In 2010, he was honored with the CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year award,[1] and in 2014 was named Brand of the Year by the Accessories Council.[2]
After stepping away from the fashion industry in 2015, he reacquired his brand from Brooks Brothers in 2021 and expanding the retailer into handbags and home décor.
In 2025, Bittar directed and co-produced alongside Bruce Cohen the documentary Reclaim The Flag,[3] a short film which features more than 50 LGBTQIA community leaders.[4]
Personal life
Bittar was born in 1968 in Brooklyn, New York City to Bob and Helen Bittar, both university professors and antique collectors.[5][6]
At age ten, Bittar began selling flowers from a hand-painted cart near his home in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn. As a teenager, he sold antique jewelry and vintage clothing on St. Mark's Street in New York City.[7] Once, as a birthday present, Bittar's parents purchased him $300.00 worth of vintage jewelry that he then used as the seedlings of his nascent commercial operation.[8] Bittar discovered the New York club scene while attending the Bronx High School of Science, which fueled his interest in fashion and design.[9]
Bittar briefly attended State University of New York at Albany, but dropped out during his second semester. Bittar returned to New York selling antique jewelry and vintage clothing on the streets of lower Manhattan.[10] He continued to pursue his interest in jewelry and design, focusing on his own line of costume jewelry influenced by the antique collectibles he grew up around.[10][9]
Bittar has three children. He married Jack Miner in June 2023.[11]
Career
In 1988, Bittar began to design his own line of jewelry. He bought his first block of Lucite in 1990 and holed up in his apartment figuring out how to hand carve it into the jewelry vision he had.[6] Using Lucite and semi-precious stones and metals, Bittar began selling handmade pieces on the streets of Soho. Dawn Mello, the fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, discovered his work in 1992 and agreed to carry his designs, followed by Saks Fifth Avenue, the Museum of Modern Art, Harrods, and Isetan in Japan.[10][9][6]
In 1998, Bittar launched his first designer collaborations, and working with Burberry,[6] he designed the British luxury fashion house's first Ready-to-wear jewelry collection, interpreting their trademark plaid onto Lucite.[10][12]
After a five-year absence, Bittar reacquired the brand from Brooks Brothers after they filed for bankruptcy in fall of 2020.[17] Bittar is again full owner of his brand which relaunched in fall 2021 with expanded product categories including accessories and handbags.[18] New brick and mortar boutiques were opened in New York City designed by scenic designer Scott Pask.[19]
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