Amagansett’s chic Tiina the Store
Nordic cool meets East Coast elegance at this Long Island boutique
On a recent visit to Long Island, I came upon Tiina the Store, an Amagansett emporium of housewares, beauty products and under-the-radar fashion brands. Set in a 19th-century farmhouse, the shop is the loving work of Tiina Laakkonen, who draws on her Finnish roots and time spent working with Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, at Lanvin, and later at British Vogue, to curate a mix of classic pieces and new labels (there is a dedicated special “guest room” where emerging designers showcase their work).
A visit to the shop is to discover tablecloths set with graphic Marimekko ($198) and Klassböls linens ($39 for a napkin; $42 for a towel); Iittala black-and-white porcelain serving bowls ($125, second picture); and Scandinavian glass tumblers (sets of two, $28) in hues of lilac, sand and blue. Beauty products by cult brand Rodin sit alongside vitrines of semiprecious jewellery – pavé crescent earrings by Ten Thousand Things ($2,560, third picture) and rose gold necklaces by Two Starboard ($850) – while chic interiors pieces range from iconic Aalto Finlandia vases by Iittala ($145-$240, fourth picture) to simple birch tealights ($38) by Aarikka.
The best finds, however, are Laakkonen’s fashion selections. Her expertise really shines through, whether that be in her choice of Santa Cruz pullovers by Crippen ($345), hand-spun cashmere Picasso sweaters ($1,215, fifth picture) by LA-based brand The Elder Statesman, or, my personal favourite, French architect Denis Colomb’s silk, cotton and cashmere shawls ($190-$1,590). I have seen some of his scarves in New York City, but never such a wide selection.
“The store is full of things I love and have discovered either growing up in Finland, in my life in Paris and London, or while travelling,” says Laakkonen. Visitors are in for an extremely stylish treat…
