Kiko Milano was a resourceful choice

For the last dozen years in every student focus group University Properties has conducted, female students have complained of the difficulty in finding cosmetics near the campus. After soliciting, without success, every major cosmetic operation in North America (no, not everyone wants to come to New Haven to set up a retail store), University Properties resourcefully found a popular-priced cosmetics store. Kiko Milano, with 500 outlets in Europe, was opening a dozen stores in the U.S. and, with the help of some Yale undergraduates from Italy, University Properties convinced them to locate a store at The Shops at Yale. My own view of this as the cognizant Vice President for University Properties is that University Properties did a great job in filling what students said was an unmet need.

Bruce Alexander

Jan. 20

The writer is the vice president for New Haven and State Affairs and Campus Development.

Engage with New Haven productively

Regarding the spoof of Kiko Milano, it is disappointing that a new merchant trying to serve a student need — which has been consistently identified in surveys — is essentially being told by a small group of Yale students that they are not welcome to New Haven and to a retail district adjacent to campus. It was with great effort that this tenant was recruited, they serve an identified need and they provide jobs and taxes to the community. To not support, in fact to mock, a new business is counterproductive to efforts to build a strong New Haven and discourages other businesses from coming to New Haven. While a very small group of students is involved, if they wish to find other ways to relate to the New Haven community, the Yale Office of New Haven and State Affairs offers many opportunities to tutor New Haven youth and other programs for Yale students to engage positively with our community should they wish to contact us.

Lauren Zucker

Jan. 20

The writer is the associate vice president and director for New Haven Affairs and University Properties.

For Kiko Milano!

We hope that our protest in favor of the fabulous cosmetic store Kiko Milano was not somehow misinterpreted! We love Kiko Milano, and that’s exactly the reason that various members of The Record have advocated for the construction of anywhere from one to 13 additional Kikos Milano on campus.

If one were to read our flyers carefully, one would find that we rejoice in the blueberry scones of Maison Mathis, in the cheap, stylish haircuts offered at Barbour and in the sleek contours of the thousand-dollar leather leggings available at Emporium DNA (only $500 per leg! How reasonable!). It’s clear that University Properties understands the needs of Yale students, fancy European tourists and the New Haven community.

Sincerely,

The Yale Record, first-ever recipients of the Kiko Milano Gold Card

P.S. We considered calling for the expansion of many Broadway stores, but chose Kiko Milano mostly for its silly name. We also note that the manager of Kiko Milano came outside to hang out with us and tell us how funny we were during the protest (yes, really).

Aaron Gertler

Jan. 20

The writer is a junior in Timothy Dwight College and chairman of the Yale Record.

THE YALE DAILY NEWS