Closing Time
Finnish-born Tiina Laakkonen has bested all aspects of the fashion industry. Now that she’s sunset her iconic, minimalist Hamptons boutique, what’s the shopkeeper to do? Everything.
It’s a Monday morning in mid-November, and for the first time in a long time, Tiina Laakkonen does not have to go to work. After founding her namesake boutique, Tiina the Store, with her husband, Jon Rosen, in Amagansett, New York, in 2012, she decided to permanently close its doors this past fall.
“I call it a pause, because it’s not the end,” she tells me. “We just felt like it had taken over our lives. It was no longer the little store that I would sell a few cute things at; it was a big business. So I was like, Okay, let’s have a bit of a life and then reboot to see what else is exciting.”
Laakkonen—who has straight blonde hair, blue eyes, and often wears large, black-framed glasses that match her outfits—hasn’t stopped moving since she started working in fashion at the age of 19. Originally from a small town in the southeast of Finland, she’s lived many lives since then. After high school, she moved to Paris in hopes of studying fashion design. There, she met Karl Lagerfeld, who offered her an internship at Chanel’s design studio and then a full-time job as an assistant after she graduated. She calls it her “Cinderella moment.”
“I learned everything I know from working with Karl,” she says. “I also like to say that he kind of ruined me, too, because I have very little tolerance for cheap clothing.” Oftentimes, Laakkonen would show up to work wearing Comme des Garçons, whom she modeled for in the ’80s. “And that’s what Karl wore, too,” she says. “He used to joke about it, like, Tiina and I, we wear the best clothes.”
After three years at Chanel, Laakkonen moved on to Lanvin before her friend, the milliner Philip Treacy, suggested she move to London and get a job at British Vogue. Off she went. She landed a position as fashion editor, which she held for five years, and met even more influential figures, like then-up-and-coming designer Alexander McQueen.
In 2001, Laakkonen moved to New York City to be with her husband, who’d spent his whole life summering in Amagansett. They decided to build their own house in the Hampton hamlet; then she opened her store, and 11 years flew by. “I like the idea that we can have different lives, different careers, and different places where we live,” she says. “Because I left home so young, that’s probably where I got this desire for constant reinvention.” After seeing fashion from so many angles and working with so many legendary characters along the way, Tiina the Store was Laakkonen’s “most personal project” to date. “It was as much of a creative outlet as any kind of styling job, because it was 100 percent my voice,” she says.
Laakkonen’s clients, who included the Hamptons’ most stylish one-percenters, gravitated towards her boutique for its thoughtful curation. It offered the chance to discover new names from around the world, such as Toogood, Arts & Science, and Casey Casey, as well as luxury brands like The Row and Jil Sander. The price tags may have been the same as those at “quiet luxury” brands down the road, but for those with unlimited funds, the opportunity to wear something exquisitely crafted that no one else might have was priceless. The New York Times called it the “Gap for Billionaires.”
They came for her personal taste, but at the moment, Laakkonen is finding it hard to shop for herself. After closing the store, she did a huge archive sale and donated the proceeds. “I’m gently trying to figure out what my new wardrobe will be,” she admits, taking a break from fashion for the moment. “I want to experience different things,” she tells me. “I feel like those experiences that have nothing to do with work will reboot my brain, and then I can think clearly about what the next thing could be.”
As for what, exactly, that is, she says she could go either really big or really small. “I feel like I have one more thing,” she admits. “Part of me would love to do this very, very exquisite miniature department store in New York City.” One step at a time, though. On a fall afternoon, she planned to read a book, hang out with her cat, make dinner, see a friend. “My sister-in-law said to me yesterday: ‘Tiina, you look different.’ I was like, ‘I feel different.’ I don’t have that pressure and that stress. I’m just going to enjoy that feeling now. And then once the lightning strikes, I’ll go for it.”
Family Style No. 5
It's Not Me, It's You
Spring 2025
.avif)
The Versace-iest Versace After Party
No one knows how to throw a party like Gianni Versace.
.avif)
All That and a Side of Fries
As award season finales with the 96th Oscars next Monday, Getty Image Fan Clubs looks at an underrated but ubiquitously-influential Hollywood ritual: the post-award show burger.
