About forty years ago, Barbara Weiser, her brother Jon, and their mother Selma were in Paris for the fashion collections. Fifteen years earlier, the three had opened an Upper West Side boutique called Charivari. The Weisers were unusual from the start, offering innovative and trendy designs in the clothes they sold and in the instinctive, dramatic, futuristic presentation at Charivari. There were no fashion stores on the Upper West Side in 1967, and they chose a name that in Old French meant “uproar,” because that is what they sought to create.
Charivari featured extraordinary Japanese, Italian, Belgian, French, English and American designers. They saw themselves as pioneers, explorers discovering new talent and bringing it to the attention of the American fashion audience. Some of the designers they worked with included Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, Gianni Versace, Miuccia Prada, Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs, Perry Ellis and Helmut Lang – and many others.
Advertisement
A Charivari boutique on the corner of 81st and Columbus. c/o Landmark West
It may seem like working the fashion collections in Paris would have been luxurious, but the Weisers worked grueling hours – every day until 10pm. One morning, after they finished their appointments, Barbara set out to Les Halles to see if there were any new stores there. She noticed a small store with very odd garments in the window. They looked like “hospital gowns,” odd shapes in offbeat colors. She went in and found that all the pieces were one size, at that time an unusual concept. It was hard to understand these pieces without trying them on. When she did, she called her mother and said, “these things are so interesting, either wonderful or terrible.” Her mother joined her and started trying on the same garments. She then approached the staff and asked if they had a collection to buy. Racks were suddenly rolled out. The collection had arrived too late to be shown and all of a sudden, Charivari was the first international customer. Yohji Yamamoto’s collection had a tremendous impact on the fashion audience when Charivari introduced it to New York in 1979. He has continued to be a significant talent and is always of interest.
The Weisers in Paris with Designer Yohji Yamamoto – photo provided by Barbara Weiser
Marc Jacobs lived up the block from the store on 72nd and Columbus. The day before they opened, he came in with his grandmother and was star struck that the store would carry collections of such luminaries as Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana and Jean Paul Gaultier. “His grandmother asked why we didn’t give him a job , but since he was 13, that was not a possibility,” Barbara says. “He came every day after school though and enjoyed being on the floor. Ultimately we made him a stock boy. The rest is history!”
Does Barbara still follow fashion? She says she has an archive of the extraordinary pieces Charivari carried during the years it existed (1967-1998). Although she preserves these pieces for their historical significance, with the possibility of some day of doing an exhibition in her mother’s honor, she has her own personal collection of many of the designers she still loves.
Most recently, Barbara and Jon have been sheltering in Miami Beach. Although always an Upper West Sider, her apartment on West 90th street is currently on lockdown.
Always fashionable, Barbara Weiser recently returned to NYC after sheltering in Miami Beach.
So serendipitous that this article appeared today. I lived right around the corner from the 81 Street shop and bought most of my best clothing there. I was cleaning my closets this weekend and came across some of things I purchased there, and simply could not remember the name of the clothing shop on the corner of 81st and Columbus. Thanks so much for making all the memories roar back. It was a wonderful place for me to shop. I never walked out without a purchase of something very useful and unusual. UWS needs shops like Charivari now more than ever!
I have great memories of that store. One dress I bought at the 70th and Columbus location. It was a summer dress – a Sleeveless mini, out of thick white cotton with an elastic waist, with an asymmetrical top that had a white chain on one shoulder. It was a wild outfit, that I wore and felt great in, and everyone commented on. Wore it to events, cocktail parties, and out dancing with high heeled ankle boots. Charivari was indeed fashion / forward.
The year was 1968 and I was turning 16.
I saw the most beautiful dress on the cover of Seventeen Magazine and was thrilled that Charivari had it in the store.
That is what I wore to my Sweet 16 party.
Buying it at Charivari, the “fanciest” boutique on the West Side, only enhanced my love for that dress and made me feel gorgeous on my special day.
I met Selma when she first opened the store on Broadway, quite a whie before the other stores. It was a wonderful store and she was a brilliant merchant. I miss those stores to this day.
I remember the store well…they had great things. There was another shop in the same area. Agatha Boutique on Broadway and 72nd Street. A fabulus store with beautiful clothes, handbags, umbrellas with silver handles and golden earings of every size. Beautiful things. Long time ago…nice memories.
Loved my store Charivari Workshop on 81st Street.
Five stores in a 10-block radius. In those same years it seemed like there was a Benneton every couple of blocks. I never understood the economics of that. Still don’t.
I’m not sure what Benetton had in mind because they carried the same merchandise in every store. Charivari had very different merchandise in each store, one was men’s, the Broadway store had new designers from mostly the far east and Europe, 79 th St carried better Sportswear and so on. All, high end beautiful merchandise. Selma had an amazing eye and she passed that on to her children.
I’m a little verklempt… was only speaking of the shops very recently! Much-missed visionaries of style. The knit linen t-shirts I scored in the early 90s now look like Swiss cheese, but until one actually disintegrates while being worn, they won’t be tossed. And a great handwoven fortress of a sweater makes its appearance every late fall/early winter. What I wouldn’t give to know that the Weisner’s sort of off-beat originality and discernment was still a feature of shopping… long ago, and far away.
Thank you all for your wonderful memories
Please forgive the auto-corrected misspell of your surname, Ms. Weiser!
Didn’t even notice! But thank you for the lovely comment.
Hello Barbara my Aunt Roslyn worked for you mom for many years my mom frequently shopped the boutique when I was growing up . My mom would love to see you..
I thought you’d be flying high for an eternity. Hope you and Jonny are well. It’s been over 40 years. About time I tried to get in touch. David in England.
Hi David,
I think it’s been more than 40 years! Hope you’re ok. Are you in touch with any of our other cousins?
Jon
I’m not Jon. I haven’t been for many years. Time has run far there. My fault initially. My memories go back to the first two stores when I was just a young kid. You and Barbara came to mind and I looked up the store to see this article. Are you able to get my email address from here? It’d be great to communicate further.
Barbara, Jon,
Suellen M here. I would be so thrilled to see you both.xo
I was a former shop owner on the next block of the Broadway store. I never had to go far to buy the most unusual suits and dresses. I always loved shopping private stores since then and not dept. stores. Thank you Barbara for great memories.
Beverly Paulvin…Baronet Shoppe
I loved Charivari. I lived on Bway and 89th and I think I was one of their first customers in the first small store, really small on Bway and 84th in 1968. I bought all these pretty little shift dresses that I traveled with to Israel for the summer. I still have a beautiful pony skin wide belt that has their name on it. I think I will sell it now because it is way to small ugh!