NEW YORK — It doesn’t take long when speaking with Brooke Garber Neidich to get swept up in her passion.
The owner and creative director of Sidney Garber, she grew up in the jewelry business, learning from her father, who founded the brand in Chicago in 1946, and her love for the business is apparent in everything she does. “He believed that you work really hard, and you work all the time; he felt very responsible for what he was doing,” she said of his work ethic, which she shares.
While founders are often passionate, Neidich’s goal is unique — what sits at the center of her motivation is how her work creates a path for philanthropy, since she donates 100 percent of her company’s profits to causes she cares about. It’s a surprising stance in today’s ultra-competitive jewelry market but she is steadfast on her journey.
Last year was the brand’s biggest yet and the owner is setting up a strategy for the company to have an even bigger 2024. “I’m an optimist,” she said point blank, laying out her business strategy for the year ahead.
The plan isn’t for a rebrand, but rather, “a breath of fresh air,” she said, “a freshen-up.” First, she is beefing up ranks with a range of hires across the executive, marketing and wholesale teams — 33 percent of her staff are new.
The new team is led by industry veteran Colleen Caslin, who joined the brand in July 2023, and was appointed permanent president in March. “A really big deal,” Neidich said of the hiring of Caslin, who came to Sidney Garber after spending six years turning around the London-based jeweler Jessica McCormack and, before that, working for years at Verdura. “There are people who want extraordinary people around them. And they’re people who don’t want anyone around them they don’t control,” she said. “I like extraordinary. I didn’t have it. Now I do.”
The legacy American jeweler’s next chapter begins with a look at increasing brand awareness and updating communication touch points. Neidich’s story will be told deeper on the brand’s refreshed and modernized website with richer content, animations, storytelling and more visibility of her philanthropic work.
“I want our website to be as enticing as our jewelry and our store, and as informative as a one-on-one meeting with our specialists,” she said, adding that clients have long been international, and the new website will be as well. “Ultimately, I want the website to feel the way I do about jewelry, to tempt people with ideas and images, with stories and styling.”
Packaging and the logo also are getting a new look. “I am thrilled with our new logo — the curve of it, because I’m not a very square person, and the sensuality of it. It’s sexier and softer than before,” she said of the design, which includes the brand’s founding year, 1946. “I didn’t dream up this business a couple of days ago; I was a child standing behind the counter when I was 5 years old. The new logo isn’t a radical change; it’s about continuity.”
With stores in Chicago and New York, the Sidney Garber heritage is built on craftsmanship and authenticity, working with some of her European manufacturers for more than 40 years. Neidich is meticulous in her creations.
“I’m specific,” she said, recalling developing the exact fit of a bracelet, fine-tuning until it sit perfectly so. “I don’t want to see her at a cocktail party and think, ‘oh my god, did we sell her that?’” she said.
Sidney Garber fine jewelry is instantly recognizable; for example, its signature rolling bracelets, articulating plume earrings, or scribble rings — each modern yet classic, elegant and innovative.
“I don’t do collections. I don’t even understand collections,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t do trends.”
Instead Neidich works from her gut, with an eye on what sells and feedback from her loyal clients who shop across generations, often seeking her out at events to muse on about her family brand. “I’m so moved by that. I hope the jewelry a woman purchases from Sidney Garber — and a full 95 percent of Sidney Garber is self-purchased by women — becomes part of her, part of her memories, part of her look, her style, her story, her life.”
She was an early adapter to producing men’s-focused fine jewelry, launching it at Barneys New York in the retailer’s heyday. Last year she opened new wholesale distribution points at Bergdorf Goodman’s Men’s store, Marissa Collections, the Ritz Carlton Hotel and Wunderkind in Montecito, Calif., with more to come.
The women’s jewelry ranges in price from about $3,600 for an 18-karat gold bracelet up to more than $250,000 for a diamond necklace, while the men’s starts at $600 for a steel bracelet and goes up to about $150,000 for a diamond necklace.
While each piece of jewelry is a staple, at the heart of the brand is what Neidich chooses to do because of it: she donates 100 percent of her profits. She gives well into the six figures annually to a variety of nonprofit organizations dedicated to children’s mental health, the arts, racial justice, and ending gun violence.
“The need never ends,“ she said point blank, expressing gratitude to be in a position to help, however she can. It’s the Rosetta stone of her brand story and will be highlighted with renewed vigor as it moves forward.
“We have been working behind the scenes for the last eight months to align our key business initiatives,” Caslin explained, with new products, the refreshed brand identity and the updated team in place. “We are energized and ready to capture more market share.”
Caslin shared data that proves their approach is resonating compared to last year: consolidated business increased over 50 percent; retail store sales increased 12 percent, with the Chicago boutique having a resurgence in business and up 46 percent. E-commerce sales are up 66 percent to last year, new client activations are up 44 percent, and wholesale has seen a 92 percent increase because of the new accounts. “We are excited about the growth potential of the company, as we see a positive shift happening in the domestic and international markets,” she added.
“We offer an elevated, personalized client experience in our boutiques and are aiming to bring that intimacy to the online world, drawing clients into the Sidney Garber community with each purchase,” the executive said. “Watching them discover the brand for the first time or rediscover us after generational relationships is paramount to our success. Our community of women is as brilliant as our pieces. It is an honor to have a meaningful place in their lives.”
