IndependentsFeb 17, 2021
Marla Aaron’s Latest Vending Machine Supports the Struggling Restaurant IndustryEditorsFeb 22, 2022
Out & About: The Designer With a Gumball Machine at Bergdorf
It’s Marla Aaron, who previously had a jewelry vending machine in the Brooklyn Museum.
A shot inside Marla Aaron’s “residency” at Bergdorf Goodman, which will continue through the end of March. (Photo credit: Richard Cadan)
When my parents first started dating more than five decades ago, my mom broke it off after a couple months.
She had just started college in Clarion, Pennsylvania, and wanted to be free to enjoy it, not be tied down in a relationship with a guy who lived 90 miles away in Pittsburgh.
So, she wrote him a Dear John letter telling him so—the ‘60s equivalent of a sliding out of the DMs.
Years later, as she was about to graduate, she ran into my dad again, at an establishment called the After Dark Lounge in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania. He was drunk but had the wherewithal to reintroduce himself and give my mother a plastic skull ring out of a toy vending machine, along with a promise that he’d call.
When my mother left After Dark with her friend that night, she said something along the lines of, “That guy’s not going to call me. He was drunk; he’s not going to remember even seeing me.”
Fifty-two years later (and luckily for me), my mom was wrong.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that vending machine ring, the power of jewelry as totem, and the joy of the unexpected after visiting with a designer and her jewelry vending machine in a setting slightly more upscale than the After Dark Lounge.
A couple Fridays ago, I trudged uptown through yet another miserable bout of winter weather to meet with Marla Aaron and her company’s head of marketing, Sarah Daniel, at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
Aaron currently has a temporary presence inside the iconic department store in the form of what I’ve heard referred to as both a “residency” and a “takeover.”
What it is, basically, is a shop-in-shop occupying a small space that serves as a passageway between the main jewelry show floor and the elevators. And it is, for now at least, all Marla Aaron and all masterminded by Daniel.
The space is decorated with the same detailed wallpaper, custom-made by Timorous Beasties, Aaron has in her New York City showroom.
The ceiling is made to look like fordite—a material Aaron utilizes quite a bit—and the case displays, like Aaron’s jewelry, are utilitarian and beautiful at the same time.
I love the peg boards mixed in among the traditional neck forms; they remind of me my dad’s workbench in the basement of my childhood home.
Also included among the jewelry are large-scale, decorative versions of the various pieces of hardware that make Aaron’s jewelry function. The large spirals, for example, mirror the threading in her signature locks.
She had just started college in Clarion, Pennsylvania, and wanted to be free to enjoy it, not be tied down in a relationship with a guy who lived 90 miles away in Pittsburgh.
So, she wrote him a Dear John letter telling him so—the ‘60s equivalent of a sliding out of the DMs.
Years later, as she was about to graduate, she ran into my dad again, at an establishment called the After Dark Lounge in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania. He was drunk but had the wherewithal to reintroduce himself and give my mother a plastic skull ring out of a toy vending machine, along with a promise that he’d call.
When my mother left After Dark with her friend that night, she said something along the lines of, “That guy’s not going to call me. He was drunk; he’s not going to remember even seeing me.”
Fifty-two years later (and luckily for me), my mom was wrong.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that vending machine ring, the power of jewelry as totem, and the joy of the unexpected after visiting with a designer and her jewelry vending machine in a setting slightly more upscale than the After Dark Lounge.
A couple Fridays ago, I trudged uptown through yet another miserable bout of winter weather to meet with Marla Aaron and her company’s head of marketing, Sarah Daniel, at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
Aaron currently has a temporary presence inside the iconic department store in the form of what I’ve heard referred to as both a “residency” and a “takeover.”
What it is, basically, is a shop-in-shop occupying a small space that serves as a passageway between the main jewelry show floor and the elevators. And it is, for now at least, all Marla Aaron and all masterminded by Daniel.
The space is decorated with the same detailed wallpaper, custom-made by Timorous Beasties, Aaron has in her New York City showroom.
The ceiling is made to look like fordite—a material Aaron utilizes quite a bit—and the case displays, like Aaron’s jewelry, are utilitarian and beautiful at the same time.
I love the peg boards mixed in among the traditional neck forms; they remind of me my dad’s workbench in the basement of my childhood home.
Also included among the jewelry are large-scale, decorative versions of the various pieces of hardware that make Aaron’s jewelry function. The large spirals, for example, mirror the threading in her signature locks.
