HOME AT LAST: When you had requested Dutch jeweler Bibi van der Velden 20 years in the past what she’d by no means do, chances are high opening a retailer would have been one reply.
But as her model neared the daybreak of its third decade, the will to supply a deeper dive into her world received out.
“Having mentioned that we might by no means do that — and celebrating 20 years this 12 months — the one method [to do] this was to go all in,” she mentioned.
A take a look at Bibi van der Velden’s first flagship in Amsterdam.
Courtesy of Bibi van der Velden
Cue her eponymous label’s first flagship, a two-story unit spanning 800 sq. toes in her hometown of Amsterdam, solely 20 minutes away from the studio gallery the place she would beforehand host shoppers.
“We have been in a position to create completely different vibes within the retailer,” mentioned the jeweler, who labored with inside designer Noa Verhofstad on the mission.
Cue vaulted ceilings on the bottom ground for a cathedral really feel that’s “meditative in a sure method,” and on the mezzanine, it’s a ’60s Mad Males vibe “in which you’ll actually envelop your self in with the jewellery,” she mentioned. Hopefully, with a tray of knickknack in your lap and a cup of espresso or cocktail subsequent to you, you possibly can acquaint your self with what we do.”
Don’t anticipate jewels sitting prim and correct in show instances.
A take a look at Bibi van der Velden’s first flagship in Amsterdam.
Courtesy of Bibi van der Velden
The throughline of the shop is “unearthing the extraordinary,” which suggests minerals and stones but additionally a playful exploratory strategy.
There are cupboards which you can push to the facet to disclose hidden areas, an enormous counter with secret drawers, a tucked-away “cave” and a show with an alligator — a recurring determine within the designer’s work — that animates if you crank a close-by lever.
“It’s the explorative type of journey which you can undergo with the jewellery,” promised van der Velden.
A take a look at Bibi van der Velden’s first flagship in Amsterdam.
Courtesy of Bibi van der Velden
