
Photo:GilesandBrother.com
December 11, 2009
Here’s your chance to get Giles & Brother brass cuffs and leather wraps stamped by the designer himself. The dashingly mustachioed Philip Crangi—the “brother” in Giles & Brother (“Giles” is an affectionate nickname for his sister and business partner Courtney), and the man behind Philip Crangi fine jewelry—will be on hand with his anvil for the grand opening of the Crangi Family Project tomorrow.
Crangi will be stamping items from the Giles & Brother line gratis for customers who drop by the recently soft opened Meatpacking District boutique.
Turns out the designer’s first brick-and-mortar shop– aficionados of the hammered gold, steel and wrought-iron pieces previously had to resort to department stores or shop online– is rather personal: the space is meant to mirror Crangi’s own workspace.
But a physical store has always been a goal. “Just getting to have that first-hand experience with customers has been really informative,” Crangi said. “As wholesalers, [you’re] letting other stores make the decisions and they can cherry-pick your pieces … There’s no better way to tell our story than to have our own store.”
The Crangi Family Project will carry mainly the Giles & Brother pieces, with a selection of the fine jewelry that made the Rhode Island School of Design-trained goldsmith famous. For those more decor-inclined, there are also Crangi-designed home objects and a selection of favorite books.
“I believe a book is an object—it’s a piece of sculpture,” the designer reflected. “It’s a beautiful thing to own and hold in your hand. I’m looking around my room now and there’s books piled up everywhere.”
A recent, random find—which Crangi bought off the street for a quarter—was a 1950s Penguin-published mini-field guide on semi-precious stones. Now you can find other books from the series at the shop, including “Life in an English Village” and “Some British Beetles.” Going forward, Crangi says he’d like to add books that he and his associates are reading at the time, “books that have really influenced us. What’s better than giving someone a book that you love?”
As for the designer himself, he’s currently trying to finish Mark Twain’s final novel, “No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger,” so he can pass it on to his dad for Christmas.
Those hunting for gifts for dad–or mom, brother, sister or self–can join Crangi and his anvil from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Crangi Family Project’s grand opening. No. 9 9th Ave., next to Pastis.


Crangi Family Project store rendering, courtesy of Philip Crangi

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