The report shows that couples are searching for vintage and antique rings, gold jewelry, pearls, and colorful pieces.
One to Watch: Aimée.Aimer
This month’s jewelry designer to watch is a Parisian brand with a global inspiration.
Paris--When Carine Larretgère set out to create a fine jewelry brand in 2012, she decided to name it for love.
Aimée.Aimer translates to “to love (Aimer) and be loved (être Aimé), the essential engines of life for me,” said Larretgère.
The Parisian designer fuses her European culture with South American themes, inspired by her time living on the continent.
Landmarks like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the immense Iguazu Falls on the Brazil-Argentina border serve as inspirational starting points, which Larretgère abstracts into wearable designs, notable for their use of vivid gemstones.
National Jeweler chatted with the Paris-based designer about her cultural approach to design and her hopes for North American expansion.
National Jeweler: Tell me about your professional background. What brought you to jewelry design?
Carine Larretgère: Before creating Aimée.Aimer I worked for 10 years at LVMH, for Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs. After this career in luxury and having worked alongside such great designers I decided to unleash my personal creativity and set up Aimée.Aimer, where I can give way to my passion for stones and jewels.
I have always been thrilled by stones and jewels; my grandmother had very beautiful gems, some of which were family heirlooms. Sometimes I would ask her to display them and even as a kid, I was allowed to touch them and to wear them, which I loved.
I loved also that she told me the story behind each piece; it was like travel for me. At that time my mother was fond of custom jewelry. Her vanity was crowded with colored necklaces, huge bracelets and statement earrings, which I would stack and mix to match my outfits. I loved it, but it somehow lacked the glamour of real stones and gold. Finally I created fashion fine jewelry, where these two worlds meet.
NJ: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
CL: My motto when I design each piece of my collection is: “a joyful luxury to wear every day.”
I'm very much inspired by nature, its strength, its colors and movements and its organic shapes. I reinterpret these strong, exotic inspirations in a singular Parisian way. I like to look for other wonderful cultures to enrich my Parisian spirit. Inspirations meet and mix: a refined line, a certain simplicity, a Parisian stylishness with the beauty of nature, its forms and its colors, the
NJ: Where is your jewelry made?
CL: It’s designed in Paris and made in France and Europe. The story of Aimée.Aimer is also about working with workshops that have a perfect knowledge; the relationship with the people who give life to jewels is essential.
NJ: What should retailers focus on, or what story should they tell, when showing your line to customers?
CL: That we are a French fine jewelry brand, with exotic, ethnic inspirations reinterpreted with a Parisian spirit, which allows each of our pieces to be a joyful luxury to wear every day, and that we pay special attention to the quality of our stones and craftsmanship as we work with craftspeople who also work for the well-known Place Vendôme maisons.
Then, according to the piece the customer likes, I think it’s great if the story behind it can be told and if the design and craftsmanship details can be shown, as I pay much attention to this.
NJ: How much inventory must a retailer invest in to carry your brand?
CL: I don’t think it’s a question of number of pieces, but a question of establishing a partnership that will last over time.
NJ: What retailers are currently carrying your line?
CL: In North America, not so many retailers, but very good ones: Just One Eye and Stone & Strand in the U.S. and Archives in Canada. Our objective is to develop (our accounts).
NJ: What is the price range of your pieces?
CL: We have pieces starting at $595 and going up to $19,000, but most of our pieces are in the sweet spot of $1,000 to $3,500.
NJ: At which trade shows do you exhibit or are you planning to exhibit?
CL: During Paris Fashion week, we have our own showroom in Paris to present our collections. I’m also thinking about exhibiting at Couture next year.
NJ: What are your plans for upcoming collections?
CL: I’ve just launched a striking new earring, the Liane earring, which is all about attitude. I like to focus on just one strong piece, so I’m planning to develop new versions of this statement earring.
NJ: Complete this sentence: “People would be surprised to learn that I …”
CL: That I’m a Parisian girl who lived in South America after my studies and my life there still inspires my creations and my work.
For more information, visit Aimée-Aimer.com.
The Latest
He’s remembered as a “font of passion,” leaving behind a legacy of dedication to his craft and community.
The first one will take place next month during the Jewelers of Louisiana’s and Mississippi Jewelers Association’s conventions.
For over 30 years, JA has advocated for the industry, fought against harmful legislation and backed measures that help jewelry businesses.
The redesigned boutique features interactive displays and a workshop space for hands-on learning about watchmaking.
There is a willingness to comply with new government-mandated regulations, with an insistence that they should be practical and realistic.
A combination of factors is driving growth in the industry despite the precipitous drop in prices across the board.
Ho Brothers offers scalable solutions for the future of custom jewelry.
The zone’s modernization will enhance and increase India’s jewelry manufacturing capabilities while aiding small and mid-sized businesses.
By the end of this year, SRK’s diamond manufacturing complexes will achieve net zero emissions, one of an impressive array of achievements.
The company plans to invest $25 million in marketing initiatives to boost awareness around its namesake and licensed brands.
Optimism about the current state of the economy was offset by anxiety around inflation and the political environment.
The former WJA executive director is MFM’s new managing director.
DDG encourages retailers to educate customers on the positive impact of purchasing natural diamonds.
Highlighting the most iconic Tiffany collections, it’s inspired by the company’s late window designer, Gene Moore.
Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen explore how jewelers can save time and money by using AI to analyze engagement and create content.
The retailer previously turned down an $8.4 billion offer in 2018.
The Florida store’s owner Miguel Gonzalez is retiring.
The lab stresses the importance of accurate identification, as the difference in price is “substantial.”
The brand also plans to expand its retail footprint from 138 to 200 stores over the next three years.
One is reserved for a NAJA member, the other for a non-member.
Longtime employees Carie Lehrke and Megan Mattice have received promotions.
Three guests joined National Jeweler and Jewelers of America to discuss trending time periods, spotting reproductions, and more.
Chris Clipper and Robert Lepere join the company with 50 years of combined experience.
The trendy, metallic earrings wink at classic spring colors.
JSA said a man and woman pulled the safe out of an Oakland jewelry store but couldn’t quite get it into their van.
The miner’s March auction generated $19 million.