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
Events & AwardsJan 20, 2026
These Are the 5 Finalists for the David Yurman Gem Awards GrantThe grant is in its first year and was created to recognize an exceptional fine jewelry designer whose star is on the rise.
ColumnistsJan 20, 2026
First-Party Data Is the Most Valuable Asset Jewelers Have in 2026Data built on trust, not tracking, will be key to success going forward, as the era of “borrowed attention” ends, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
MajorsJan 20, 2026
Borsheims Hires New Assistant Facilities ManagerHeath Yarges brings two decades of experience to the role.
Brought to you by
How Jewelers Can Fight Back Against Cell JammersCriminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.
FinancialsJan 16, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Shine in Q3Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Buccellati, and Vhernier had another successful holiday season, Richemont reported this week.
Weekly QuizJan 15, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
TrendsJan 16, 2026
Diane Lane's Brooch Buzzes at the 2026 Golden GlobesOur Piece of the Week is Lagos’ “Bee” brooch that was seen on the red carpet for the first time on Sunday.
CrimeJan 15, 2026
D.C. Rapper ‘Taliban Glizzy’ Sentenced to 18+ Years for Jewelry Store RobberiesTrevor Jonathan Wright led a crew in a string of armed robberies targeting South Asian-owned jewelry stores on the East Coast.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
Events & AwardsJan 15, 2026
Jewelers of Americas’ ‘20 Under 40’ Nominations Now OpenThe program recognizes rising professionals in the jewelry industry.
Events & AwardsJan 15, 2026
Registration for JCK Las Vegas 2026 Is Now OpenA new lifestyle section and a watch showcase have been added to this year’s event.
TrendsJan 15, 2026
Don’t Double-Dip With This Golden ChipAvocados From Mexico is celebrating those who love to double-dip in game day guacamole with a 14-karat yellow gold tortilla chip necklace.
SourcingJan 15, 2026
Nearly 42-Carat Blue Diamond Discovered in South AfricaPetra Diamonds unearthed the 41.82-carat, Type IIb blue diamond at the Cullinan Mine.
CollectionsJan 14, 2026
Marie Lichtenberg Lassos Leather for New BraceletsThe brand is trading its colorful fabric cords for Italian leather in its “Lasso” baby locket bracelets.
TechnologyJan 14, 2026
“My Next Question” Enters Its Podcast Era National Jeweler and Jewelers of America’s popular webinar series is evolving in 2026.
MajorsJan 14, 2026
Saks Files for Bankruptcy, Names New CEOThe department store chain owes millions to creditors like David Yurman, Roberto Coin, Kering, and LVMH.
CollectionsJan 14, 2026
Boucheron Names Colman Domingo as Brand AmbassadorThe award-winning actor’s visionary approach and creativity echo the spirit of Boucheron, the brand said.
IndependentsJan 14, 2026
Kansas Jeweler Wins 2025 ‘Wag’ AwardEdge Retail Academy honored Burnell’s Fine Jewelry in Wichita, Kansas, with its annual award for business excellence.
ColumnistsJan 13, 2026
2025 Was a ‘Price Up, Units Down’ Year, Here’s What That Signals for 2026 In a market defined by more selective consumers, Sherry Smith shares why execution will be independent jewelers’ key to growth this year.
IndependentsJan 13, 2026
Orr’s Jewelers Opens New Location in Pittsburgh’s Strip DistrictThe family-owned jeweler’s new space is in a former wholesale produce market.
CrimeJan 13, 2026
Alleged Getaway Driver Charged in Florida Jewelry Store RobberyIvel Sanchez Rivera, 52, has been arrested and charged in connection with the armed robbery of Tio Jewelers in Cape Coral, Florida.
SourcingJan 13, 2026
Rio Grande To Offer Calibrated Diamond MeleeThe supplier’s online program allows customers to search and buy calibrated natural and lab-grown diamond melee, including in fancy shapes.
Events & AwardsJan 13, 2026
NYC Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show Announces Winter EventThe new show will take place Jan. 23-25, 2026.
PodcastsJan 12, 2026
Introducing My Next Question, the PodcastA monthly podcast series for jewelry professionals
GradingJan 12, 2026
Peter Yantzer, Former Executive Director of AGS Labs, Dies at 77 Yantzer is remembered for the profound influence he had on diamond cut grading as well as his contagious smile and quick wit.
MajorsJan 12, 2026
These 14 Macy’s Locations Will Close This YearThe store closures are part of the retailer’s “Bold New Chapter” turnaround plan.
MajorsJan 12, 2026
Jewelers Mutual Acquires AI-Powered Event Insurance ProgramThrough EventGuard, the company will offer event liability and cancellation insurance, including wedding coverage.
MajorsJan 09, 2026
Kendra Scott Taps Activewear Exec as CEO Chris Blakeslee has experience at Athleta and Alo Yoga. Kendra Scott will remain on board as executive chair and chief visionary officer.
