HOW A JEWELRY AND CUSTOM CLOTHING STORE JOINED FORCES TO CREATE A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IN RED BANK

BY SAMANTHA FARAGALLI YOUNGHANS • PHOTOS BY PATTY PIXELS

After more than seven years in the jewelry business, Monmouth county native Evan Piscitelli wanted to try something totally different. So, the longtime owner of Evan John Diamantaire teamed up with Vincent Sciortino, the owner of Sciortino Tailors, to create a shopping experience that Garden Staters had not experienced prior. Two and half years ago, the two businesses combined into one luxury retail space in the heart of Red Bank’s hopping Broad Street.

“At the time, we really didn’t know if it would go over well with the shopping public, or just people in general,” recalled Piscitelli. “Was the concept going to be confusing? Are jewelry and high-end menswear compatible? We really didn’t know what we were getting into, we just liked each other, we both had good reputations, and we knew the luxury market. Fast forward two and a half years and it’s gone great!”

On one side of the space, Sciortino Tailors works to create bespoke clothing, including suits and sport coats. On the other side, Evan John Diamantaire is lined with glass cases of sparkling jewelry.

Piscitelli pointed out that the most notable and unique quality of his side of the operation is its custom jewelry experience.

“Our store is about making it how you want it, and having fun doing it,” he said. “We’re able to control quality, and make each piece exactly how the customer wants it.”

For the holidays, the jeweler is working to scout out the season’s biggest trends, which includes small, dainty pieces, layering of necklaces, stackable rings, and chokers.

“We also sell plenty of custom orders for the holidays, and that can range from something intricate and expensive to something simple,” Piscitelli said. “I want to provide as customized an experience as possible…want somebody to walk out of here and say, ‘I was treated very fairly, I had a good time doing it, and got exactly what I wanted.’”

Sciortino, meanwhile, inherited a passion for his business from parents Alfonso and Maria Sciortino, who started out as tailors in Sciacca, Sicily, and later owned a tailoring shop on Via Valdossola in Rome. Sciortino Tailors’ client base now ranges “from walk-ins looking for their first custom suit to A-list celebrities and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies,” the company’s site explains. Apart from custom shirts, jackets, pants, coats, and casual wear, it carries private label suits, shirts, and ties, as well as shoes hand-made in England.

The success of the joint concept has the business owners eyeing opportunities beyond Monmouth county’s shopping capital.

“We have started looking at some other markets to do this. I am very familiar with Washington D.C., and [Sciortino] has a lot of clients down there, so perhaps the Georgetown area,” Piscitelli revealed of a potential second location. “We’ve also talked about some ideas down in Florida, too, or maybe even Chicago; we do have some relationships there.”

Evan John Diamantaire / Sciortino Tailors
15 Broad Street, Red Bank / 732.530.1540 /
evanjohncustom.com
732.933.8448 / sciortinotailors.com