Uncommon Matters X H&M
Adorn My Home
Accessories are an essential category for the majority of successful luxury brands. From iPod cases and handbags to key rings and purses, these items facilitate consumer buy-in at entry-level price points. But the benefits don’t end there. Accessories also support the booming self-purchase trend, boost brand identity, complement clothing, all whilst being simultaneously functional and fun.
One need only consider the likes of Valentino and Jacquemus to realise that accessories can play an integral role in a brand’s overall proposition, as well as becoming tangible assets within a suite of brand icons.
The accessories category is adaptable and lends itself to new opportunities in line with evolving consumer expectations around taste and style. Coach and Bottega Veneta, whilst known as accessories brands, have both made a fundamental shift towards re-imagining new contexts and codes for their respective brands. Bottega, under the creative direction of Daniel Lee, saw a significant proportion of its product in Bottega green and subsequent roll-out of brand campaigns which included immersive experiences and landmark takeovers to further intensify the statement.
Mocium
But what does this expansion into accessories look like for jewellery - a category already defined as accessories?
In tough trading environments brands look to creating alternative revenue streams to strengthen their overall proposition. Watches have long been a natural product extension for jewellery brands. And now, increasingly, we are seeing cool, independent designer jewellery brands launch homeware lines, capitalising on their established house codes and recognisable brand aesthetic to create beautiful objects for the home. Homeware, like jewellery, is collectible.
Much as the purpose of jewellery is to complement the outfits we wear or to express personal style, homeware can add a visually appealing silhouette, volume and form to a space or focal point. It draws together a colour palette, creates interest through texture, and generates intrigue through shape and interaction within the environment in which it sits.
Completed Works; Completed Works x Ekaterina Bazhenova Yamasaki
This cross-sector opportunity is a natural evolution, allowing jewellery designers to play with scale and proportion whilst experimenting with new materials and creating fresh contexts for their designs. The shift that has allowed brands to expand their signature aesthetic from fashion styling into lifestyle has also enabled taste-making jewellers to position themselves as curators.
Uncommon Matters X H&M
Berlin-based jewellery brand Uncommon Matters’ new limited edition homeware collaboration with H&M Home is the perfect case in point. Comprising jewellery boxes, vases, trays, candles, and candle holders whose voluminous forms and graphic stylings echo UM’s instantly recognisable jewellery, the collection is sure to have wide appeal, not least to consumers who already regard jewellery as sculpture, or who are drawn to the brand’s unique aesthetic.
For jewellers seeking to emulate this approach, success depends on the brands ability to diversify its portfolio in a way that adds value and drives brand recognition and sales. Any exploration into other categories needs to be authentic. If these touchpoints are all in place, there is no reason why jewellery brands should stop at homeware.
Foundrae
Cool Jewellery X Homeware brands on our radar: