Anna Sheffield, one of the industry’s most influential wedding jewelry designers, has debuted a sleek new store in New York City’s NoHo neighborhood.
This is a relocation for the brand. The designer has closed her longtime store on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Sheffield was unavailable for comment, but she told WWD that foot traffic wasn’t great on the Lower East Side, while her new shop (at 19 Bleecker St.) is on a bustling shopping and restaurant row.
“I always knew we’d be a destination when designing engagement rings, but as I’ve grown the brand, it became about finding a location that speaks to more than just selling ceremonial pieces,” Sheffield told WWD.
The designer, who founded costume/diffusion collection Bing Bang before launching Anna Sheffield 11 years ago, tapped architects Brittney Hart and Justin Capuco of New York City firm Husband Wife to create a bright and streamlined space in which to sell her elegant-with-an-edge namesake brand.
Sheffield is considering showcasing a selection of Bing Bang Atelier pieces at the Anna Sheffield stores in the future, according to a company representative.
Sheffield has a second store in Los Angeles and does roughly 20 percent of her business online, 10 percent via wholesale accounts, and the remaining 70 percent of sales in her two stores, according to the outlet.
A born storyteller, through both her jewelry and her knack for personal narrative, Sheffield was an early and fluid adopter of social media (she currently has over 100,000 followers on Instagram).
“I am full of anecdotes, and I love to make people laugh,” the designer told me early last year. “So, I share stories all the time, with my team and our clients, of my journey…the failures as well as the successes. There is something to be learned from every new day in this line of work!”
She told WWD that Instagram Stories and IGTV “have really been amazing ways to communicate. It has shown to be a way not only to talk about my pieces, but also to help educate the customer on things like stones, shapes, and even how to wear the pieces. Whether that converts to immediate sales is not as important to me as it is that customers now feel comfortable and are building a dialogue with the brand. Honestly, social media has been a game changer.”
Top: Jewelry designer Anna Sheffield in her new store (all images via: @annasheffield)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow me on Instagram: @emilivesilind
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
