John Hardy, the fashion jewelry brand best known for its rich Balinese heritage, is welcoming its Fall 2024 season with a focused collection that emphasizes “everyday luxury,” a variety of material offerings (mostly sterling silver, 14K gold and two-tone styles), and an extensive selection of pieces for men.
These were some of the takeaways from JCK’s conversation with John Hardy CEO Jean-Patrick Schmitz at the luxury show in Las Vegas earlier this year.
“Over the last year and a half to two years, our creative chairman, Reed Krakoff, has restructured many of our lines and structured them into a very distinct portfolio,” Schmitz told JCK.
14K gold Spearflex cuff, $7,100
“Icons come to mind – hand-woven bracelets – that’s our speciality,” he said. “The Spear, inspired by icons, has been a very successful collection. Love Knot also comes to mind. Love is a very important theme in jewelry, and hand-woven jewelry has a connection to historical design. And we represent this across our portfolio in a variety of materials, including sterling silver, pure gold (14 karat, 18 karat) and precious stones.”
Spearflex choker necklace in silver with 0.24 ct diamond, $2,600
“Laid-back luxury” was a phrase that came up repeatedly during our tour of Las Vegas’ John Hardy Ballroom, a term Schmitz emphasized in the current socio-economic context.
“There are two trends we’re talking about here,” he said. “One is the macroeconomic environment, the gold price. It’s putting a lot of pressure on the industry. But there’s also a shift in the consumer. If you think about younger consumers, they view jewellery differently than their parents did. Laid-back luxury, playfulness, self-expression through jewellery that can be worn every day resonates with them. That’s why we’re seeing a lot of interest and love for our John Hardy brand.”
Love Knot 1.8mm Chain Necklace, 14K Gold and Silver, $995
The Fall 2024 collection, unveiled this month, embodies that ethos, including an expansion of the “Spear” collection in dark silver, blue and black sapphire, as well as a new two-tone rendition of the “Love Knot” collection, a design that features two separately braided chains linked together as a symbol of commitment.
But the most important and comprehensive aspect of the brand’s fall focus is the expansion of men’s offerings across all collections.
Spear Bypass Flex Cuff, Silver with Finished Black Sapphire, $1,195
“Men’s is a big part of our strategy,” Schmitz says. “A lot has changed in the last 10 years. Men have ditched the suits, they’ve ditched the ties, and jewelry has become a lot more acceptable. Men have become more open and playful with colors, materials, sizes, bracelets, necklaces, rings, etc. I think jewelry has become part of a lot of men’s look today.”
John Hardy, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, will undoubtedly continue to shine.
Above: Silver Naga ring with blue sapphire eyes, $695
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