Just off the corner of 13th Street and 3rd Avenue in New York’s East Village, an otherwordly concept store has opened for business. Framed with rusted steel doors, exposed brick walls and original parlor flooring comes Heven, the brainchild of multi-hyphenate artist couple Breanna Box and Peter Dupont. The pair are best known for their handblown glassware bag brand, also named Heven, which began as an innocuous quarantine hobby over the pandemic. Since then, the couple have collaborated with the French label Coperni and the biomorphic designs have gone viral, spotted in the hands of Kylie Jenner, Doja Cat and Tinashe. This fall, the newlyweds partnered up with their close friend Alvaro Colom, who will be crafting and selling his ceramics, and Breanna’s grandmother Mary Lou, an experienced florist and recent NYC transplant, to create a dreamy new take on the shopping experience.
As you walk into Heven, you are immediately greeted by alien-like glass accessories. Delicately striped purses, multi-toned vases with red cyborgian spikes and opalescent bowls are placed carefully on racks and between vintage Japanese magazines. Behind the displays are a spinning pottery wheel and a fresh flower stand where Mary Lou sells her floral arrangements. The space is lively and inviting, fostering a warm and collaborative spirit. Between the homely energy and the charming objects, the entryway feels more like a portal into an idyllic, European countryside. This was intentional. “We needed a space for ourselves and the people we love, and people can come and be a part of it,” Peter says. “There’s not a strict business plan or an investor that we have to respond to. That’s probably not the best way of making a business, but it’s probably the best way of making a space.”
After seeing an opening for a retail store in Alvaro’s building, the group of friends toyed with the idea of what a shared store among them might look like. That spot fell through, but when their current one, a former flower shop and beloved neighborhood staple, became available they knew they had to jump on it. “This [space] was very special and I felt the energy immediately,” Alvaro says. He’ll be spinning the pottery wheel in Heven, but is known for his work as a director and fashion photographer, working with Dior and YSL. He tells me about his desire to venture into a more solitary creative practice: “For me, it all started with the dream of having an atelier, a place to be creative and do my own thing. Our work is very social. As a director, I deal with managing the crew, the talent, the hair and makeup team, and styling. The idea that I could have a creative space where I don’t have to worry about the acceptance of anyone’s energy but my own, it’s like a haven for me.”
The legacy of starting their store in a former flower shop is fitting for Breanna’s rather glamorous grandmother — and budding TikTok star — Mary Lou, who will be joining the team with 50 years of experience as a florist. Moving to New York from Minnesota following the recent passing of her husband, she tells me, “I sold my business, sold my house, sold my car, and moved to Brooklyn at 77 years old. I’ll just be grandma to everybody! I love it here.” Her son-in-law Peter jokes, “We adopted Mary Lou four months ago. We didn’t want her to sit in Minnesota by herself.”
The store also opens just as Heven’s launched it’s eccentric, circus-themed collaboration with Marc Jacobs Heaven. The bags are, as joked, are a match made in heaven: a glass circus ring forms the arm of the bag, with pillowy silk pink lining constructing the base. The silhouette’s embellished with ribbons are a timely addition for the internet’s endless obsession with Coquettecore, and there’s even a version of the bag that lights up neon pink available. Breanna and Peter, who both have a background in film, have spoken about the role that props play in their life and how they’ve influenced their earlier bag designs. When I asked them about what influenced the circus ring design for their high-octane collab, where Heaven meets Heven, Breanna says, “We saw an opportunity to do something fun, and our life is so chaotic at the moment. It made sense to do something crazy.”
Noticing the increased Heven homeware available in store, I asked the couple if object design was to have more of a recurring presence in their futures than the world of fashion. “It has a longevity and stability that we’re interested in. With home stuff, lighting, drinkware and furniture, it’s something that has a much longer life,” Peter says. “That’s what we’re chasing now.” They explain that one of their greatest ambitions for their brick and mortar store will be a subscription model, offering the ability to rent bags and vases, and switch them out on a bi-weekly or monthly timeline. The reasoning being that they’re trying “to make a flow in the store and make it accessible for people in a new way. It’s supposed to be fun, so that you don’t have to just have that one piece you invested a lot of money to get.”
When talking to the group it becomes clear that there’s a strong family bond they share. They almost have reality TV-like chemistry: constantly making each other laugh, bouncing off each other’s remarks. I wondered how they felt about crossing over their personal familial and social lives into a work environment, and if that might challenge the nature of their relationships. Peter reassuringly states, “I was confident from the beginning that the communication would be very straightforward. We’re both in an industry where you’re used to making compromises and listening to other people.”
It’s hard to imagine a more wholesome or chic way for a family of creative minds to come together and share their talents in the same space. Heven features the perfect symposium of personalities and objects, and is excited to welcome you in — just be careful not to break anything.
Heven is now officially open at 143 E 13th St. Shop their latest collection in store, and online here.
Credits
Photography Mikkel Gregers Jensen