NEW YORK — After debuting Mellerio Stateside this year, Bergdorf Goodman is diving deeper, choosing the French independent jewelry brand — the world’s oldest family-owned jeweler, dating to 1613 — to take residency in the retailer’s pop-up space, showcasing a wider breadth of the house along with a rare glimpse of a heritage piece crafted for Marie Antoinette.
“While we’ve seen a great response to the brand, we’re looking forward to presenting an expansive collection of all classifications including earrings, rings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets,” said Andrew Mandell, vice president, divisional merchandise manager of decorative home and jewelry at Bergdorf’s. “We could not be more thrilled to be their exclusive partner in the U.S.”
The exclusive residency marks a significant next chapter for the brand after three years of repositioning that included the launch of watches and a perfume. Now Stateside, Mellerio continues to expand its footprint outside of France, bringing to the U.S. a cameo bracelet crafted by the brand for Queen Marie Antoinette.
According to brand lore, around 1780 a 15-year-old Jean-Baptiste Mellerio stood in front of the Versailles Palace with his jewelry presentation chest, known as a “marmotte.” One fateful day, the queen’s carriage halted before him, leading to the purchase of a one-of-a-kind cameo bracelet adorned with rubies, gold flowers and leaves by one of her ladies-in-waiting. For today’s discerning clients in an increasingly crowded jewelry market, this rare achieve piece helps set Mellerio apart with its four century history — it also counts both Empress Eugénie Bonaparte and Marie de Medici as clients.
Mandell said the reaction to the brand since Bergdorf Goodman brought it into the store has been “exceptional.” The brand’s “storied and distinct aesthetic really resonates with the discerning Bergdorf Goodman clientele,” he said, adding that there’s “great excitement” around heritage brands from customers and “Mellerio perfectly fits into that category.”
“The majority of our clients travel around the globe frequently, so many of them know of the brand and have been to their beautiful store in Paris,” he said, adding that in speaking to several customers, he’s found that there’s “a level of awareness and interest, as well as an excitement to have exposure and access to Mellerio here in New York City.”
The residency tells a deeper brand story, bringing a taste of their Parisian boutique at 9 Rue de la Paix to New York with historical jewelry plasters, archival drawings, as well as wallpaper designed by Laure-Isabelle Mellerio, president and artistic director of the brand. The technique used in the Queen of France’s bracelet is still used today, “which involves hand-carving on shells,” she explained.
Mellerio’s residency at Bergdorf Goodman.
Matt Harrington/Courtesy Mellerio
New collections on display will include Pierreries, originally created between 1820 and 1830, its collection of unique pieces that combine historical heritage and contemporary design; Talismans Jumbos, oversize charm-like pieces designed to be worn on long chains with hand-chiseled rectangular links, and Maglia, Mellerio’s bestselling collection using the theme of fishing nets, with exclusive yellow gold versions for the residency.
Now a few months into the relationship with the retailer, the brand’s managing director Christophe Mélard said their first impression of American customers is of “their enthusiasm for discovering something new and exciting, especially when the design appeals to them and the brand has a unique history like Mellerio.”
He continued, “This direct and quick approach to the act of buying is found among our American customers, who buy both at BG and in the Paris flagship. The other significant point is that the customer is also ready to make a decision to buy jewelry on a higher budget much more often than a European or Japanese customer.”
Outside of Paris, the brand has maintains branches in Japan, Europe and the Middle East and Mélard sees “immense potential” in the U.S. market. “It is important to approach it with an awareness of its size, its diversity in terms of purchasing behavior and the different profiles of customers from one region to another,” he said.
And the residency at Bergdorf’s sets the stage for Mellerio’s larger goal Stateside. Mélard said “the ambition we have for Mellerio is that within five years the U.S. market will represent Mellerio’s main market, including American customers who come to discover the historic world of the house and buy there in Paris.”
The pop-up residency runs through Oct. 27, with a private cocktail celebration planned for Sept. 10 during New York Fashion Week.
