We may only be a few months into 2016, but booming Danish jewellery brand and IJL exhibitor Sif Jakobs is already enjoying a successful year.
The company recently announced the relaunch of its website, offering customers a clean and minimal approach to shopping online. The brand also revealed a new model face for its SS16 collections, putting its Scandinavian roots into sharper focus.
In 2015, Sif Jakobs impressed UK retailers, with the brand reaching new audiences. It now plans to double its UK base over the next 12 months – ensuring it occupies around 250 doors. Combine this with an aim of 300 doors in Germany and more than 1,000 points of sale across Europe, and it’s clear the brand has ambitious, but achievable, aims.
The company’s success in its native Denmark is equally impressive, having secured the ‘Børsen Gazelle’ mantle of fastest growing jewellery business in the country for the second consecutive year in 2015.
Here, the brand’s eponymous founder and designer, Sif Jakobs, explains what’s trending in her world, her plans for the UK market and why International Jewellery London supports her business’ growth…
Q: Your brand has grown rapidly in the last 18-moths, what do you think has made it so successful?
SJ: 2015 was a fantastic year for Sif Jakobs Jewellery all over Europe, where all targets in all of our markets were achieved. We believe that Sif Jakobs Jewellery has found the recipe for being successful in many of our markets in Europe including the two biggest and most important markets in Europe – the UK & Ireland and Germany.
In the UK, we have reached 120 retail partners, have launched several successful collections and achieved national press coverage for our jewellery. Needless to say, we’re very target driven in everything that we’re doing, so in 2016 we’ve set up some rather ambitious targets for the UK & Ireland and Germany. As of matter of fact we expect to double our stockists in the UK & Ireland to 240 points of sale.
Q: What are your best-selling pieces in the UK market?
SJ: The rose gold items have definitely been some of the bestselling pieces in the UK market; of note are the Pecetto, Panzano and Fucino collections, which have sold out quite a few times. These collections combine an edgy yet sophisticated look, which matches the UK market perfectly.
Q: Have these collections also been successful across your European markets?
Across all markets these three collections have been very strong, but actually the Scandinavian market has been a bit slow to catch onto rose gold. In Germany they have been a bit less daring; they find the more classic styles interesting, but they are catching on to the more minimalistic pieces among the Sif Jakobs Jewellery collection.
Q: How does the style of Danish customers differ from those in the UK?
SJ: For so long the Danish jewellery aesthetic has been very casual and discrete, and extremely petite items have been most popular. The bold Sif Jakobs Jewellery statement pieces, which we have quite a few of, are feminine and elegant, but not discrete at all.
While discrete has been the style tendency in Danish jewellery for quite a while, I don’t believe it’s the case for UK jewellery style, where ‘bold’ and ‘beautiful’ are key words and where feminine pieces are more often seen. One main thing that truly differs is the contrasts in Danish jewellery, and the way we mix and match (or deliberately mismatch) our pieces when wearing them. The Danish style always has some edginess paired with the elegance, which creates the Scandinavian aesthetic and contrast.
Q: Looking ahead to the rest of 2016, do you have any insights into what will be the biggest trends of AW16?
SJ: I do believe that contrasts in jewellery – for example glittering stones combined with chains – will make their mark in AW16. Also more sophisticated jewellery and large earrings (in pairs, rather than asymmetric) will be back on the jewellery scene, as well as beautiful sparkling cocktail rings.
Q: What is your experience of International Jewellery London?
SJ: It’s an amazing platform to be present at and present our new collections. We meet a lot of new potential customers at the show and also we get to catch up with existing customers. The atmosphere is great and it’s a nice, professional set-up.
Visit Sif Jakobs at International Jewellery London from 4th-6th September 2016. Stand: D91
One comment