Fashion
Plukka, which launched as a flash-sale website for made-to-order fine jewelry, is getting increasingly serious about bricks-and-mortar retailing. The Hong Kong–based company, which opened freestanding stores in Hong Kong and London in 2014 and 2015, respectively, has debuted a pop-up store at the Jack Vartanian store on Madison Avenue.
And the roughly 600-square-foot space is, according to Plukka founder Joanne Ooi, “a preliminary step to opening a permanent NYC boutique in the future.”
She adds, “It’s Plukka’s objective to be the first truly global multi-brand designer and fine jewelry retailer, so having a presence in the U.S., and specifically New York City, is a fundamental part of our mission. New York contains a hugely disproportionate share of both clients and influencers, so we consider the city a crucial beachhead location.”
Plukka made news last year for launching a program that delivers up to $15,000 of merchandise to existing clients in New York City and Hong Kong—so they can shop in their homes.
Plukka’s New York pop-up, which will run for two months, will feature ”designers not available in New York City,” says Ooi, whose picks for the temporary shop include pieces from L’Dezen by Payal Shah, Ashu Malpani, Sidney Chung, Baer Jewels, and Tana Chung. “We represent and work with many designers who are already in this market,” including Suzanne Kalan, Hoorsenbuhs, Yeprem, and Wendy Yue.
“But the whole point of our very large stable of incredibly talented designers is that we can show different designers in different markets, depending on tastes, interests, demographics, and buying patterns,” she explains. ”We are using this pop-up to make the point that we are truly the premier discovery machine for the world’s most creative fine jewelry.”
