LOCAL Houston | The City Guide NOVEMBER 2015 | Page 66

JAY LANDA
PROFILE:

MORE THAN JUST A SHOP
J. LANDA grew up surrounded by jewelry with his mother’s store in McAllen. Jay calls
her his muse and the source of his entrepreneurial tendencies; it’s only natural that
he followed in her footsteps. Jay was “a mobile retailer before it was cool.” He
was selling at bazaars, hosting trunk shows at people’s homes and setting up shop
at holiday markets with the clear vision even way back then of opening his own
brick and mortar. Over 16 years ago Jay opened his eponymous shop in the Rice
Village and has been catering to his loyal clients since then. His style continues to
evolve and he is heavily influenced by the world, his travels, art, culture, religion
and his relationships. “I started out as a curator. I housed other brands and carried
other people’s designs. That evolved into my own collection. I got to know a great
group of women through my great client base, so it was natural and organic to
create my own designs. That’s how it transitioned into the J. Landa brand that it is
now.”

Last year the store got its first facelift, making it one of the most chic jewelry boutiques in town. Jay was talking to a friend and realized, “You have to live luxury to
sell luxury. I did it with my home and had to do it with my store. I needed to have
the architecture go hand-in-hand with the things I was selling.” Landa’s style runs
much deeper than his keen eye for accessories – his heart is pure gold and he is
able to connect with his steady stream of clients, creating life-long relationships.

Jay is currently working on relaunching his website this month. “I just had my first actual
photo shoot and I am launching my .com as a multi-channel retailer. And extending my
brand into other areas.”

J. Landa Store | 2412 Rice Blvd. | 713.807.1644
www.jaylanda.com

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| november 15