NEW YORK – On a crisp, frosty New York City night, the warm glow of electric sex literally marked the spot for the Pleasure Chest’s party celebrating the launch of its new Upper East Side location at 1150 Second Ave.
Signage inside the boutique spelled out “Sex is Back” with 119 light bulbs marking the store’s new territory. And if that wasn’t enough to draw you in, lingerie models in the store’s red-fringed window displays beckoned visitors to the festivities with the coy swing of a whip.
Once inside, guests were greeted by a lush, boudoir-style entrance decorated with an elegant glass chandelier, expertly crafted wall displays and a long, dark-wood table topped with orchids, erotic books and a few whips.
Models in BDSM gear led guests into the Pleasure Chest’s spacious new 2,800 square foot retail space for the rest of the party where more than 400 revelers enjoyed an evening of drinks, hor d’Oeuvres, music, photos with models, a look at the Pleasure Chest’s new Kink Room and a chance to see the retailer’s expanded selection of intimates, accessories and sex toys.
Industry guests in attendance included Frederic Walme, CEO of Fun Factory USA; Ryan Poirier of OhMiBod; Michael Topolovac, CEO of Crave, and Greg Delong of NJoy.
Sarah Tomchesson, director of business development and strategy for the Pleasure Chest, said, “The most exciting feature of our new location is our private workshop/event room, which will allow us to expand our weekly lineup of free workshops and also partner with like-minded organizations in the area to host events at the store.”
The Pleasure Chest UES location already has more than 10 workshops scheduled for February with “Amp It Up: Imaginative Ways to Keep Sparks Flying in Your Sex Play with Ducky Doolittle” slated for Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Saturday’s party was the culmination of more than a year’s work by the Pleasure Chest team to open a second location to New York City. The hardest part in finding the new space, notes Tomchesson, was finding a willing landlord. But, luckily, she said, ”the neighborhood has embraced us. We didn't think sex needed to be relegated downtown and apparently New York agrees!”
The Upper East Side boutique allows the Pleasure Chest to offer its full product range thanks to the larger retail footprint. At the party, merchandise from Patrice Catanzaro, NJoy, Velv’Or, Liberator, Sex and Mischief, Rene Rofe, and We-Vibe, amongst others, were on display.
“With our legacy store in the West Village, it seemed fitting to bring our brand to the other side of the island. Our concept to expand on our lush, sexy aesthetic was very fitting for this neighborhood, which is already established as a stylish, shopping destination,” added Tomchesson.
The new location is also geographically ideal for helping the Pleasure Chest reach new customers in Harlem, Queens and the Bronx. The retailer now has a total of four stores in the U.S. (two in New York, one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles) along with an ecommerce presence giving customers access to their sex-positive message and products on a nationwide scale.
To learn more about the Pleasure Chest, visit ThePleasureChest.com.
The Pleasure Chest Upper East Side store is locate at 1150 2nd Ave., and can be reached by calling (212) 355-6909. For store hours, visit ThePleasureChest.com/nyehours.
Photo: (Right to left) Pleasure Chest’s Kristen Tribby, Brian Robinson, Sarah Tomchesson
