In 2011, we took a tour through Cameo PR’s Madison Ave office and fell in love with the modern Versailles vibe. Over the summer, the team moved to a new location on the edge of New York’s garment district with space enough to serve a client roster and team that has doubled in size. Beyond strictly jewelry, shoes and handbags, Cameo has expanded into entirely new categories including interesting accessories markets like scarves, socks & hats as well as ready-to-Wear and home décor. Curious to see where how exciting agency growth translated, design-wise, I caught up with CEO Malorie Kaye who generously shared new office images and her thoughts on the agency’s evolution.
We’ve completely re-branded, leaving our super girly, vintage vibe behind for a new modern look with clean lines and a bold aesthetic – from logo and website to office decor, with our growth and evolution, everything has shifted.
When and why did you move offices?
We moved in to our new space this past summer and it instantly felt like home. Cameo has gone through so many great changes this past year with expansion in to new areas, the addition of vibrant new personalities and a complete brand overhaul. As much as we loved our last showroom, we outgrew it in every sense of the word and felt it was time for a place that could reflect our new energy.
What made this new office space a fit?
In NYC so much of our industry centers around the garment district, we wanted to be a part of that and offer convenience for our clients and working relationships without being in the middle of the madness. We found a building that was the perfect fit, just on the edge of the district and filled with accessories showrooms, making it a super easy stop for editors and stylists. The space itself offered everything we needed, a gorgeous blank canvas with big windows for our showroom, multiple offices and most importantly a fantastic room for our fashion closet – life changing.
We added a few personal touches along the way like our signature candy-bar & a handful of framed black, white & gold magazine covers to make sure it screamed Cameo PR.
What inspired the decor? Did you work with a designer or DIY?
I had a very clear vision of what I wanted the space to look like, we had just finished re-branding with a new logo, new stationary & packaging, newly designed website, the works, and it was so important to capture that essence in our decor as well. We worked with an incredibly talented designer, Nichole Loiacono of Parlour Home, to bring our ideas to life. The overall vibe was inspired by a Modern Day Gatsby infused with some 70’s Glam-Rock twists – classically glamorous with just enough edge – bold and fearless yet chic and elegant.
Any stories about any of the pieces in the space?
Nichole is unbelievable at sourcing the right pieces, she finds magical things in the most unexpected places, each of the major design elements center around vintage or up-cycled finds that take skill and patience to track down. My absolute favorite parts of the showroom though are these two antique mirrors that were my husband’s grandmother’s. One day we were helping my in-laws move out of their house and I found these mirrors hanging out in their basement, like no one even knew they were there – it was love at first sight, and, they just happened to be the perfect detail to finish our new space. I’m a really sentimental person and that surely plays a role in my connection to these mirrors but all personal attachments aside, they happen to be one of my favorite interior additions of all time, visually they are just stunning.
How do you display/store client pieces?
We have always paid close attention to detail when displaying our clients work, I feel strongly that beauty should be complimented by beauty and that it is important to create depth and texture in any presentation. The space is clean and modern as a whole so our shelves are long, white and simple yet they are covered in coffee table books, a collection of antique urns and vintage vases and an eclectic mix of fixtures. This way the pieces become a part of the decor, they stand alone and yet they always feel like they belong.
How does the space reflect where Cameo PR is today?
As an agency we span such an incredible range of styles in every aspect of life from personal interests to career strengths to wardrobes. We wanted to merge all of those personalities and influences in to one sleek, sophisticated, bold look.
A little bit glam, a little bit rock & roll and one clear fashion-infused statement – we mean business but we have a blast getting our message across and we definitely do it in style.
Black, White & Gold has always been the foundation for Cameo PR’s look but for this office I wanted to move away from the overly feminine, shabby-chic feel and toward a more daring, vintage-modern aesthetic, an oxymoron I know but no better way to capture it. Nichole immediately understood how to take a complicated, very specific dream and turn it into a functional reality.
What are some of your favorite features of the new space?
Decor-wise, I’ve always had an obsession with pony-hair, something about it just feels like understated luxury to me, so I of course love our Greek Key cowhide rug. Another focal point is probably the vintage cream & gold lacquer chair in the sitting area, it really merges the Art-Deco & 70’s Glam inspirations. As far as the space itself goes, the best part has to be our closet, a sample-organizer’s heaven and a luxury we didn’t have in our last space, it makes everyone’s job a little easier and a lot more fun.