How 16 Designers Are Driving Consumer Interest During COVID-19

New York—With non-essential businesses closed due to the global pandemic, 16 designers have banded together to show just how essential jewelry can be.

The Essential Jewelry Collective is an Instagram account dedicated to showcasing its designers’ work, encouraging consumer interest and providing a curated edit of gifting ideas.

Spearheaded by Heavenly Vices designer Samantha Jackson and author and jewelry journalist Beth Bernstein, the group says it represents a new way of shopping ushered in by COVID-19.

Bernstein explained, “The ideas sprouted from conversations about nurturing the designer end of the market while also offering consumers a respite from the concerns about the pandemic and easing their mind about the gift-giving season.”

Bernstein passed the idea along to Jackson, a friend from whom she’d purchased gifts before.

“I can have an idea or a sliver of an idea, and Samantha will take it and turn it into an entire program within the next hour,” Bernstein said.

  
 
 
 
 



 

 
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A post shared by Essential Jewelry Collective (@essentialjewelrycollective) on May 9, 2020 at 7:09pm PDT

Jackson explained: “I was a management consultant for almost 20 years, which trained me to develop creative solutions for tactical issues in service of a long-term strategic vision. That mindset continues to serve me well—once I buy into an idea, it is easy for me to formulate a plan to execute.”

Each Instagram post from Essential Jewelry Collective links to the respective designer’s account so shoppers can discover their e-commerce sites.

It takes advantage of designers’ ability to capitalize on direct online sales for in-stock merchandise as traditional retailers struggle with brick-and-mortar shutdowns.

They got 15 designers on board in addition to Heavenly Vices: Alberian & Aulde; Borgioni; Dana Bronfman; Grace Lee; Hannah Gard; Jade Trau; Karen Karch; KatKim; Linda Hoj; Michelle Fantaci; Moritz Glik; Orly Marcel; Robinson Pelham; Seal & Scribe; and Talon.

Essential Jewelry Collective launched ahead of Mother’s Day and is currently promoting gifting options for similar spring occasions, such as graduation.

“The designers who joined Essential Jewelry Collective understand that this is an important time of year for showing your loved ones how much you care—especially now when so many people can’t be with their families,” Bernstein said. 

“And we see this type of direct-to-consumer retailing as something that signals the wave of the future.”