Design of the Times: Judith Leiber
American luxury brand Judith Leiber was established in 1963 and has become synonymous with elegance, style and sophistication. Each product is created with impressive attention to detail. Some of the brand’s pieces are part of the permanent design collections at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Smithsonian Institute in Washington and the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
The brand has excitingly announced the launch of a new jewelry collection, Judith Leiber Jewelry, which will make its JCK Las Vegas 2019 debut.
We caught up with the Judith Leiber team to learn more about the initial inspiration for the brand, what sets it apart from other companies, what we can expect to see at JCK Las Vegas 2019 and more.
What was the initial inspiration for your brand?
The Judith Leiber brand has created an incredible legacy of luxurious, whimsical handbags over the last fifty-six years. The bag collection uses jewelry elements and production techniques, so creating a proper jewelry collection felt like a natural extension for us. All of the novelty motifs, such as cupcakes and mix tapes, correlate directly back to minaudiere handbags in our archive. Other pieces, such as cabochon rings and pendants, are reminiscent of hardware from the bags.
How long does it typically take to create a piece of jewelry?
We are able to bring a piece of jewelry from design concept to sample in about six weeks.
How would you describe your brand using only three words.
Bold, colorful, personal.
Are you partial to any particular stones or hues?
We stand out for the overall use of color. Currently, we are working with custom cut Cubic Zirconias to achieve a specific weight and depth of color in the jewelry.
What do you think sets your company apart from other companies?
Our goal is to offer affordable luxury jewelry for everyday life.
Like the handbag collection, our jewelry enables our customers to express their whimsical, playful side, but at a much wider price range. Whether it is a small boombox enamel stud or an oversized rainbow curb link bracelet, each piece exudes personality. In addition, we have an extensive offering of novelty charms, initials and base pieces to be mixed and matched that allow the customers to create their perfect pieces.
How do you describe your target audience?
Our customers have a strong eye for detail and a witty sense of humor despite their age of lifestyle. They enjoy wearing statement pieces, that are fun, yet chic. We know that our handbag collectors will appreciate the brand, and we look forward to welcoming a wider audience into the world of Judith Leiber with the jewelry.
What types of pieces and collections can we expect to see from you at JCK?
We are launching with over five hundred pieces of 14K gold plated sterling silver and brass. A large part of the line is focused on novelty charms that can be worn on our offering of hoops, chains, rings, bangles, and link bracelets. Other stories include over the top rainbow colored CZs, initial signet rings, and exquisite pave link pieces. The quality of workmanship and sense of whimsy are the threads which tie all of the groups together.
Learn more about Judith Leiber Jewelry here.
View the full JCK Las Vegas 2019 Exhibitor List here.
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