When Nambé CEO Bill Robedee speaks about the gift and tableware brand’s new jewelry line, he doesn’t really dwell on price points or marketing. He repeatedly comes back to its aesthetic.
“Nambé has always been on the cutting edge of design,” he says. “Our look is very clean, very sculptural. The design language that we speak is this midcentury modern, clean surface, almost Scandinavian look.”
This is not the first time the Santa Fe, N.M.–based company has tried to enter jewelry; it produced a line in the ’90s. This time it’s targeting the entry-level, self-purchase market with a line made of rhodium-plated sterling silver, which has a look that reflects the brand.
“We tried to bring the Nambé signature look into the collection, so people that know the brand will be able to spot it in the case,” Robedee says.
The jewelry collection includes earring and rings and has a $95 to $550 price point.
“It’s priced to be an impulse purchase, but also giftable,” says Robadee.
The line is currently being carried at Macy’s, a major customer of Nambé’s other products, as well as Nambé’s seven owned-and-operated stores. But the brand is also targeting independent jewelry stores with differentiated product, which it plans to debut at this year’s JCK Las Vegas.
While independents have traditionally had a love-hate relationship with brands, Robedee hopes the fact that Nambé already has a following—particularly in the Southwest—will bring new customers to jewelry counters and the company.
“A lot of folks already know who we are,” Robedee says. “Our core fans have already embraced the collection.”
(Images courtesy of Nambé)
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