Hoorsenbuhs has opened its first retail store, at 458 Broome Street, in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. While Hoorsenbuhs sells its jewelry to Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and other retailers, the store will be the only place to buy its ancillary designs such as apparel, home decor and furniture.
Robert Keith, Hoorsenbuhs founder and creative chief, and Kether Parker, partner and brand director, stand inside the vault in their 3,300-square-foot store in New York. Parker said the store’s interior mirrors the exterior of the Santa Monica studio, which also doubles as a by-appointment showroom for clients.
Robert Keith launched Hoorsenbuhs in 2005. He adopted the name from a merchant ship that one of his ancestors had captained. Kether Parker, who joined as a partner and brand director in 2006, said the goal has been to grow at a nice pace. Compiling a list of clients such as Jay-Z, Katie Holmes and Beyonce, as well as collaborators like Damien Hirst, has never distracted them from that mission. “We never blew up too big,” he said. “We don’t want to be cool one day and gone the next. We want to be a sustainable brand around for 100 years.” Their next retail project is to convert the front of the Santa Monica studio. Parker hopes that storefront will bow by late March.
Hoorsenbuhs is expanding with a bigger clothing line, including cashmere sweaters with horn buttons, all made in Los Angeles. “There is an artisan to do everything in L.A.,” said Kether Parker. The brand also introduced a second style in its ongoing collaboration with high-end sneaker label Buscemi. Available in black and white, the kicks sell for $950 a pair.
Hoorsenbuhs has realized that apparel is an accessible way for many people to buy into the fine jewelry brand. “Not everybody is prepared to spend $5,000 to $7,000 on a ring,” said Kether Parker. All made in L.A., the T-shirts, sweats, quilted nylon puffer jackets and leather jackets retail for between $175 and $2,200.
Hoorsenbuhs creative chief Robert Keith modeled a brass and leather chair after the jewelry brand’s signature Phantom ring. Selling for between $35,000 and $65,000, the furniture is the latest extension for the company. “Rob has really been putting attention into that,” said brand director Kether Parker. “We’re going to do sterling silver frames — just get really creative on the home front in the new year.”
With Damien Hirst, Hoorsenbuhs is branching into watches, the newest entry in their collaboration with the artist that started in 2014. Limited to a quantity of 25 in each type of gold (white, yellow and rose), the watches will integrate internal mechanics made in Switzerland and straps and other components produced in Los Angeles. Unable to peg a price just yet, Kether Parker said the launch of Hoorsenbuhs’ first ever timepiece is penciled for fall 2017.