Golden Eye: Missoma’s Marisa Hordern Looks to Covent Garden for First Pop-up Shop
LONDON — The gilded pop-up.
British jewelry brand Missoma has opened its first pop-shop in London’s Covent Garden. The business is on an upward trajectory, in 2021 they reported a 74 percent growth in sales to 33 million pounds, compared to 19 million pounds in 2020.
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A temporary physical store is meant to allow the brand to test the temperature of retail. Missoma already has counters inside department stores Selfridges and Liberty’s Jewellery Hall.
“This feels like a new opportunity because it gives us the freedom to experiment and create any way we want to. We can also make the rules, like putting on Missoma x Mirabeau Late Night Shopping every Thursday and exclusive styling events that’ll feature some incredible partners [to be announced soon],” Marisa Hordern, chief executive officer and creative director of the brand, told WWD.
“As we grow, we’re creating physical spaces where we can connect with our community, and our community can connect with our product in real life. We understand that physical retail is vital to increasing our market share and scaling our brand,” she continued.
There was a demand from the Missoma community for a brick-and-mortar. The brand will be neighbors with the annual Christmas Tree in Covent Garden, a conscious decision from Hordern.
“Our jewelry is handmade by artisans — from being designed in our Notting Hill studio, to having hand-cut gemstones embedded by hand and hand-painting our enamel,” said Hordern, honing in on the four pillars of Missoma that have helped the brand succeed: community, craftsmanship, sustainability and styling.
The business is in the process of working on their Worn on Repeat campaign, which focuses on longevity and wearability. “This also ties in with our efforts to create less, but better,” added Horden.
“A major focus will be our sustainability initiatives and how we work to reduce our carbon footprint. This year we’ll be taking our first steps into circularity, partnering with Central Saint Martins. We will be giving MA Design students our deadstock jewelry to upcycle into brand new pieces from which we’ll pick a winning design. This design will inspire a limited-edition collection we’ll sell on site,” Horden said.
