There is quite a trend with customization right now, whether it’s your wine collection, perfume, hair care or your jewelry. The goal is to stand out in today’s sea of silver and gold necklaces, bracelets and rings. Customizing a piece of jewelry creates sentimental value between you and the accessory that you will savor for a lifetime. The luxury jewelry brand Miansai has noticed this trend and has executed it in various ways to cater to the range of its customers. Miansai’s Creative Director Michael Saiger tells me he sees tailoring a piece of jewelry to a specific person as a way of showcasing their individual taste. “In the past couple of years we have seen an increase in demand for our wedding bands, which you can engrave with your wedding date or initials,” he says of personalized Miansai jewelry. In addition, last year the brand launched their Signet Rings in solid gold and sterling silver that you can engrave your initials on. “The rings are a cooler and modernized version of a class ring,” Saiger explains.
With Miansai celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, the brand has been doing a lot of looking back into the style archives and recognizing design moments of the past. “A lot of pieces from Miansai are rooted in nostalgia. I started making bracelets out of rope that were reminiscent of what you find at summer camp,” he says. Taking that nostalgic token and adding an elevated twist to it also resulted in the newest launch for Miansai, their penny collection. The custom made penny rolling machine launched at the Crosby Street location in New York City outpost earlier this summer. “I think everyone can relate to being in a museum or theme park and using the penny-rolling machine to create a keepsake of that particular destination. I wanted to modernize that experience and make something wearable out of it,” Saiger says.
The romantic appeal of creating a personal necklace is somewhat poetic and serves as a reminder for the customer of a special moment, place or person. Saiger adds that the Miansai customer is typically a cultured, well-traveled person, which inspired the integration of a “Mobile Retail Fleet” which is made up of six renovated vintage vehicles that travel the country. “I customize each vehicle to match the Miansai aesthetic, with black walnut displays and glass overlay, custom paint and canvases. We take the vehicles to destinations like The Malibu Piers, Montauk Beach House, Coachella, Fontainebleau Hotel and SXSW,” Saiger explains.
With plans to launch the next penny-rolling machine in Los Angeles, Miansai is embracing the nostalgic side of life in a luxurious way.
