You heard it from JCK’s editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky first: innovating on the traditional retail model is the way to go in 2018.
It seems that the NYC-based jewelry designer Vanessa Perel-Panar of Vanessa Lianne is in full agreement, thanks to the success of a workshop series she launched last year in collaboration with well-known life coach Shirin Eskandani.
Called “Wear Your Mantra,” the workshop was originally created around Perel-Panar’s best-selling, cool-girl signet rings and pendants engraved with abbreviated personal mantras.
A Vanessa Lianne display table invites “Wear Your Mantra” event attendees to interact with her jewelry.
“I had a lot of customers who wanted to wear their mantras in the form of jewelry but didn’t know how to create a personal mantra or didn’t really know what a mantra was,” she says.
And while the designer has been featured in Vogue and recently received a shout-out via Lena Dunham’s Instagram, Perel-Panar saw the value in partnering with Eskandani as a way to offer clients not just a shopping opportunity, but a venue for “tapping into your deeper self and the power of jewelry when it’s infused with intention,” she says.
It’s a concept that aligns perfectly with the thrust of the Vanessa Lianne collection—that the pieces are “Everyday Delicate Armor” meant to empower the women who wear it.
Perel-Panar (left) and Eskandani talk female empowerment at a “Wear Your Mantra” event at an NYC shoe boutique.
Eskandani and Perel-Panar lead the workshops in tandem. “The idea is that you hold the power over how you think and the choices you make,” says the designer. After the talk, attendees have the chance to work one-on-one with Perel-Panar to convert their personal mantra into a piece of jewelry. Or go with one of the ready-made styles (e.g., DGAF, DTF, and now a complete Zodiac-themed collection).
Vanessa Lianne zodiac signet rings, from $425 each
The event hosts frequently invite other like-minded small brands that offer yoga, astrology, healthy foods, and wellness products, to participate in the workshops for a completely immersive retail experience, one that feels authentic and curated, not at all commercial or canned.
Vanessa Lianne jewelry aligns perfectly with the mindsets of those who practice yoga and meditation.
“These are truly magical evenings of women coming together, sharing and empowering one another,” says Perel-Panar. “Especially right now, with everything going on in the world, these workshops have been a such a fulfilling part of my business and a way to give back to an amazing community.”
To keep up to date with the “Wear Your Mantra” 2018 event schedule, you can follow @vanessaliannejewelry or @wear_your_mantra on Instagram.
(Top: Pavé Diamond Signet Ring in 14k yellow gold, $1,495; Vanessa Lianne)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