Inside Marla Aaron’s cases at Bergdorf Goodman, traditional neck forms mix with the designer’s signature whimsy and creativity. See: the peg boards, the spirals mimicking the threading inside her locks, the chunk of uncut fordite, and the pin art toy at the top, a nod to “The Pins Charm.” (Photo credit: Richard Cadan)
In addition to being creative, Aaron’s Bergdorf displays abide by another cardinal rule of visual merchandising: don’t make display cases too crowded. (Photo credit: Richard Cadan)
The centerpiece of this mini showroom is the jewelry-dispensing gumball machine.
“Automated retail,” Aaron said, “is something I feel very strongly about.”
It’s also something the designer has experimented with in the past, as Aaron is the one who had the jewelry vending machine I went to see in the Brooklyn Museum a few years ago.
This gumball machine is not a device that needs a great amount of introduction; it works like the basic gumball- or toy-dispensing machine you’d hit up on your way out of Kmart.
But instead of sticking a quarter in the slot and turning, customers must buy a $110 token (this is Bergdorf, after all) from one of the sales associates in order to make it work.
Then they simply insert the token, turn the knob and, voila, a tiny, clear plastic egg emerges with a sterling silver “Babylock,” the smallest version of Aaron’s signature style and the piece she considers the “gateway” to her entire collection.
Now, here is where the unexpected joy comes into play.
Mixed in among the small silver locks at first was a rose gold and diamond “Baby Heartlock,” which someone got, and now there’s a yellow gold and diamond Babylock. Insert that token, and you might be the lucky one who ends up with a little something extra.
While I was interviewing Aaron and Daniel at Bergdorf, I got the chance to see the machine in action.
A young woman wearing a few Marla Aaron pieces and proclaiming herself to have an “obsession” with the brand came in and bought a token.
An Alabama native who now lives in Washington, D.C., she was in New York City for the weekend with her boyfriend and said she just had to come in after seeing the gumball machine on Instagram.
The air was heavy with excitement while Aaron and I filmed her attempt for social media. Will she get the yellow gold and diamond lock?!? I was genuinely rooting for this person I’d never met before.
Ultimately, she did not, but it was fun anyway, just like Aaron and her jewelry.
Aaron shows her latest creative retail venture some love. (Photo credit: Richard Cadan)
This space in Bergdorf, Aaron told me, is her brand’s U.S. department store debut, with the designer admitting she was initially resistant to the idea of a department store because she doesn’t feel they fit the way her jewelry is sold.
She likes to take out a bunch of locks and let her customers play, see how the pieces they already own are going to work with new pieces. It brings out creativity in the wearer and is a big part of what has made Aaron such a collectible success story.
Yet in most department stores in America, “it’s this idea of the case,” Aaron said, of things being locked away and displayed on neck forms.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
At Bergdorf, though, there is a private room that allows for a more Marla Aaron-like appointment.
And the brand was able inject a bit of its DNA into the display cases, mixing in the large-scale hardware elements, the peg boards, and pieces of “raw” fordite among the traditional jewelry display forms.
So, will she stay after her shop-in-shop’s time is up?
“There’s always an opportunity,” Aaron said.
Marla Aaron’s Bergdorf Goodman residency, including her gumball machine, continues through March 30.
And the brand was able inject a bit of its DNA into the display cases, mixing in the large-scale hardware elements, the peg boards, and pieces of “raw” fordite among the traditional jewelry display forms.
So, will she stay after her shop-in-shop’s time is up?
“There’s always an opportunity,” Aaron said.
Marla Aaron’s Bergdorf Goodman residency, including her gumball machine, continues through March 30.
More on Editors
The Latest
IndependentsMar 06, 2025
Wixon Jewelers to Close After 37 YearsFirst-generation jewelers Dan and Hope Wixon are retiring and will close their Minneapolis-area jewelry store in May.
CollectionsMar 06, 2025
Guzema, 3.1 Phillip Lim Collab on New ‘Snake’ DesignsThe limited-edition collection, a nod to the Year of the Snake, is Ukrainian brand Guzema’s first partnership with a U.S. brand.
IndependentsMar 06, 2025
Stephen Barnes Is the New Owner of IJOAfter more than 50 years, Jeff Roberts is handing over ownership of the organization to IJO President Stephen Barnes.
Brought to you by
Have a Plan for EmergenciesEmergencies can happen anytime, anywhere , and Jewelers of America has what you need to be prepared for it all.
Events & AwardsMar 06, 2025
Borsheims’ ‘Ike-It’ Award Goes to JewelerSenior Jeweler Jay Wolff was named employee of the year.
