JONATHAN ADLER has always referred to himself as a humble potter, though the pervasiveness in home décor pictorials of his whimsical white porcelain objets (and the 25 stores he has opened in 19 years of business) would suggest he is more of an empire builder than he lets on.
Mr. Adler is a brand name, or at least he is a brand name for people who are interested in lightly ironic decorating, or for people looking for a no-fail hostess gift. Who would refuse a matchstick holder in the shape of a squirrel holding an acorn? Or a pill canister that comes with a Viagra label?
Now, however, he is branching out into big-brand territory, as an accessories designer. Over the last year he has introduced handbags, scarves, neckties, socks and small leather goods that evoke his signature wit and affinity for midcentury graphics and design. This week, he converted his six-year-old store at 37 Greenwich Avenue in the West Village into an accessories-themed emporium. Two more accessories stores will open this year.
“So Sunday was my birthday,” Mr. Adler said by way of greeting. He had spent his 47th paddle-boarding with his husband, Simon Doonan, in Shelter Island Sound when they came upon what Mr. Adler first mistook for a hairy coconut but then realized was a live seal, which saluted him as it swam off.
“I saw it as a good omen,” Mr. Adler said. Do not be surprised if seals turn up in his next collection.
The new store, much like the old store, is a delight to walk through and explore. The difference is that instead of many examples of Mr. Adler’s big-ticket furniture designs, there are displays of many totes and ties, which would look remarkably at home resting on a Jonathan Adler sofa.
“As a designer, I’m very much a minimalist,” he said. “But as a retailer, I’m pretty much a maximalist.”
On one table sat key chains, scarves, straw hats and a soft-structured leather bag called the Goldie, $398, with a brass handle in the shape of a hexagon, a recurrent motif. Another bag, the Lucia, $348, converts into a hexagon by means of a zippered panel at each corner, and there is a classic carryall tote in coated canvas, $248, painted with a stylized horse. It comes with a brass charm in the shape of a horseshoe.
For men, there are colorful neckties for $95, bow ties for $69.50 and socks for $14, next to a display of long silk scarves for women in the bright patterns of Brazilian pareos.
Mr. Adler said he wanted the prices to be affordable. Most of the accessories are produced through a license with Li & Fung, a major apparel producer. This also suggests that Mr. Adler, who would not disclose his sales volume (other than to say that his company now has 200 employees), has bigger ambitions for expanding his brand. Still, he is humble.
“I’m in this because I live to make stuff,” he said. “If anybody had a brain for business, the last thing they would do is become a potter.”