Leading jewellery showroom Nouvelle Box is heading back to Paris with a cohort of established and up-and-coming designers. Infinitely wearable pieces in gold set with diamonds and gemstones by designers who are bringing a luxurious edge to their craft will be the mainstay of the pop-up. Although the Paris show follows the same theme as the recently held event in the Hotel Chelsea, New York – where 13 designers participated – what differentiates this season’s show from last is the brands.
At the March rollout, founder-director Darren Hildrow aims to showcase both established and up-and-coming designers, “giving buyers the opportunity to meet with their current brands, while also discovering something new and exciting.”
Established brands such as Nada Ghazal, Aurelie Bidermann, Kismet by Milka and Yannis Sergakis will be sharing the floor with compelling new ones such as Tabayer, Joule Project and Ouie.
“We are also welcoming brands from the US, Rachel Quinn and Gabriela Artigas, who are established in their home country, but are looking to break into the international market,” he adds.
The New York pop-up was a great success and featured brands such as Nak Armstrong, Ashley Zhang, Hargreaves Stockholm, Statement and Ouie. “The ethos of Nouvelle Box is always to bring together a mix of brands that complement one another yet, at the same time, do not compete in style.”
Designer Louie Creswell launched Ouie less than two years ago and, with Darren leading the way, it has successfully found a home at Dover Street Market, Mr Porter and Tomorrow Land in Japan. “The brand has celebrities such as Usher, Wesley Joseph and Jorja Smith wearing the jewellery. They have quickly built a very solid foundation. What has impressed me about Louie is that he is prepared to do the hard graft,” points out Darren.
His vision for Novelle Box has always been quite simple: help brands connect to stores and enable stores to discover new brands that will excite and grow their end-consumer. “Nouvelle Box is never about Nouvelle Box, it is about the brands it hosts and the stores it serves, without them it’s just ‘EmptyBox.’ Our plan over the next few years is to continue to elevate and simplify the experience for everyone involved,” he shares.
Darren always looks for high levels of craft, design, and strong design integrity from each of the brands he brings into the showroom. “Interestingly, we have also found that individual personalities are very important. With 20 brands in the same space for six days, the combination of characters is vital for a good atmosphere,” he observes.
Brands slated for the Paris pop-up are – Akillis, Aurelie Bidermann, Eden Presley, Gabriela Artigas, Joule Project, Kismet by Milka, Leslie Paige, Loquet, Maya Gems, Nada Ghazal, Nava Joulier, Nomis, Rachel Quinn, Tabayer, Turquoise Mountain and Yannis Sergakis.
Designers do not need to be on the showroom’s digital platform, but it helps brand awareness and buyer outreach. “As we get closer to the show the stores begin to log into the platform to download line-sheets and to check out the brands. The more exposure a brand gets before the show the better.”
Greek designer Yannis Sergakis, who hails from of a family of well-established diamond traders, is noted for his approach to minimalist gold jewellery set with diamonds. “The jewellery is handmade in the heart of Athens by loyal craftspeople who live and breathe the trade. The jewellery had a delicacy and finesse.” Tabayer, with an “incredible design aesthetic,” is a responsible brand that uses only Fairmined gold in the creation of the collection. “The brand is rooted in the principle of protection drawing from the ancient symbology of protective objects. Consequently, the Tabayer ethos also centres around protecting the Earth and its communities against the corrosive influence of environmental exploitation,” explains Darren.
Founded by London-based designer Olga Pekarevskaia, each collection from Maya Gemstones is “inspired by the past but is created for the present day and designed to be passed down to future generations.”
Olga took the brave and interesting step of patenting her own diamond cut the ‘Maya cut,’ which was created to rival the Trillion cut in terms of depth and brilliance, but with less loss of raw material, informs Darren.
“Crafted with love in Istanbul since 2009, Kismet by Milka is a fine jewellery brand by Milka Karaagaçli Ince. Each piece is designed to be more than just jewellery; it carries a deep meaning, aimed at empowering the person wearing it. Kismet by Milka is for people who love to express their personality. It is for those who are not afraid to take risks, or to think outside of the box.”
Turquoise Mountain was founded in 2006 by His Majesty King Charles and works in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and the Middle East, combining crafts practice, training, and heritage restoration to create sustainable income opportunities for artisans. “In Myanmar, Turquoise Mountain goldsmiths use traditional techniques to create fine gold jewellery celebrating the country’s rich cultural heritage,” Darren adds.
The Nouvelle Box show runs from 29th February to 5th March at Salons Hoche 9 Av.Hoche, Flat B, 1st Floor, 75008 Paris.