PSA: Be Cautious Shopping at Lou Lou Buttons in NYC

Last year, my daughter and I stumbled upon a shop in NYC called Lou Lou Buttons. We met a man named Ross who captivated us with tales of handmade buttons and accessories, claiming he’d done work for Beyoncé, Madonna, and Chanel. He told us he was sometimes allowed to keep overproduced items, which he’d then repurpose into brooches, pens, and hairpieces.

It was charming, and I genuinely believed him. We bought a few pieces last year and made it a point to return this year, he was literally our first stop.

This time, though, something felt off. He showed us “rare” bumblebee pens supposedly made with 18k gold and “scarab” hairpins cast from antique French glass. The pricing was steep ($25 to $65 per item) but the storytelling was persuasive.

Out of curiosity, I ran a quick Google Lens search after I got back to the hotel. Sure enough, the exact same items are on Amazon—$65 brooch? $15. $35 brooch? $8.

So, just a heads-up: if you’re enchanted by the tales and don’t mind paying boutique prices for mass-produced Amazon accessories, by all means go for it. But if you’re looking for true artisan work, I’d recommend verifying what you’re buying. Google Lens is your friend.

Not trying to tear anyone down—just wishing I’d known before I dropped a small fortune on what turned out to be pot metal costume jewelry.