HOME AT LAST: If you had asked Dutch jeweler Bibi van der Velden 20 years ago what she’d never do, chances are opening a store would have been one answer.
Yet as her brand neared the dawn of its third decade, the desire to offer a deeper dive into her world won out.
“Having said that we would never do this — and celebrating 20 years this year — the only way [to do] this was to go all in,” she said.
A look at Bibi van der Velden’s first flagship in Amsterdam.
Courtesy of Bibi van der Velden
Cue her eponymous label’s first flagship, a two-story unit spanning 800 square feet in her hometown of Amsterdam, only 20 minutes away from the studio gallery where she would previously host clients.
“We were able to create different vibes in the store,” said the jeweler, who worked with interior designer Noa Verhofstad on the project.
Cue vaulted ceilings on the ground floor for a cathedral feel that is “meditative in a certain way,” and on the mezzanine, it’s a ’60s Mad Men vibe “in which you can really envelop yourself in with the jewelry,” she said. Hopefully, with a tray of jewelry on your lap and a cup of coffee or cocktail next to you, you can acquaint yourself with what we do.”
Don’t expect jewels sitting prim and proper in display cases.
A look at Bibi van der Velden’s first flagship in Amsterdam.
Courtesy of Bibi van der Velden
The throughline of the store is “unearthing the extraordinary,” which means minerals and stones but also a playful exploratory approach.
There are cabinets that you can push to the side to reveal hidden spaces, a massive counter with secret drawers, a tucked-away “cave” and a display with an alligator — a recurring figure in the designer’s work — that animates when you crank a nearby lever.
“It’s the explorative kind of journey that you can go through with the jewelry,” promised van der Velden.
A look at Bibi van der Velden’s first flagship in Amsterdam.
Courtesy of Bibi van der Velden