After launching shoes, handbags and swimwear in recent years, Reformation is entering the jewellery category Wednesday, with a line that includes statement rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets made of recycled metals and stones.
Priced between $98 and $348, the jewellery pieces are made of sterling silver and gold-plated brass sourced from commercial waste, according to the company.
“Historically, we were an occasionwear shop with just dresses,” said Reformation chief executive Hali Borenstein. “But in the last six years … we’ve been thinking about the full look, and jewellery was the last piece of the outfit.
Last fall, the brand tested the category with a small capsule collection designed by Clare Waight Keller, who also consulted on the broader line rolling out this week.
Reformation first ventured into accessories with shoes in 2021; it launched handbags two years later. It’s now one of the fastest growing categories for the brand, which anticipates accessories to generate $100 million in annual sales in the next three years, Borenstein said.
She added that the jewellery launch was three years in the making, but its timing now is particularly apt. In the midst of a consumer pullback from luxury, jewellery has remained the most resilient segment in the industry. Young shoppers in particular may see more value in fine jewellery than luxury handbags, for instance, because of the drastic price hikes on the latter in recent years, coupled with a perceived drop in quality.
Reformation joins a fragmented but growing landscape of upstart jewellery lines all competing for the attention of these shoppers. Brands like Alighieri, Simuero and Lié Studio all offer statement pieces that occupy what’s known as “demi-fine” jewellery, a classification that fills the space between fine and costume jewellery, typically made of semi-precious metals like gold-plated sterling silver or bronze.
Still, the opportunity is clear. As the brand continues its evolution from cult LA-based dress label to a full-range womenswear line, jewellery represents another step in rounding out the Reformation universe. Since its founding in 2009, the label has certainly matured — quite literally too.
“In the last two years, Gen X and Baby Boomers are coming to us at a faster pace than we’ve ever seen,” said Borenstein. “There’s probably some trading down going on.”