BY JACKSON CHEN | While they may be charmed by the outdoor assortment of brightly colored hats and the window displays, these days Upper West Siders are most likely drawn in by the handwritten notes of “SALE” and “closing” pasted up on the corner boutique at West 73rd Street and Columbus Avenue.
Within the first few steps, the red-spectacled owner eagerly greets her customers before they begin browsing the quaint fashion accessories store. After an almost instantaneous elevator eyes glance, the owner is just as quick on the draw in serving up a compliment about the customer’s style, attire, or smile.
The owner, Roslyn Grant, has been operating her Upper West Side outpost, Roslyn, for about 20 years. The modest space is filled with her personally curated collection of classic jewelry and fashionable hats that she resolutely insists must serve to complement the spirit of the person wearing them.
“I think the person should stand out, not their accessories,” Grant said. “When accessories overpower someone, they’re trying to tell a story they don’t know and that’s insecurity.”
Over the years, Grant’s one-of-a-kind personality has earned her a loyal base of customers who visit Roslyn when they’re searching for an equally unique piece of jewelry. Grant, admittedly bad with names, is much better with faces and readily recalls the ballet dancer who strolls in with her daughter, even as she is taking care of a new customer looking at engagement rings for his fiancée.
But Grant, who said she’s a little over 50, a little more over 60, but much younger than Joan Rivers — who died at 81 two years ago — explained she is closing up shop by the end of the month for personal reasons.
“I’ve been here many years and sometimes you feel like it’s time to move on,” Grant said, hastening to add that it’s not for financial reasons. “I happen to love the Upper West Side, but for right now I need to take some time off for myself.”
Though her shop will soon vanish from the avenue’s roster of mom and pops stores, Grant said she’ll never lose her connection to the area. After moving across the park from the Upper East Side — which she dismissed as “cold and materialistic” — she felt at home with the creative energy of the Upper West Side.
It was after a divorce that the neighborhood served as the blank slate for Grant’s reimagining of herself, which eventually led to her opening Roslyn on Columbus Avenue. A former version of her boutique, jointly run with her then-husband, was filled with mass manufactured jewelry that she felt was ugly and lacked any distinctive allure.
“I would say I don’t like those, and he would say but someone’s going to like them,” Grant recalled. “That’s not good enough. I don’t want everyone to like what I have because then it’s like McDonald’s.”
She added, “I want it to be unique, and I only wanted to sell what I loved.”
Now Grant boasts everything from floppy summer hats to rose gold necklaces, diamond rings. and ruby earrings.
“This was my expression,” Grant said of her business. “I was very happy, and many days I’d go home with a very big smile on my face, I didn’t need anything else.”
The storeowner’s most prized possession was a heart-shaped 3-carat color-shifting Alexandrite gem that she was told by three separate professionals was worth between $80,000 and $100,000. According to Grant, there were only five in the world with similar qualities, but she is willing to let it go for $75,000.
The gem morphs from a brilliant green sheen to a deep red hue depending on the light refracting through it. It’s not yet set in a ring, but Grant was not shy about temporarily mounting it to model it on one of her customers.
Even when a potential sale does not involve a favorite rare rock, Grant takes a warmly personal approach toward customers interested in purchasing one of her pieces. Whether it’s an expensive item of jewelry or a simple straw hat, the Roslyn owner is never shy about offering her opinion and advice.
That sense of engagement, Grant said, explains her success and longevity on the Upper West Side.
“I get very involved with the person,” Grant said of her sales approach. “When they come into my store, I become their personal shopper if they allow that.”
But it’s the customer who must ultimately drive the encounter, she explained. Her instincts about what would work for someone come out as soon as they walk through the door, but she keeps in mind that her job is to be a careful guide, one who doesn’t try to overpower their personal tastes.
Upper West Siders now have less than a month to benefit from Grant’s fashion direction, but she said her legacy will not evaporate any time soon. Both her sons have pursued their own career paths, and one, Steven Alan, has made a name as a famous apparel designer, with a chain of boutiques and numerous bold face clients. Her taste, Grant hopes, will be carried down through her children.
After closing her shop, Grant, even without a retail base, plans to remain a fixture on the Upper West Side, fueled by her love for the neighborhood.
“I fall in love with many people who come in here,” Grant said. “I truly love West Siders, the people, the flavor, the food, the ambience. I don’t think I’ll be comfortable any place else.”
