Mademoiselle Jewelry and the pursuit of wearable art

By Tamryn Spruill

Hairpin. Hatpin. Broche.

Crucifix. Star of David. Rosary. Mala.

Earring. Nose ring. Neck ring. Lip disc.

Wedding ring.

Celebrity bling.

Throughout history, jewelry has played prominent and varied roles in human societies. Bones, animal teeth and shells were worn by Cro-Magnon man; citizens of ancient civilizations covered themselves with amulets that they believed would protect them from evil spirits; and people of religions the world over have worn and continue to wear religious symbols. Nowadays, with jewelry used primarily to accessorize fashion, it often serves no other purpose but to adorn the body and express the personality of the wearer. Sure, matching a pair of earrings to a dress pattern may sound modest compared to thwarting an evil spirit with an amulet, but jewelry’s modern societal function is pretty amazing in its own right; it is essentially an everyday form of artistic expression – of both jewelry maker and wearer—on a massive scale.

In an age of jewelry for every woman or man, anything goes, and no one understands that better than Michelle Samson, president of Mademoiselle Jewelry. Based in New York City, Mademoiselle Jewelry was founded on the principle that jewelry is art and, therefore, “uniquely you.”

“The whole point of starting ‘MJ’ was to hand-select the type of jewelry that you aren’t likely to find in your average retail store,” Samson explains. “We really try to stick to our slogan – ‘jewelry that is uniquely you.’”

Michelle Samson, president of Mademoiselle JewelryMichelle Samson first grew fond of the hypnotic lure of unique jewelry as a child, sneaking into her grandmother’s collection of antique pieces, and coveting them until she was caught. The first seeds of love for fashion and accessories shaped her into a fashionista who understands the value of painting a complete fashion picture, with jewelry functioning as the instrumental fine lines. She created Mademoiselle Jewelry as a reaction to what she found to be a largely homogenous jewelry selection in New York City , a fashion capital, where retailers tend to mimic the same trends across the economic spectrum.

“Right now we import jewelry from Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Israel and Thailand,” Samson says. “I really love interacting with my international designers and vendors... I learned really fast that you have to be very clear and concise with instructions and [that you have to] follow-up frequently to make sure there is no miscommunication due to language barriers. In the end, it is always worthwhile because the jewelry is handmade and absolutely beautiful.”

Currently, Mademoiselle Jewelry operates largely as an online retailer, supplementing Samson’s activities with New York City street fairs, which can be quite lucrative for vendors. At the “Madison Avenue Summer Fair” and the “Brazilian Day Festival” in Times Square this summer, Samson received impromptu press coverage from international news programs. “Veniufuklar,” a Turkish production, and “NY Life: Tapesh TV,” a Persian television show that airs via satellite, both took a keen interest in the diverse, international offerings of MJ. But Samson didn’t let the coverage go to her head.

“Both times I was having a hard time not cracking up on camera,” she grinned.

Indeed, bucking trends, having fun – and most importantly building an inventory that satisfies differing tastes and budgets – are important to the way Mademoiselle Jewelry does business.

Mademoiselle Jewelry Fall 2008“We like to have a very good mix as far as price point and materials are concerned,” Samson says. “Although yellow gold is very big right now in the fashion world, we have over 200 pieces of sterling silver jewelry. We also recently added a fashion jewelry section for the more price sensitive consumer.”

But keeping the focus on art and creativity is foremost in Michelle Samson’s mind and her company firmly embraces new designers who create innovative works of wearable art.

“There are so many phenomenal designers out there that just don’t get the exposure they deserve,” Samson said. “Shortly after the company’s inception, we created a special section of the website dedicated to up-and-coming designers. We will be adding a new designer within the next month, so that is also something to keep an eye out for. “

And, to continue to offer the variety of jewelry she would like to see at retailers herself, Samson recently hired a creative director who she describes as a “fashion authority.”

Whatever MJ is doing, it’s working. The Fall 2008 collection is lining up to be one of her strongest so far.

“We are adding some really original and fun pieces that will feature deeper, richer colors like amethyst, lapis, malachite and onyx,” Samson says. “You will see different materials used also.” Copper, tri-tone metals and oxidized silver, which gives sterling silver a vintage look, will also be an addition to the fall line.

“One of our funkier designers, Foxy Originals, just came out with a brand new line called ‘Enchanted Forest’, which is really worth checking out,” Samson added.

For Michelle Samson, jewelry holds special vitality, which is reflected in Mademoiselle Jewelry’s philosophy and inventory. Creating an outlet for distinctive and affordable accessories is a mission MJ has accomplished in high style, to the delight of established fashionistas, wannabes and everyone in between.

For more information, please visit http://www.mademoisellejewelry.com or contact Michelle Samson directly at michelle@mademoisellejewelry.com.