Lorraine Wohl of Elle W Collection has been celebrated for her brilliant, well-educated eye for more than 40 years. A longtime shop owner—with former outposts in the Marais district of Paris; San Francisco’s Fillmore Street; Westport, Connecticut; and the Upper East Side of Manhattan—Lorraine established Elle W Collection’s überchic boutique in The Gallery at 200 Lex four years ago. The 10th-floor outpost is an ever-changing treasure trove, a celebrated insiders’ source for expertly curated European and American furnishings, as well as exquisite antique, vintage, and fine jewelry.

“I wanted to create an intimate emporium filled with distinctive designs—a place where people can always find something that truly touches their senses,” Lorraine explains. She specializes in prime Art Deco and midcentury-modern designs, as well as Hollywood Glam dressing tables, bar carts, and cocktail accoutrements. Recent offerings include a stunning Jules Leleu sycamore cabinet, vintage Hermès boxes, a shagreen-clad mirror by Karl Springer, an etched-bronze table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, and a pair of fanciful Baguès sconces—with designs by Jacques Adnet, Venini, and Maison Jansen in constant supply.

Elle W Collection’s space—its walls painted an urbane thunder-gray—brims with eclectic discoveries, all personally selected by Lorraine. A flotilla of chandeliers sails across the ceiling; Lucite bar carts mingle with an Italian folding screen and mirrored vanities and chests topped with rock-crystal and mercury-glass lamps; sculptural, illuminated-resin mirrors provide a soft, warm glow. And though the furniture and accessories are sublime, it’s the jewelry that absolutely dazzles—confident cocktail rings, vintage luxury watches, gutsy gold-link bracelets, and shimmering earrings, as well as important estate jewelry and glittering engagement rings that will take one’s breath away.

A self-described client-oriented dealer, Lorraine is also a determined sleuth—one known to regularly hunt down unique items for clients whose wish lists prove to be elusive. “I’m so passionate about design,” Lorraine says, “and I derive such joy from connecting clients with pieces that will then give them great joy.”

- Margarete Russell // margaretrussell.com