A Homecoming on Madison Avenue: The Revival of Marina B in New York

Madison Avenue has its own tempo. The traffic glides by, the doormen nod and the avenue’s row of discreet, impeccably kept boutiques projects the kind of polish that you can only find in this part of Manhattan. Walking up from 60th Street towards the quieter blocks of the Upper East Side, I quickly spot the new Marina B boutique on the corner of 673 Madison Avenue. A confident new arrival in a neighbourhood where jewellery is part of the cultural fabric, this New York flagship marks the house’s homecoming to the avenue where Marina Bulgari first welcomed her collectors in the 1980s.

When I step inside, the noise of the avenue retreats. This bijoux boutique is New York-sized, in the best possible way. Creative Director and Chairman Guy Bedarida is already on the floor when I arrive, speaking with the easy familiarity of someone who has spent years rebuilding the dialogue between Marina B and this city“We’ve been delighted, since we’ve opened our doors, to offer a space where our friends, old and new, can gather and connect. New York is a city that is always looking forward, that appreciates the avant garde in jewels, and it is this passion which makes it such a perfect home for us.” Marina Bulgari passed away in 2024 at the age of 93, but as I step further inside, it’s clear that her spirit has never been more present. And at the centre of this revival is Guy: custodian of an extraordinary archive and the storyteller bringing one of jewellery’s most alluring voices back into the spotlight.

Inside the Boutique: A Jewel Box of Colour & Memory

Royal blue walls wrap the room in colour, a hot pink rug slicing through the centre. Light bounces off a gold mirror, its gleaming spherical forms projecting into the room, while a lipstick-pink Lucite desk channels the unmistakable spirit of the 80s. Much of the furniture was sourced from Les Puces in Paris, chosen personally by Guy, who combed the world’s largest antiques market for pieces that felt true to Marina’s universe.

My attention naturally shifts to the jewels, showcased in gold-framed cases along the room’s edges — a mix of rich yellow gold, strong silhouettes, precise geometry and cabochon stones in the saturated hues Marina loved. Vintage designs sit beside Guy’s reinterpretations, the continuity between eras so seamless one has to look twice to see where Marina ends and where Guy begins.

I can also sense Marina’s influence in the archival sketches lining the walls, each one a window into an aesthetic that has seduced jewellery collectors for decades. It’s a small boutique, but full of character — contemporary in attitude yet infused with the energy of another decade: the unapologetic glamour of the 1980s, condensed into 320 square feet.