This is part 2 of the interview with Veronique Marin of ViaMarisNYC.com, an online boutique of incredbile items– unique and not found typically in the US. Consider this a global bazaar of items that Veronique has found from her travels and brings back for you to buy — that are the best of what’s in the bazaars and souks from around the globe.
LA-Story.com Do you have favorite places to shop — regular stores and online?
Veronique Marin: In NYC, ABC Carpet is a magical world in itself, even for a big store. In Paris I love Dary’s, a family-run antique jewelry shop with a unique selection of well-priced 19th-century finds. It’s like Ali Baba’s cavern with drawer upon drawer of vintage one-of-a-kinds. You’ll need to take your time though, because the walls are also filled with row upon row of antique jewels.
Actually I try to go to small stores. I find department stores too big, too overwhelming, not special enough– except for their Christmas windows.
Online stores: ??? I am looking for one like mine.
LA-Story.com: What is the theme or idea that you are trying to show customers/visitors to ViaMarisNYC.com?
Veronique Marin: Great source for gifts: unique pieces of jewelry, art, baby gifts, best well-made handbags, home décor…. You don’t need to spend much to look unique.
Pearl rosary necklace– $110.00
LA-Story.com: You have such a diverse collection of categories and items within the categories- how did you decide on those categories and particularly the very unique one-of-a-kind pieces?
Veronique Marin: You buy for different reasons: for yourself, for friends, for a newborn baby, a little niece, your man, your home… so I had to have a little bit of everything to show my style and to make the site like a nice promenade.
LA-Story.com Is there a story behind the matador suit?
Veronique Marin: Oh yes! I bought it at auction in France from the estate of French cartoonist MOSE. He was a regular at Café de Flore going out with friends like Jacques Prevert, Jean Genet, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. In 1951 he married a Spanish woman by the name of Charlotte Suarez de Mendoza in the 20th arrondissement. It is said that the bride was wearing the white torero suit (this one) and the groom was dressed as a bull. I am sorry that I never found a picture of that event!
(MOSE traveled extensively to Brazil, the United States and Japan where he was honorary professor at the Seika University of Kyoto. In 1962, he retired in a small town in France where friends like Pablo Neruda visited him and where he died quietly in January 2003).
Matador suit– $2000.00
It is meant to be exposed in a museum or a mansion for the aficionados of the times when Hemingway was taking Ava Gardner to the fight. Actually a torero jacket sits in the lobby of the fancy Gramercy Park Hotel in NYC, (picture #6 of their visual tour), C’est tres chic!
LA-Story.com The jewelry that you carry is so unique, how do you find such a range of pieces? Is this more of personal style or things that pique your interest?
Veronique Marin: It is pure attraction. A different occasion, a different season.
Statement necklace– $390.00
LA-Story.com What is your favorite musician or CD that you always love to listen to?
Veronique Marin: Out of the beaten path, daughter of Maori soldier and Chinese cabaret singer, Bic Runga is one of New Zealand’s most successful female musicians. I love every piece on her “Birds” album. Listen on http://www.bicrunga.com/
LA-Story.com: What do you have for breakfast?
Veronique Marin: Black coffee no cream no sugar
LA-Story.com: Your favorite outfit that always makes you feel so glamorous:
Veronique Marin: for day, dark jeans, white tee (or shirt), an English tailored jacket (or a safari one in the summer), perfectly polished Italian shoes, my big rings, and a big smile
Veronique Marin
LA-Story.com: What are your ‘must have’ beauty products– items that are essential?
Veronique Marin: Decleor Aromessence Circularome Stimulating Body Concentrate. It’s an essential oil that makes you feel good and strong.
LA-Story.com: Your favorite time of day– and why?
Veronique Marin: Sunrise on Manhattan from my studio overlooking the Williamsburg bridge. The buildings become pink under the morning sun. It looks unreal and lasts about 1 minute… then the day can start.
LA-Story.com: Your favorite place to go on vacation?