.avif)
Revisiting Marc Jacob's Campy, Christmas Parties
The fashion designer's parties are still iconic despite the last official shindig happening 15 years ago.
.avif)
Pill Popper
Remembering the short-lived art-restaurant by Damien Hirst that was anything but clinical.
.avif)
What did Jay-Z say to Nicole Kidman?
A look at one particular table from Vanity Fair's 2005 dinner for the Tribeca Film Festival.
Beauty is Key
One century ago, Svenskt Tenn made a colorful splash in the throes of Sweden’s modernism movement. Today, Maria Veerasamy is leading the design brand to new horizons, while honoring its legacy.
A Magic Carpet in Milan
For Milan Design Week, Issey Miyake honors the late Japanese fashion designer’s craftsmanship and legacy with a series of animated installations by the Dutch art collective We Make Carpets.
Birds of a Feather
Christian Dior spent his childhood enamored with Japanese art and translated its sensibilities into his legendary designs. Now, Cordelia de Castellane has found new life in his bird and cherry blossom motifs.
A God Called Time
Fueled by curiosity, the late Gaetano Pesce’s radical, multidisciplinary approach to making carved a path for a new generation of polymaths, including trailblazing artist and DJ Awol Erizku, with whom he shared one of his final conversations.
.avif)
Angelo Flaccavento’s Simple Rice
The fashion writer opts for a simple and elegant rice dish. The twist? A splash of lemon.
.avif)
Anastasiia Duvallié’s Home Away From Home
The New York-based photographer shares her recipe for scalloped potatoes and roasted autumn vegetables, a minimalist pairing that brings her comfort whenever she’s in need.
An Old El Paso Chili
Larry Bell's chili resurrects memories, submerged in a sea of spice and flavor.
.avif)
An Evening at Atelier Crenn
In San Francisco, Veuve Clicquot and Dominique Crenn’s flower child of a dinner party sets the stage for the Champagne maison’s latest vintage.
Activists Can Like Champagne, Too
Ruinart toasts to its year-long artist collaboration program with a Frieze LA dinner celebrating Andrea Bowers and her dedication to environmental justice.
.avif)
An Elegy for Commerce, an Ode to the Commerce Inn
To drop into New York's The Commerce Inn mid-dog walk and sip a tavern coffee with whisky and maple in one of the wooden booths on the bar-side of the quirky restaurant on a Sunday morning is the best version of stopping by a neighbor’s just to say hi.
.avif)
.avif)
10-Minute Lime Cracker Pie
Stylist Daniel Gaines turns to this nostalgic recipe as an easy-to-make dessert when entertaining at home.
.avif)
A Martini Fit for a Matriarch
David Eardley’s grandmother has influenced his taste from design to cocktails.
%20(1).avif)
(Not Too) Sweet Rice Cakes
Michelle Li shares the recipe for her mother's nian gao with red bean.
Closing Time
Finnish-born Tiina Laakkonen has bested all aspects of the fashion industry. Now that she’s sunset her iconic, minimalist Hamptons boutique, what’s the shopkeeper to do? Everything.
Finally We Meat
For the last four years, I've gone to sleep with and woken up beside Sophia Loren. More specifically: a life-sized poster of the actress and a giant sausage from the film La Mortadella hangs across her bed. The only thing crazier than the plot of the absurdist 1971 movie is the fact that I've never seen it—until now.
Call Me Mother
American textile designer Dorothy Liebes was one of the most influential textile designers of her time, so why don't more people know her name?
An Ode to Enya
Is she sleepy or slept on? A deep-dive into the work of the New Age singer-composer reveals a better understanding of her impact—and my dad’s taste?
Vera Tamari’s Art of Resourcefulness
Since the 1960s, the Palestinian artist has made art that is personal and inevitably political.
The Afterparty
Trailblazing artist Judy Chicago opens up about her New Museum retrospective and her 60-year-career built on taking up space.
The Sun Never Sets
Palestinian artist Yazan Abu Salame uses a variety of materials—and a background in construction—to explore the psychology of separation.
