Nak Armstrong Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Bergdorf Goodman Residency
CFDA award-winning jeweler Nak Armstrong is celebrating his 25th year in business with a residency at legacy retailer Bergdorf Goodman.
“Since opening our store in Austin [Texas] two years ago, I’ve seen the power of what a dedicated jewelry space can do for the profile of a brand, and so taking the opportunity to do something similar in New York, the most important market in the country, was a logical next step,” said Armstrong, who calls the Bergdorf residency a milestone in his career. “It’s brought more awareness to the brand, expanded our client roster, and excited our collector with high jewelry pieces that debuted as part of the residency launch.”
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Armstrong will debut new work created exclusively for Bergdorf Goodman with a selection that pays homage to his roots as a reinventor of the chandelier earring, with striking large-scale creations typical of his aesthetic.
“I focused on high jewelry pieces since I saw it as an opportunity to show a broader range from the brand,” he explained. “I created more elaborate cuffs for the first time, with tapered baguettes that ruffle and twist up around the wrist. There are also some black-and-white pieces that were inspired by nature, like the Giogo earrings that have huge oval Ethiopian opals that dangle from branches of diamond, black spinel and rose gold that climb up the ear.”
The residency will see him launch a new collection, Split Circle, “highlighting bi-color tourmalines in designs where baguettes flow through and intersect half-moons, creating interesting midcentury-inspired silhouettes.”
The Bergdorf’s residency is meant to be an extension of his Austin flagship, giving clients a more intimate experience with the collection. It reflects Armstrong’s continued obsession with midcentury brutalism and the color palette and textures found in Milanese architecture and design.
After 25 years, Armstrong sees the jewelry industry as being “in flux,” he said.
“When I started in fine jewelry, it was arguably a simpler business. Retailers had more control over what the public saw and while it was less democratic, they functioned as editors and gatekeepers, sifting through the knockoffs, and protecting original voices,” he said.
And now with the advent of social media, he sees a landscape with fewer barriers to entry “that has been a bonanza for designers gaining new audiences and having more control over the development of their business. I fear that, most recently, it has led to a sea of sameness that has a numbing effect on the consumer and makes it difficult to cut through the noise. I worry that in this climate the big brands will grab more market share since their marketing dollars can drown everyone else out. I think that’s why we’re seeing all of the major fashion houses launch fine jewelry collections.”
But as a smaller brand, Armstrong sees value in being nimble. “Having been in the business so long gives me the perspective that things are always changing, and that one can always adapt if they are curious and willing to evolve,” he said.
The Bergdorf curation is priced from $3,350 to $52,000 and is available until the end of July.
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