LONDON — Browns built its reputation on singling out fashion’s next big thing. Founder Joan Burstein bought John Galliano’s entire graduate collection in 1983 and champions British newcomers Gareth Pugh and Christopher Kane.
Now the London boutique hopes to give customers a glimpse of the next up-and-comers of fine jewelry when it opens a 400-square-foot fine jewelry area in November that will carry pieces by 13 designers, 10 of whom will be exclusive to Browns in London: Ileana Makri, Qeelin, Mark Davis, Kara Ross, Muriel Grateau, Lydia Courteille, Loree Rodkin, Aurora, Marie Hélène de Taillac and Natasha Collis.
Carolina Bucci, Pippa Small and Anaconda will be sold at the store, but are not exclusives.
“We want [customers] to come in and experience something they wouldn’t [otherwise] discover,” said Francoise Tessier, buyer for the fine jewelry area. She found Courteille after admiring her ornate cocktail rings, set with turquoise and coral carved into the shape of roses, on a design assistant. “It’s our job to find these secrets,” Tessier said.
She has sourced pieces that include delicate woven gold bracelets by Bucci, chunky, carved onyx bracelets and rings set with smoky quartz, and black and chocolate diamonds by Paris-based Grateau, as well as bangles made from vintage stocks of Bakelite by New York designer Mark Davis.
“There’s going to be a mix of different trends and looks — London is about experimentation,” Tessier said.
Although Browns has always carried a small selection of fine jewelry, Niki Scordi, the boutique’s managing director, said increasingly trend-influenced jewelry collections had prompted the store to create a dedicated space for high-end pieces.
“There was a time when jewelry was traditional,” Scordi said. “Now, it’s about the way you look and feel, design and fashion — making a statement about who [you] are.”
Prices will range from 250 pounds, or about $500, for a Carolina Bucci woven friendship bracelet to 15,000 pounds, or $30,000, for a Lydia Courteille ring. Tessier and Scordi said the space will be designed as much for a customer planning a major purchase as for those buying a piece on impulse.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
“There will be newness and surprise…we’re not stiff at Browns….but there will be intimate corners where customers can spend an hour or two falling in love with [the pieces], ” said Scordi, who added that the area’s decor would contrast dark woods and rich gold walls with clean glass and metal finishes. The store also plans to create jewelry ranges specifically for the area, with designers that it carries in the store. “Design is crossing boundaries as the market is changing,” she said.
As much as the store wants the area to appeal to its existing loyal customer base, Tessier said she was looking to capture the imagination of jewelry connoisseurs, too.
“There are people who don’t necessarily spend on clothes but are passionate about jewelry,” said Tessier, who noted that a customer had recently spent 15,000 pounds, or $30,000, on 10 pieces. “That’s why we’ll have something other people won’t.”