A Tonic To Boot
Cult grocer Erewhon dips its toe into footwear with a new collaboration with UGG.
A Man, a Woman, and a Bag
Almost six decades after its original release, a French New Wave classic is recreated in a new short film for Chanel. Directed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, the tribute brings together Penélope Cruz and Brad Pitt on screen for the very first time.
A Mother’s Creative Legacy
Lafayette 148’s new capsule collection with Claire Khodara and Grace Fuller Marroquin commemorates the life and legacy of their artist mother, Martha Madigan.
.avif)
Croc Over and Die
Samantha Ronson has a love-hate relationship with her shoes that she can’t take off.
I'll Have What He's Having
Vegetables with Paul McCartney, eggs with Lady Gaga, and kimchi alone: Mark Ronson offers a glimpse into his music-filled life to sister and fellow DJ Samantha Ronson.
.avif)
A Love Letter to Us All
This year I choose as much love as possible for Valentine’s Day. And Sugar.
.avif)
Samantha Ronson Turns the Table
After a life of cocktails and take-out, the DJ-musician has found a new relationship with food. And it’s f*cking delicious, as she writes in her new column for Family Style.
.avif)
Recipe for a Disaster-Light Thanksgiving
Samantha Ronson has endured the crazy, so you don’t have to.
A Toast to Napa
Between the bountiful California vines and the centuries-old oak trees, Family Style kicks off a quartet of intimate cultural dinners around America in ripe Yountville, California.
White Cube Cuisine
A gallery is more than just a space to view art; as Family Style's third Heart of Hosting dinner proves, it's also a place to come together.
Dining with Purpose
At a landmark Manhattan farm at the end of New York Climate Week, Family Style hosted a sensorial round table for the urgency of climate action and the celebratory spirit of a shared meal.
Spirited Design
Fittingly, Family Style's finale to its four-dinner fête centered on hosting culminated at Beverly's, a specialty boutique focused on the home.
Luxury Group by Marriott International's Chic LA Art Week Fête
Awol Erizku, Annie Philbin, Casey Fremont, Tariku Shiferaw joined Marriott International's Jenni Benzaquen and artist Sanford Biggers at one of Los Angeles’ most iconic institutions for a lush dinner by Alice Waters celebrating art and travel.
Summer 2024 Editor's Letter
Family Style No. 2 explores how the objects we surround ourselves with can tell us more about ourselves.
Objects of Affection
At Salone del Mobile 2024, Family Style presented a first look at the magazine's Summer 2024 design issue in the form of an ephemeral exhibition with Sophia Roe and DRIFT.
Xiyao Wang Dreams in Charcoal
The China-born, Berlin-based artist is in a constant state of flux; as her career continues to reach new heights, her style is also ascending. Now she's crossing a new horizon with her first debut show in the United States.
You Are What You Eat
As the natural world rapidly transforms due to anthropogenic impact, Cooking Sections have developed an approach that fuses art and research to imagine sustainable consumption. They call it “climavore.”
Bibliophilia Bunker
Inside High Valley Books, the basement bookshop for magazine nerds and moodboard queens.
Low Risk, High Reward
In her new Family Style column, Whitney Mallett investigates the prep power of Buck Ellison's art book—making sense of Brandy Melville and American exclusion trending in an election year.
I Need a Colada
At the climax of Art Basel Miami Beach, Whitney Mallett takes a dip into local legend Dalé Zine.
Spooky, Scary
Trick-or-treating at Climax Books’ New York expansion reveals a vault of goth obscurities and witchy reads.
_result_result.avif)
A Bientôt, Paris!
Ahead of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Louis Vuitton pays homage to the French capital’s sports scene with an exclusive edition of its City Guide series as well as the first-ever City Book.
Is Delicacy a Choice?
The search to understand our collective desires may lie in the psychology of decision.
24 Hours at Hotel Chelsea
The iconic New York hotel is even more magical post-renovation.
Åsa Johannesson’s Web of Rebellion
The Swedish writer and artist takes a layered approach to exploring 27 groundbreaking photographs by LGBTQ+ artists in her first book.