EXCLUSIVE: Lagos Debuts First Full Men’s Jewelry Collection
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After nearly 50 years in business, Steven Lagos is starting off the year with a major category expansion for his namesake fine jewelry brand.
The designer is introducing his first men’s jewelry collection this month, titled Anthem. While Lagos has previously created one-off men’s pieces and men’s jewelry capsule collections, Anthem is the first full men’s collection and will be expanded season-to-season.
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“In the early ‘70s, I started making jewelry,” Lagos said. “Back then, men’s jewelry was a thing, too. It was much different than it is now. It was very bohemian, very rock ‘n’ roll. Men wore jewelry — we wore beads and chains, and then it kind of went away for a while and then in the last five years it’s come back really strongly. There’s a lot more accessorizing going on and it’s fun — it’s fun for the designer and it’s fun for the men wearing it.”
Lagos is leveraging many of his signature design codes for the “Lagos for Men” debut collection, which launches exclusively at Bloomingdale’s and on the brand’s website. The designer is utilizing his popular caviar style and giving it a rock ‘n’ roll touch with chunky styles and matte finishes.
The Anthem collection offers 45 styles across bracelets, necklaces and rings. The pieces are made in 18-karat gold, sterling silver and ceramic, and feature materials like black agate, lapis lazuli, onyx, tiger’s eye and others. The collection ranges in price from $200 to $6,500.
The designer decided against offering traditional men’s styles, such as cuff links, after seeing how popular his women’s necklace and bracelet styles were with male consumers. Lagos women’s pieces have been worn by the likes of NBA player Thanasis Antetokounmpo, NFL player Garrett Wilson, actors Alan Cumming, Jordan Fisher and Skylar Astin, among others, the company said.
“For such a long time, men would wear their watch and they would wear cuff links — they accessorized in a very specific, business type of way,” Lagos said. “We’ve become more casual, but they really still want to accessorize. It’s a way to make a statement and a way to be individualistic, and I find people who you wouldn’t think are jewelry wearers that are really gravitating to it now. It’s really having a moment.”
Lagos’ entry into men’s jewelry comes at a time of sustained interest in the category, with specialty retailers, independent labels and heritage brands expanding their offerings to meet demand.
“They’re just getting really comfortable,” Lagos said on why he thinks male customers are more interested in jewelry. “The casualization of America lends itself to it also. There’s such a different fashion sense as far as men’s. Men are having more fun with their clothing at every level.”
Lagos is already working on his next men’s jewelry collection and plans to continue playing with scale, introducing more of his design codes and experimenting with materials like black diamonds and geodes. With his positioning in the jewelry industry and past experience creating men’s pieces, the designer is anticipating the men’s jewelry category will make up 15 to 20 percent of his business in the next few years.
“We’ve been really consistent,” Lagos said of his business as a whole. “Even when we had our ups and downs, we never lost focus on the quality of service or what we were trying to do, so I think it resonates because it has a lot of history and tradition. Some families we’re selling to the grandchildren of the people I originally sold to. I think people want that from jewelry.”
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