before he dominated entire cases in Saks Fifth Avenue, he peddled his wares on the streets of Soho in New York City. One fateful afternoon while working his small stretch of sidewalk, Bittar was discovered by the buyers for the Guggenheim Museum and Henri Bendel.
And now just a few years later, Bittar has his own boutique at 465 Broome Street in the very neighborhood where he started as a street vendor.
Now, in addition to his ever-popular Lucite collection he has expanded his collection with three other lines: the first contains delicate, beaded pieces with precious and semiprecious stones; the Mercury line, which closely resembles the Lucite, but in sterling silver; and a line that skews very rocker-chic that Bittar created with Alex and Lee (huge couture jewelers popular in the 1980s).
