Designer democracy acts as draw for Dover Street Market

Being included in the ground-floor jewellery section of London’s Dover Street Market is considered a big deal for a designer. La Tache Bobo founder Elena Gondorf described it as “a pinch me moment” when she presented her pieces — including a necklace crafted from Malgache electric blue apatite set in blackened 18ct gold — as part of an event for Photo London in May. Newcomer Giorgio Bulgari, whose worldwide debut of Giorgio B took place at the same event, must have felt a similar thrill.

Karel De Beule, one-half of the duo behind Oktaaf, a Madrid-based label that integrates small historical artefacts such as Egyptian faience into its novel pieces, says Oktaaf’s arrival at DSM just in time for Frieze London last month brought his brand further “external validation.”

To designers, DSM bestows a certain kudos. “It’s a great big tick for my first collection,” says London-based Louie Cresswell, who brought his brand Ouie’s first fine jewellery collection to DSM in December. Made in Holloway, north London, it ranges from a £330 key ring-inspired ring to a signature £22,750 ring reminiscent of an old-fashioned diving helmet with bars criss-crossing a 6.6-carat ruby cabochon. “It’s a beautiful place to show stylists and it helps me get requests for editorials,” says Cresswell. “Being here creates trust.”

Another recent DSM debutante is Paris-based dental technician-turned-jeweller Dolly Cohen, known for her subtly embellished mouth “grillz”, which have attracted a celebrity following.

DSM as a concept store-cum-exhibition space is the brainchild of Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo and her husband, Adrian Joffe. The business arrived on Dover Street in Mayfair, central London, in 2004, then moved to the nearby 18-22 Haymarket in 2016. It is probably best known for its ready-to-wear offerings, ranging from Gucci and Loewe to Simone Rocha. There are outposts in New York, Singapore, Los Angeles, Beijing and Tokyo. From next year, following renovations, DSM will fill a 17th-century town house at 35-37 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the Paris district of Le Marais with collections including jewellery.

London, however, is the place for discovering what is new or relevant in the world of jewellery and where Mimi Hoppen, DSM’s global director of jewellery and watches, is based.

Over the years, DSM has featured pieces from Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Diamond Foundry, and given space to established designers such as Elizabeth Gage and collectors such as Harry Fane, the Mayfair-based authority on Cartier watches. DSM has introduced all of them to new audiences they might not have otherwise reached.

“I have done a lot with them,” says Fane. His Cartier watches, such as a Barrell diamond watch in platinum featuring rose-cut diamonds dating back to 1925, or models from the 1960s, have been shown in London and taken to outposts including Los Angeles and Singapore. “In terms of clients, there’s remarkably little crossover with mine, which suits me very well. I love the fact this is a whole different world,” he says.

It is not just vintage. Bamford Watch Department’s pieces are sold in all DSM locations, while the newest collection of Alabaster Industries’ watches went on sale in London in August.

“The beauty of DSM is that we have such a unique global client mix across all ages, and this is reflected in our broad yet curated product offering,” says Hoppen. The customer could be a 14-year-old sneaker collector whose stamping ground is the store’s T-shirt and trainer-focused basement, but whose next step might be a 13 Lucky Monkey £330 Medea Gorilla ring or something quieter in silver by Bunney or Tom Wood. Then, there is the 75-year-old art collector, invited to an event during the Frieze art fair, or design-driven tourists surveying the store on their latest London trip.

Hoppen explains that DSM’s intention is to create a shopping experience that breaks with the traditional narrative surrounding jewellery. This is true, not just of the diverse 70-plus brand selection but also in the way that the 444 sq ft jewellery area is merchandised: no obvious branding or loud signage announcing each collection, putting all marques on an equal footing whether emerging or an established name such as Solange Azagury-Partridge’s Solange, one of the emporium’s inaugural brands. Its collection, here, ranges in price from a colourful £195 Hotlips ring to a piece of high jewellery priced at £190,000.

“We hope DSM shows fine jewellery in a new and fresh light,” Hoppen says, adding that 40 per cent of the designers and brands are exclusive to DSM and that store sales are stronger than ecommerce, although this is growing. “Events work well for us, as our clients can often meet the designers in a more informal environment and draw different communities to the store, which we really embrace.

“Frieze and Photo London are key moments, bringing an eclectic and strong community of clients, often with an interest in jewellery. So, we ensure we always have a fresh offering in store from existing brands as well as new designers joining us for the first time.”

Clients come from everywhere — it’s an international hub for tastemakers looking for something different

Alice Cicolini who has had a presence in the London store since 2014, says: “Clients come here from everywhere — many are not resident in the UK, so it’s an international hub for tastemakers looking for something different. The excellent staff on the floor have been in the jewellery world for a long time. They don’t just sell products; they see their role as helping clients build their own jewellery collections.

“It is a unique retail partner that works on a consignment basis, which tends to be normal for fashion retailers. Consignment is a hard business model for independent brands. I have made a conscious decision to step aside from it, but with DSM I have found it’s one of the few places where it works.”

Darren Hildrow, who organises NouvelleBox, a curated fine jewellery exhibition during Paris Fashion Week, has a longstanding relationship with DSM.

He considers it a key store that is sympathetic to independent designers. “It promotes, encourages and elevates them,” he concludes, adding that past NouvelleBox exhibitors, including Nada Ghazal and Ouie, are all in store. “DSM embraces the designer, meets them face to face, invites them to events. There’s a sensitivity to their financial constraints. They are not cold and corporate but value personal relationships.”