Susan Alexandra Expands To Upper East Side With Second Store

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Designer Susan Alexandra — known for her playful, maximalist accessories made from beads — is opening a second storefront on the Upper East Side this week.

Alexandra is expanding her namesake brand to 1088 Madison Ave., near East 82nd Street, where the Monnalisa children's clothing brand used to be.

Ahead of Friday’s debut, Alexandra shared a candid Instagram post reflecting on the realities of growing a small business.

Alongside what she described as a "completely un-glamorous photo" of the bright yellow shop one day before opening, she acknowledged the pressures behind the scenes.

"Running a business on a limited budget with a limited human-sized bandwidth is wildly challenging," Alexandra wrote. "The money, the stress, fear, constant expectations, the need to constantly be “on”. All this in a scary time in a mean world."

The first store was a lifelong dream fulfilled. The second store? I think I’m still dreaming

Still, she said the expansion is rooted in the same mission that guided her first store: "to create a space where people can momentarily lay down their troubles, to feel welcomed, warm and excited."

Opening her original location on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side was "a lifelong dream fulfilled," she wrote. "The second store? I think I’m still dreaming."

The new Susan Alexandra store officially opens Friday at 10 a.m. on Madison Avenue.

Know of a business opening or closing in Manhattan? Email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.