Business

Fashion boutique 73 Main set to open in downtown Riverhead

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Designers Michael Mahon and Danielle Gisiger in the storefront of their soon-to-open Main Street boutiques store, 73 Main.

Danielle Gisiger was born in Switzerland, grew up in Italy, traveled the world and eventually ended up in Riverhead.

Likewise, her partner, Michael Mahon, was born in Los Angeles, raised in Brazil and now lives in Riverhead with her.

Ms. Gisiger and Mr. Mahon will soon be more than just residents. They plan to open a new store in downtown Riverhead that will sell clothing and furniture that they design and make.

It will be called 73MAIN and will open next to the Riverhead Diner on 73 East Main Street.

“It’s going to be an eclectic lifestyle store,” Ms. Gisiger said. “Michael is a furniture designer and I’m a fashion designer. We’re going to have fashion and scarfs and hats and one-of-a-kind furniture pieces and all kinds of art.”

The couple had a store in Sag Harbor for three years called Pailletts but gave it up last fall because it was too much driving, Ms. Gisiger said.

The Riverhead store won’t require much driving at all.

Ms Gisiger and Mr. Mahon have lived on a house boat on the Peconic River for the past eight years.

“I always wanted to do something in Riverhead but it was dead,” she said. “Now it’s really picking up and we just want to take a chance and participate in the adventure. It’s exciting. There’s a new book store, there’s a new ice cream store, there’s a new restaurant.

“The time to do this is now. It makes me very happy. I love Riverhead. Riverhead is up and coming.”

Ms. Gisiger has been a fashion designer for the past 25 years and she designs and makes everything she sells in her studio in Manhattan.

“It’s all home made,” she said. “No Chinese inputs.”

Mr. Mahon likewise designs and makes all the furniture he sells.

His first project will be a beautiful mahogany bar made from an old boat.

“He took an old mahogany boat and he will cut it apart and turn it into a beautiful bar for somebody to buy,” Ms. Gisiger said.

She’s hoping to have a big opening ceremony in the next couple of weeks and has posted her email address, [email protected], so people who want to be invited can contact here.

“We plan to have a big opening with a jazz band,” she said. “It’s going to be fun. We’re going in with a bang.”

Her landlord, Sheldon Gordon of Riverhead Enterprises, said the opening of 73MAIN, Twin Forks Bicycle and the new Tex-Mex restaurant, Blue Agave, that just opened have him excited about downtown as well.

“I have a pretty good feeling about people wanting to come to town now,” he said. “She used to be in Sag Harbor and she chose Riverhead instead.”

Riverhead Enterprises owns several downtown buildings and many of them have been vacant for some time.

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