Marla Aaron Partners With Bergdorf Goodman For Interactive Pop-up Shop
Luxferity, 01.02.2022
Innovative designer Marla Aaron announced a pop-up shop at one of the world’s most iconic retailers, Bergdorf Goodman. The interactive installation, which marks the brand’s debut partnership with an American department store, launches January 25th, a fitting kick-off for the year that marks the tenth anniversary of the Marla Aaron company.
Aaron, who has defined industrial jewelry functionality with a maximalist wink and flourish, collaborated with the renowned Fifth Avenue department store to create a customized space that reflects the unique character of her designs. Housed within Bergdorf Goodman’s Jewelry Room, the Marla Aaron Shop will showcase Aaron’s signature multifunctional jewelry—locks, chains, rings, bracelets, and charms—all of which work together in countless configurations, creating one-of-a-kind and deeply personal looks. The pop-up shop will also offer a selection of new designs, as well as a show-stopping jewelry-dispensing gumball machine.
Over the coming months, the pop-up will host a variety of special events for Bergdorf Goodman’s customers, including several personal appearances by Marla. The space will be managed by a key member of the Marla Aaron team, who will be on-site to demonstrate the functional and interchangeable nature of the collection and help shoppers create their own combinations. While this installation introduces Marla Aaron to Bergdorf Goodman, the department store will continue to offer the brand in other formats in the future—all of which will always surprise customers, delight fans, and challenge everyone’s perception of how jewelry should be presented, bought, and worn.
Having launched Marla Aaron Jewelry a decade ago from her kitchen table in Manhattan, Aaron instinctively knew that Bergdorf Goodman would be the ideal partner for her brand’s American department store debut. For more than 120 years, the New York City landmark has not only been home to the world’s most cutting-edge fashion designs, but it has also championed the industry’s rising stars. Having purposefully waited years for the right partnership opportunity, Aaron recognized that the team at Bergdorf Goodman understood her vision and is committed to telling her unique story the right way.
“We have managed to build a beautiful business with a cult following across a wide swath of customers from literally every walk of life, in every country in the world,” says Aaron. “To have the opportunity to spread our wings within the iconic walls of Bergdorf’s—and bring our deeply personal and egalitarian, but luxurious, take on jewelry—is a dream.”
The Marla Aaron launch at Bergdorf Goodman arrives on the heels of a highly successful year for the company. Unlike other jewelry brands in the category, Marla had an unorthodox approach to developing strong relationships with select independent stores across the country, eschewing large and more recognized retail outlets, with the understanding that these specialty stores have a deeper, more personalized approach to selling, which was what the component-based Marla Aaron brand needed to convey. The strategy has paid off year after year, even in 2020-2021—one of the most complicated periods for retail—with the company experiencing yet again more than 40 percent revenue growth YOY as the books closed in 2021.
Earlier in 2021, Marla Aaron Jewelry partnered with Brooklyn-based creative agency Something Different for the brand’s debut ad campaign. Launching with a thrilling treasure hunt during New York Fashion Week, the imaginative “Jewelry at Work” campaign centered around a series of striking visuals, placing Aaron’s pieces in “the wild,” literally being put to work—replacing the netting of a basketball hoop, securing a chain-link fence, and holding up a park swing—a tongue-in-cheek way of highlighting the functional and interchangeable nature of Aaron’s work.
ABOUT THE MARLA AARON COMPANY:
In 2012, advertising executive-turned jeweler Marla Aaron transformed her passion into a new career with the launch of her groundbreaking first collection. Since then, she has continued to turn heads with her utterly unique, clever designs, whip-smart marketing initiatives (such as a jewelry vending machine), and an authentic brand voice that is rich with self-deprecating humor, social activism, and just about everything every expert has ever told Marla not to do. Combining her obsessions with bridges, hardware, and jewelry, Aaron creates stunning interchangeable pieces, allowing her devotees to build one-of-a-kind works of art that can be worn in infinite ways. Aaron’s work has been featured in Vogue, Wall Street Journal, Elle, The New York Times, among many other outlets and seen on multiple celebrities, all of whom are real clients and fans.
ABOUT BERGDORF GOODMAN:
A New York landmark since 1901, Bergdorf Goodman represents the global pinnacle of style, service and modern luxury. With its rich history of showcasing leading and emerging designers, the iconic store at 5th Avenue and 58th Street—the crossroads of fashion—is a singular destination for discerning customers around the world. BG.com expands on Bergdorf Goodman’s heritage, showcasing coveted collections for men and women in an unparalleled online shopping experience. Bergdorf Goodman is part of Neiman Marcus Group.