Weekly QuizMar 06, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsMar 05, 2025
Neiman Marcus’ Dallas Flagship Store to Close, Confirms Saks GlobalThe 111-year-old store will close following a dispute among Saks Global, a landlord, and the City of Dallas over a small piece of land.
AuctionsMar 05, 2025
Sotheby's To Auction 51 ‘Alien’ WatchesThe upcoming “Area_51” watch sale is a collaboration with heist-out, featuring vintage and modern timepieces with futuristic designs.
Brought to you by
A Diamond ETF is the Way to Reinvigorate Natural Diamond SalesThe jewelry industry faces challenges from lab-grown diamonds. A diamond ETF can restore natural diamonds' value and drive investor demand.
MajorsMar 05, 2025
Jewelers of America Unveils 3-Year Strategic Plan The trade organization, which will mark 120 years of service next year, has a refined focus and a new mission statement.
Events & AwardsMar 05, 2025
92NY Accepting 2025 Jewelry Artist Residency ApplicationsThe application period is now open for established and emerging jewelers and metalsmiths to apply to the month-long residency program.
CrimeMar 04, 2025
4 Suspects Arrested in Fatal Armed Robbery of California Jewelry Store Uc Thí Vo, who co-owned Kim Tin Jewelry in Sacramento with her husband of 40 years, was killed during the November 2024 robbery.
CrimeMar 04, 2025
NYC Diamond Dealer Pleads Guilty to Lab-Grown Diamond SwapsManashe Sezanayev pleaded guilty to grand larceny and is expected to receive five years’ probation when he’s sentenced in May.
TrendsMar 04, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Peaceful and Powerful AquamarineThe March birthstone pairs perfectly with hues of Mocha Mousse, Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2025.
ColumnistsMar 04, 2025
The Smart Lab: Using Online Events to Supercharge Sales Emmanuel Raheb shares strategies to prepare for, publicize, and engage the audience during events on platforms like TikTok and Zoom.
Policies & IssuesMar 03, 2025
Customs Indefinitely Postpones Requirement to Disclose Country of MiningOriginally slated to take effect in April, official U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents now show the implementation date as “TBD.”
SurveysMar 03, 2025
Consumer Confidence Fell in February Amid Concerns About the FutureThe recent jump in the prices of household staples, like eggs, and the potential impact of tariffs worried consumers.
Events & AwardsMar 03, 2025
AGA Now Accepting Applications for Its Gemological Education Scholarship The application period for the program is now open for aspiring gemologists around the world.
CollectionsFeb 28, 2025
Piece of the Week: Ironhorse Quillwork EarringsThe work of Indigenous designer Joe Big Mountain, these earrings are similar to the pair Lily Gladstone just wore to the SAG Awards.
AuctionsFeb 28, 2025
300-Year-Old Ring With Ties to Witch Trial Judge Up for Auction A metal detectorist uncovered the ring created in memory of Sir Richard Rainsford, who presided over some of England’s last witch trials.
Recorded WebinarsFeb 28, 2025
Watch: 2025 Jewelry Trends ForecastFine jewelry consultant and publicist Francesca Simons joins Amanda Gizzi and Natalie Francisco to discuss the trends set to rise this year.
TrendsFeb 27, 2025
Model Winnie Harlow Says ‘Yes’ to 3-Stone Engagement RingHarlow’s partner, NBA player Kyle Kuzma, worked with Vobara to design the ring, which features oval and pear-shaped diamonds.
MajorsFeb 27, 2025
Winona Ryder, Iman Star in New Pandora CampaignThe Danish jeweler released the next chapter of its “Be Love” campaign, which celebrates love in all its forms.
SourcingFeb 27, 2025
Gemfields Holds Mini Auction for Higher-Quality EmeraldsThe 13 lots on offer were comprised of material that previously went unsold at the miner’s November auction.
Events & AwardsFeb 27, 2025
JA to Host Workshop During Alabama Jewelers Association ConventionThe learning workshop and the convention are both scheduled to take place April 26 and 27 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Policies & IssuesFeb 26, 2025
EU Once Again Pushes Back Deadline on Diamond Traceability The EU, like the U.S., also now will require diamond importers to provide information about where exactly the diamonds were mined.
SourcingFeb 26, 2025
De Beers, Botswana Make New Diamond Sales Deal OfficialThe formal signing of the agreement comes nearly two years after De Beers and Botswana initially announced they had reached a new deal.
Events & AwardsFeb 26, 2025
JFC Names 2025 ‘Facets’ HonoreesThe charity will celebrate Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik and Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein at its annual event in Las Vegas.
