Now in its fifth edition, international jewelry event NouvelleBox says its new venue and format will give the industry a smart mix of emerging and established fine jewelry brands to shop and a look at the trends that will influence the upcoming holiday sales season.
NouvelleBox founder Darren Hildrow says the longtime goal of the event—set for Sept. 26–30, coinciding with Paris Fashion Week—has been to expand its offerings not through adding or mixing up brands but through NouvelleBox’s fresh array of styles, craftsmanship, and creativity.
“We aim to have something exciting for every store and buyer that walks into the showroom. I believe that this year more than ever we have achieved that,” Hildrow says. “We have modern, fun, clean, and contemporary brands sitting alongside artisan and bench jewelers. It really is a wonderful mix.”
The new location—40 Rue de Richelieu, near the Tuileries Gardens and the Place Vendôme—comes in part because fashion designer Stella McCartney, who shared a floor with NouvelleBox at its previous location, decided to expand, leaving the event no choice but to jump ship, Hildrow says.
“However, that has been a blessing in disguise,” Hildrow says. “Our new location is much more central, making it easier for the buyers to make the journey to the show and allowing them to spend more time discovering brands.”
NouvelleBox brands featured in its 2024 iteration include Moritz Glik, Hargreaves Stockholm, Le Sibille, Roxanne First, Lene Vibe, Sia Taylor, and Sybarite. In total, more than 29 international jewelry companies will participate from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, France, and the UAE.
This diversity of fine jewelry is why NouvelleBox is a must-attend show, Hildrow says. Beloved brands such as Lizzie Mandler, Bea Bongiascia, Joanna Dahdah, Gabriella Artigas, and 886 by The Royal Mint also will be at this 2024 show.
“It is important to understand the diversity of the end consumer—no two buyers are looking for exactly the same thing,” Hildrow says. “When selecting the brands, it is important to switch off my own ideas of what I like or what I would perceive as the perfect design and instead think from the perspective of the stores that are coming into the showroom. If one is able to do that, then connecting to the stores and buyers is possible.”
The event also has a new layout, something Hildrow says will benefit buyers and the brands equally.
“We always wanted a space with more rooms over a larger area in order to give brands and buyers more privacy in their appointments. The location also enables us to give like-minded designers their own rooms,” Hildrow says. “Being in a single space for five days, it is essential to create a good atmosphere.”
But the space is about selling, not about showing off, he adds.
“Apart from the design aspect, one reason that we work with these designers is that they are all good people,” Hildrow says. “I have been in the jewelry space for 25 years, and I am getting a bit long in the tooth when it comes to big, demanding egos. One thing that we have always managed to do well—which is not easy—is to create community. I am sure that at the end of the show there will be many new, valuable relationships made.”
NouvelleBox will return to New York in February 2025, meeting with U.S. buyers and press in a new Chelsea location.
Top: NouvelleBox is moving for its fifth show to a larger space across two floors in a well-located Paris neighborhood between the Tuileries and Le Marais, organizers say (photos courtesy of NouvelleBox).
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