Wunderkind Opens Second Arizona Store

Rebecca Kleinman
·4 min read

It’s two-for-two regarding Wunderkind’s Arizona activity.

Buyer-turned-retailer Philip Manghisi will celebrate the second anniversary of his original Scottsdale store on Feb. 1, following the launch of his second location in the market at the brand-new Global Ambassador hotel in Phoenix. Situated at the crossroads of East Camelback Road and North 44th Street next to the Phoenix Suns’ practice facility, the luxury addition draws from the affluent neighborhoods of Paradise Valley and Arcadia as well as guests staying in rooms that cost a minimum of $1 million each to construct and appoint.

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“A second store in Arizona wasn’t necessarily on my radar at this time, but I believe in the project and [hotel founder] Sam [Fox] thought I could lend my expertise to something new and exciting,” said Manghisi, who was tapped by The Global Ambassador’s spa director Shazz Narduzzi, whom he met through Wunderkind pop-ups at Silverleaf residences and golf club in Scottsdale during her tenure there. “Luckily for me, I was the first person who came to mind when Sam asked her to find a buyer for the store.”

Philip Manghisi in front of his Scottsdale store. Photo by Mindway

They divvy up their respective buying niches for The Boutique by Wunderkind. Narduzzi stocks wellness, beauty and lifestyle items from brands like Augustinus Bader, Byredo, D.S. & Durga, and U Beauty, whose products are used in select spa treatments there for the first time in the U.S. Compared to Scottsdale’s store with 3,600 square feet and 100 women’s collections, the hotel offshoot measures about 1,000 square feet, with men’s and women’s merchandise that’s a quarter of the selection.

“It’s much more resort-focused and carries easy, grab-and-go pieces,” said Manghisi, of James Perse, Orlebar Brown and Frame for men, as well as Raquel Allegra, Xirena, Cotton Citizen, Mother and Trovata Birds of Paradis for women, among other lines. “The main Wunderkind store is a bit more dressed up and stocks a designer component that will not be available at The Boutique — for the moment. The real hope is that someday we have a hotel shop that clients will want to spend time in for a head-to-toe styling session.”

Accessories include Borsalino hats, Garrett Leight eyewear, Zoë Chicco jewelry, Dragon Diffusion and Gabriele Frantzen handbags, and Castañer and Common Projects shoes. There’s also a collaboration outfit between Aviator Nation and the hotel for purchase. (Servers in the adjacent, Mexican-themed restaurant Pink Dolphin, one of five onsite dining options, also sport custom Aviator Nation uniforms in orange and pink hues that match the pool setting with cabanas.) Manghisi said Fox was hands-on in selecting the fashion mix, a trait both entrepreneurs share.

The collaboration between Aviator Nation and The Global Ambassador. Courtesy photo.

“He was very specific about the kinds of things he wanted to carry in the shop, and I just followed his lead,” said Manghisi, who wishes he could take credit for the store’s look. “The hotel’s team designed the space from soup to nuts. It’s quite pretty.”

Manghisi’s hotel shoppers trend a tad younger than those in Scottsdale. He notes a lot of men’s foot traffic and street style, such as graphic T-shirts, baggy jeans and cool sneakers. Having moved to Phoenix a few years ago, Manghisi said the city has been on a steady upswing with a pulse that many outsiders have never had the opportunity to experience. What the city lacks in international nonstop flights, luxury retail (though he’s excited that Hermès arrives in 2025) and a few other amenities, it makes up for with a sense of community.

“Phoenicians want to support other Phoenicians and help small, local businesses thrive. I have a small business and have been extremely happy with how the community has embraced me and my business,” he said, hoping next-level destinations like the hotel bring in new blood. “We also see new clients every day at Wunderkind Scottsdale.”

Manghisi plans to host a shopping event at The Boutique at the end of January and a trunk show with Hoorsenbuhs at Wunderkind Scottsdale during its anniversary party.

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