For more than 100 years, imposing mansions at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street in Manhattan have served as the North American flagship for the luxury jeweler Cartier. The buildings, with their limestone bays and ornate balustrades, are an undeniable throwback to the last days of the Gilded Age, when this now-busy stretch of Midtown was known as Millionaire’s Row. Indeed, in the online retail landscape of the 21st century, even the idea of a brick-and-mortar store feels like an anachronism to many—but not to Mercedes Abramo, Cartier’s deputy chief commercial officer. What customers see when they pass under Cartier’s instantly recognizable red awnings is not the company’s past, she say, but its future.
role: Author outlet:Sewanee Magazine publication date: Spring 2025 category:Other
