Tous and daughter Rosa
Madame Tous is holding court in her newly opened boutique at Rockefeller Center, answering questions about this high-profile store (her second in New York after a Soho location) and her fall collection, when a salesperson approaches and explains something in Spanish. In an instant, the silverhaired Madame is out of her chair and greeting a couple, hugging and posing for photographs.
Old friends? “No, they’re from Portugal, here on their honeymoon,” the salesperson explains. “They came into the store and were thrilled to find that Madame Tous herself happened to be here.” Such is the aura of Rosa Oriol de Tous—or Madame Tous, as she’s called—who for more than 40 years has been designing whimsical-meets-elegant jewelry that’s made her nothing less than a rock star in Europe. The secret of her appeal: “We design for a woman, but with no age,” she explains. “It’s more about a young spirit; our customers could be two or 72.”
That young spirit starts with Tous herself. Consider the signature of Tous Jewelry, a teddy bear that first inspired her in 1985. “A teddy bear is such a simple shape, and yet it transmits so many feelings,” she says. In 25 years Tous has reinterpreted her signature bear in hundreds of designs. Her autumn/winter collection, for example, takes its primary inspiration from Tous’ garden at her home outside Barcelona, from the rich greens and umbers in acorn-shaped Murano crystal charms to the delicate leaves on a cypress branch, crafted of 18k white or yellow gold and shaped into a ring that travels seductively across three fingers. Look closely, though, and you’ll spy a tiny bear nestled into the branch.
“Tenderness, freshness, magic, surprise, craziness—all of those things you find in her designs,” says her daughter, also named Rosa. (Tous has four daughters, all of whom work in the She Reigns in Spain Jewelry designer Madame Tous talks about her latest collection, her Barcelona-based company and finding the joy in life. by Laurie Brookins Barcelona-based company). “I think she also just has an incredible gift for knowing what people like.”
The Rockefeller Center store is the second of the new-concept boutiques the company is rolling out internationally: bright, airy, with touches of feminine details and a concerted effort to feature the depth and breadth of Tous’ offerings, including handbags, also crafted in Spain. With almost 400 boutiques in 42 countries, why Rockefeller Center? “It’s the crossroads of the world,” says daughter Rosa. The matriarch knew she wanted a location in Midtown or above to attract the clients who rarely venture south of Houston Street. When the Rockefeller Center space became available, Tous knew she had to have it.
“It’s incredible; I never would have thought I would be in this place,” she says. “But then again, I’m very curious, always investigating everything. And in life all around us, there is beauty, yes?” 610 Fifth Ave., 212-757-2316; tous-shop.com