Veronique Marin: Now, definitely Biarritz, France. The sea is wild the coast is cut out and beautiful. It is common to pass by young Australian barefoot on the streets in wet suit carrying their surf boards back to their rented rooms. French Emperor Napoleon III and Emperess Eugenie used to relax here… The city is still magical. Spain and San Sebastian are less than an hour away for tapas and a glass of wine.
LA-Story.com: Your favorite color to wear, to have in your home?
Veronique Marin: Any white (or beige in winter)
LA-Story.com: Your favorite scent to wear?
Veronique Marin: (Aromatic Elixir from Clinique, it’s 30 years old and still witchy good), to have in your home: I spray my sheets and towels with a white musk concoction that a friend perfumer has made for me. Yummy! It smells like a baby.
LA-Story.com: When you want to be decadently luxurious and treat yourself– what do you do?
Veronique Marin: Super chilled Champagne in a beautiful hotel bar with my husband Alain- catching up with our busy lives. (He lives in France, me, in NYC).
LA-Story.com: What are your 10 top items in the store for holiday that you think are incredible bargains or items that you feel are pieces that have incredible style longevity?
Veronique Marin: For the budget conscious, and be sure to never go wrong, I
think little pouches (12) or clutches (3). We keep using them, for makeup, documents, receipts, key. It seems that we always are selling out or exhausting them.
Diamond and Feather Pouch –$45.00
ViaMarisNYC.com has some in linen with shinny embroidery, some with digital images, in metallic leather, in beige pony with gold smudges, in linen with an elephant or an anchor silhouette in leather encrusted with little diamonds. Prices range from $25 to $130.00
Necklaces range from $90 for the “protective chain necklace” to $665 for the “neck tie necklace”.
Protection Necklace– $350.00
Also you cannot go wrong with a shawl, $185 with embroidered flowers in beige, chocolate, green or pink. Every time I wear one, I need to give it away.
Embroidered Shawls– $185.00
Or, more luxurious, a signed pashmina at $650, a classic keepsake, in beige which is a soft color to the skin, that you can wear over everything, even an evening dress. I love entering a restaurant wearing the shawl like elegant Indian men do. People are not used to see it worn like a cape. Very noble.
For him, we have a unique white or beige hooded bathrobe, like the ones used in Turkish baths. It’s very comfortable and hangs very stylishly in a room.
You can add few “ALEP soaps”, the most natural soap made on earth. It is not aggressive to the skin at all and should actually be the only kind of soaps used on the planet. ($9.50).
Alep Soaps– $9.50
The gym bag from Chris&Tibor is certainly more stylish than the old one he is probably carrying since his college days. May be pricey but will last forever. That’s on what you use every day that you should indulge.
Nothing is easier than “upgrading” your man with few well chosen accessories.
Also, an easy gift, are the silk block-printed cushion from Frajo- sold with insert are now a bargain at $50.
LA-Story.com: Your site is so unique, when you ship out the packages, how do you package the items so that people feel like they have something incredible coming from you?
Veronique Marin: Every package is gift wrapped in a white sturdy box with Via Maris NYC logo on it surrounded with a 1-inch black grosgrain ribbon. Each is done as if it was for a friend. We can handwrite a note on your behalf. Each gift shipped for the Holiday will get its little note card.
LA-Story.com: What would you like to tell your potential customers about your store?
Veronique Marin: If you are looking for a “special” gift, you will find it at ViaMarisNYC.com. Some items might be expensive, but others are definitely not. Everybody will get the same personal service. Register on the site to make sure you’ll get the newsletters- or become a fan on our Facebook page.
In case they don’t know, “Via Maris” means “by way of sea” in Latin. Also we love to hear from any readers or shoppers– just a word of encouragement.
Merci, a bientot!
Thank you to Veronique Marin for the time she took to answer all these questions and provide all these fabulous photos. This is a store unlike almost anything you have ever seen. There are extremely affordable things for less than $10 and then there are things like a chair that you can have upholstered in your favorite fabric. It’s entirely up to you– but know that it’s not going to be seen in every store either. Eclectic, unique and distinctly one of a kind.
Stevie Wilson
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