Monica Rich Kosann, the fine jewelry collection known for its storytelling lockets and charms, isn’t about to change its brand DNA or philosophy — it’s all about creating jewelry that feels personal, empowering and inspiring.
But a comprehensive, creative rebranding effort is in the works and among the components are refreshed packaging, a redesigned website and brand expression on all touch points, social media, updated displays, a modernized color palette, and refined typography, led by a new Art Deco-inspired logo/monogram “at the forefront of the rebrand.”
“We are in our 21st year in business, but when we got to the 20-year mark, we felt it was really time to sit back and think about how we are going to move this brand forward,” said Monica Rich Kosann, designer and co-owner. “We really took another look at how we started, as a brand, with me first being a photographer and wanting to create jewelry to help a woman tell her stories and celebrate them.”
Rich Kosann partnered with the London-based agency Here Design to reimagine the brand’s core values of meaning, personalization and storytelling, and is rolling out elements of the program in phases through spring 2026 and beyond.
“This is the first rebranding done outside of our own creative team,” said Rod Kosann, co-owner of the company, and Monica’s husband. “We decided that after 20 years in the jewelry business, we knew who we were, that the brand is in a great place for consumers, and that we felt it was time to go outside and talk with world-class agencies, to really start to articulate the brand identity for the next decade.”
“The objective was to reveal the story of Monica Rich Kosann and bring the brand’s unique mark and perspective outward,” Kate Marlow, creative partner at Here Design, said in a statement provided to WWD when asked about the firm’s work with MRK. “We wanted to express Monica’s origins as a portrait photographer and her belief that jewelry is an act of self-expression, something deeply personal, layered, and alive with meaning. The rebrand set out to translate that storytelling spirit into a modern, cohesive identity that feels both timeless and intimate, giving shape to the idea of curating your ever-evolving personal portrait.
“The challenge was finding the balance between creating a unified brand and one that remains truly personalisable, without losing its identity in the process,” said Marlow. “In that tension, we found an opportunity to design a system that feels deeply individual yet stands confidently within the luxury space. Every element, from the monogram to the packaging, was crafted to communicate that balance of storytelling, craft, and individuality.”
Here Design also worked with MRK on a logo system. “Designing a mark that could adapt to every client while remaining unmistakably MRK demanded both creative and technical precision,” Marlow said. “It was a true test of collaboration and craft, and ultimately became the most distinctive expression of the brand’s purpose.”
A few weeks ago that mark — a “most defining element” of MRK’s rebranding and personalization efforts, as Rod Kosann sees it — appeared.
“Our monogram at the bottom of your home page becomes your monogram,” explained Kosann. “When you are logged into the site, your initials, or your name, is framed within that same Art Deco-inspired, octagonal-shaped monogram. The MRK monogram, adapted with your initials or your name, can be downloaded to be used on stationery, on art, or could be embroidered on fashion accessories such as tote bags, caps, or small leather goods. There have also been requests from customers to apply the personalized monogram onto jewelry pieces. We’ve already had orders from clients. It’s been available on request and will be more formally available in 2026,” said Kosann.
He said the monogram is a first-of-its-kind digital tool embodying the MRK brand ethos. “The whole storytelling nature of what we do distills down to this one idea. It’s your story, rather than the brand’s. The traditional luxury idea and formula revolves around customers wanting to live the life of luxury. But we see ourselves as being a unique vehicle for customers to tell their own story in a luxurious way.”
Style from the Monica Rich Kosann high jewelry collection.
“The basic premise of what we stand for is exactly the same,” said Kosann. “We believe we are the first in fine jewelry to be in the business of personal storytelling. Everything we create means something and is meant to empower and inspire the woman. The brand identity is still rock solid. If anything, it’s evolved and is clearer.”
The new packaging design to be introduced in the second quarter of 2026.
The MRK website has been redesigned. “The site experiences have been updated to incorporate more visual elements, and we continue to elevate the styling and design across all of our photo shoots to align with the new brand imagery” said Kosann. The site is also easier and faster to navigate, he said.
The revamped packaging is meant to convey “the most precious jewel box” experience, Kosann said, noting the new branding leans more heavily into the signature marigold color always associated with the brand, along with a new eggplant coloring and other accents.
Asked if the brand would be utilizing different channels for marketing or would be beefing up its social media presence, Kosann replied, “We actually for this fall relaunched some new campaigns in streaming, and the new branding is featured in those campaigns, the monogram being the star of the show.”
In terms of the advertising spend, Kosann said the budget has been pretty steady, though “in the streaming space we are doing some strategic testing in the fourth quarter, to assess whether streaming can be more of a year-round part of our marketing menu.”
Asked if there changes in the product offering, he said, “We’ve added a lot of collections in the last two, three years,” including the Points North, Infinite & Boundless, and Fearless Shield collections. “We are continuing to deepen existing collections. They come from deep places of meaning so customers really respond to them.”
The company continues to sell licensed tennis bracelet collections with Chris Evert and a Peanuts x MRK collection, including a sterling silver and 18-karat gold Snoopy locket. Peanuts is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
On the retail front, MRK operates three shops in Manhattan, in the Shops at Columbus Circle, in Hudson Yards, and on the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman. A fourth shop is located in the Somerset Collection in Troy, Mich.
On the wholesale front, MRK is sold in over 130 specialty doors, and not long ago it began working with Starboard, the cruise ship operator, where the jewelry is sold on certain ships and developing the Caribbean market with retail partners like John Bull in the Bahamas.
MRK also recently launched with Nordstrom online.
Rich Kosann equates her jewelry to a woman’s “armor and inspiration” empowering her through each day. “I don’t think many jewelry brands are doing something so personal,” she said. “We should wear our stories everyday. Our life changes constantly. Time moves so fast. I want people to step back and be in the moment.”
The rebranding initiative, she said, “is a way to just reinforce to our customers that we are here for you to tell your story.”
