The Jade Trau pop-up boutique inside Harrods’ department store in London is both a homecoming for the designer and a way to introduce her international customers to several new pieces, including her latest collection.
Trau’s father was English, and coming to London to set up the Harrods pop-up was bittersweet after his recent passing. But the designer is excited to see her work—with the brand’s new branding and color story—on display. “I know if he saw this, he would be beyond proud,” she says.
Trau says the shade of green used in the Jade Trau boutique on Harrods’ luxury jewelry floor is sophisticated and provides an ideal accompaniment to the gold in the jewelry as well as a minimalist backdrop for the diamonds she loves to showcase.
“I always want to keep it simple and stay neutral, but I love how green and gold look together,” Trau says. “Finding the right color has been a painstaking selection process. We’ve had hours of office conversation about color theory, pulling out old textbooks and studying Pantone colors.”
Having this larger space within Harrods also has been exciting to merchandise, Trau says.
Previously, Jade Trau was limited to a two-foot pad at Harrods. With the pop-up boutique, she is able to showcase more of her collections, including favorites such as Poppy and Scarlett, and new pieces like the Alchemy Heart pendant.
The Harrods location is part of Jade Trau’s international growth plan. The brand is looking to move into key markets such as France, Germany, the Middle East, and China, and has hired a wholesale director and a global business development and communications director to assist in this expansion.
Trau says pop-up experiences are important for sharing new products with shoppers. At Harrods, she is offering the Plié collection of hoops and bangles made with her signature gold-and-diamonds combination but with a more malleable design, so the bangles can bend and shape around the wrist.
She also has incorporated white gold in the Harrods line, bringing a different look—dressier and more dramatic, Trau says—to the brand’s offerings in the United Kingdom.
Jade Trau’s Harrods boutique opened Aug. 27 and will continue until the end of September. From London, the pop-up experience will move to New York at Bergdorf Goodman, from Oct. 29 through the end of November—just in time for the holiday season, Trau says. Her summertime pop-up in the Hamptons featured new engagement ring styles and other bridal selections.
“Every detail matters,” Trau says of her brand, her Manhattan flagship, and her pop-up shops. “All of it is intentional and deliberate.”
Top: Jade Trau has a boutique inside London’s Harrods department store until the end of this month. (Photos courtesy of Jade Trau)
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