New Shop Alert: Buffalo Boutique in Scottsdale Curates Small, Rustic Gifts and Finds
The owners of The Buffalo Collection in Scottsdale focus on smaller, unique Southwest-centric finds at their new store: Buffalo Boutique.
Photography by Melissa Valladares
Fast Facts
- Owners: Michael and Laura Levenberg
- Opened: Nov. 27, 2021
- Location: 7032 E. 5th Ave., Scottsdale
- Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday – Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday.
- Phone: (602) 617-8020
- Website: buffaloboutique.com
HISTORY: The Levenbergs opened their first retail showroom in Arizona in December of 2011. Called Buffalo Collection, it specializes in large-scale, handcrafted home furnishings made from buffalo hide as well as like-themed art and accessories for the home. “We had reached a point of wanting to showcase the smaller products we carry there—both personal and home decor items,” Michael says. “In the beginning, we were thinking of it as an online presence and even had the domain name of Buffalo Boutique for a number of years.” As the Levenbergs started to develop the concept, however, they switched to the idea of having a brick-and-mortar building where they could showcase more in a space dedicated to that purpose. Fate took it from there. The perfectly sized retail space opened near their Buffalo Collection showroom, and they jumped on the opportunity to turn their long-simmering idea of a ‘baby buffalo’ into a reality. “Many of the artisans we were already working with were creating things that suited our needs perfectly, and we’ve gathered more artisans along the way,” Michael reports.
CONCEPT: The walls, shelves and a built-in jewelry case are peppered with intriguing works by dozens of individual artists and artisans. The product line focuses on small personal items and home accessories that, for the most part, either depict a buffalo or are made from buffalo, including half of the jewelry items displayed. From a design standpoint, the boutique has an industrial/urban- modern vibe and products are arranged in cleverly layered vignettes. “It’s a small, intimate boutique, so we merchandise it in a way that won’t look cluttered,” Laura explains. “We also wanted it to have its own identity, with merchandise on a smaller scale than what we carry at Buffalo Collection.”
PHILOSOPHY: “We know every artist and craftsman we work with. Everything is made in America. Everything is sourced in America. You could say we’re very buffalocentric in what we carry. We also like to be very informative, rather than pressuring people to purchase,” the Levenbergs report.
SERVICES OFFERED: Along with online purchasing opportunities, custom orders are available for many items, including specific dimensions for leather journals, briefcases and iPad covers; various sizes and types of wood used for charcuterie boards; and different sizes, designs and embellishments for leather clothing. “In addition, we can personalize items with engraving, and we plan to offer a series of trunk shows featuring different artists’ work,” Laura adds.
WHAT’S IN STORE: Among offerings are pieces ranging from large framed photographs and hand-carved historic objects to embellished buffalo skulls, eye-catching leather goods, including journals, sketchbooks, wallets, purses in many sizes and styles, and tissue box covers—both square and rectangular. Also known to turn heads are revolving wood charcuterie boards; wood platters mounted on whitetail deer antlers; a variety of accent pillows, some made with buffalo fur; and a stunning selection of artisan-made jewelry for both men and women, including necklaces by Robert Rivera made from bison teeth clad on one side with a mosaic of gemstones. “Some of the jewelry items are one-of-a-kind, and all of our sterling silver pieces are Native American-made,” Michael notes.
DON’T MISS: Drool-worthy merchandise includes customizable women’s leather tunics, a variety of hand-carved buffalo horn jewelry and leather luggage in various sizes accented with solid brass hardware embellishments.
BEST SELLERS: Journals, drinkware and round and square coasters made of everything from etched slate to wood, leather and cork, along with T-shirts, onesies and small onyx table lamps are among the many popular items.
