John Hardy (jewelry)

Established in Bali in 1975, John Hardy is dedicated to creating artisan handcrafted jewelry. Each of John Hardy’s distinctive collections conveys evocative symbolism and honors the transmission of creative energy from the artist to the wearer. Since inception, the company has been deeply rooted in the essential values of community, artisanship, and sustainability. [1]

John Hardy
IndustryJewelers
Founded1975, in Bali, Indonesia
HeadquartersHong Kong
Key people
Robert Hanson, CEO
Guy Bedarida, Head Designer and Creative Director
John Hardy, Founder
ProductsJewelry
Websitejohnhardy.com

History

John Hardy jewelry [2] was founded by Canadian designer and artist, John Hardy, in 1975. He visited Bali in the mid-1970s and the island's jewelry-making traditions raised his interest.[3] He began learning the techniques of the local artisans then developed his first pieces by applying new design concepts to traditional Balinese techniques.

The John Hardy compound was built in Mumbal, Bali in 1996 and is the company production center where the jewelry is created. It also serves as a living and gathering space with an organic farm and low impact buildings.

In 1999, Guy Bedarida, a senior designer of haute joaillerie of the Place Vendôme, joined the company as Head Designer and expanded Hardy’s design concepts to include the use of classical European jewelry techniques and new motifs inspired by nature and ancient East Asian art styles and themes.[4]

In 2007, then John Hardy president Damien Dernoncourt, with Head Designer and Creative Director, Bedarida, purchased the company from Hardy. That same year the company headquarters was moved to Hong Kong and a satellite office was opened in New York.[5]

The company opened its first flagship store in Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta in 2010. In 2011, it opened its first store at The Landmark, Hong Kong. In 2014, two more stores were opened in Bali, Indonesia.

On July 31, 2014, John Hardy announced that Robert Hanson, former CEO of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.,[6] was appointed CEO.[7]

Hollie Bonneville Barden joined John Hardy as the Creative Director in 2016 and debuted her first collection for the brand in Fall, 2017. After receiving formal training in jewelry design from London’s Central Saint Martin’s College and the Wimbledon School of Art, Hollie held design positions at numerous boutique jewelry brands before working for an internationally renowned high jewelry house within the LVMH portfolio. She possesses both an extensive formal training in fine jewelry and an inventive outlook on design. Today, she oversees all John Hardy collections, and leads the team of artisans.[8]

Summer 2016, John Hardy opened its first U.S. boutique in Houston and is scheduled to open the second on the Island of Manhattan. The building at 11 Prince Street, between Greene and Wooster streets in the SoHo neighborhood, will take up an entire building over three floors.[9]

John Hardy has since opened boutiques in Century City, Aventura, South Coast Plaza, The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace alongside premium outlets at Woodbury Commons and Desert Hills. Their jewelry can also be found at locations in the Caribbean, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Korea through major department stores.[10]

As of April 24, 2019, John Hardy announced the advancement of three key executives as part of the company’s continuing, successful transformation. In line with the Board and Management’s structured succession plan, current CEO Robert Hanson will assume the role of Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors; Kareem Gahed, who currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer, will assume the role of CEO, and Audrey Finci, who is currently COO/CFO, will take on the role of President - COO/CFO.[11]

Designs

John Hardy jewelry is known for its artisan handcrafted designs using reclaimed sterling silver [12] and gold using traditional Balinese jewelry-making techniques that have been passed down through generation. All of their Diamonds are sourced strictly following the United Nations resolution and the Kimberley Process and Gemstones along with other natural materials are sourced following their Ethical Sourcing Code of Conduct. [13]

Environmental and Social Consciousness

"Greener Every Day" is a company slogan used to summarize and describe its efforts to be a "green" company (the ultimate goal being to become carbon neutral). In 2006, John Hardy launched its "Sustainable Advertising" program to offset the carbon emissions from its print advertising, business travel and electricity consumption.[14] It does so by planting bamboo[15] on Bali and Nusa Penida, a small island off the coast of Bali. Through its "Wear Bamboo, Plant Bamboo" program,[16] a portion of the proceeds from the sale of its Bamboo collection items are used to fund the company’s continuous bamboo plantings.[17] [18]

Acquisition by L Catterton Partners Equity Firm

On July 31, 2014 L Catterton Partners, a leading private equity firm, acquired John Hardy[19] and announced that Robert Hanson would take over as Chief Executive Officer.[20]

As of April 24, 2019 Robert Hanson has assumed the role of Chairman and Kareem Gahed has been announced CEO.

References
  1. "Bali's Latest Green Retreat". www.travelandleisure.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  2. "John Hardy History." John Hardy. Retrieved Jul 15 2010.
  3. "Designing Paradise." Archived 2010-03-24 at the Wayback Machine- Recreating Eden. Retrieved Jul 15 2010.
  4. First Person: Biting it with Bling - Men's Folio Magazine. May 2009.
  5. Slowey, Anne. - "Elle Fashion Insider Bali High". - Elle Magazine. Edition no. 297. Page 102. May 2010.
  6. "American Eagle admits it fired former CEO Hanson". www.triblive.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2014-10-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. https://robbreport.com/style/jewelry/john-hardy-creative-director-hollie-bonneville-barden-2745095/
  9. "John Hardy's Island Life: In Bali and New York City". www.jrdunn.com. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  10. https://wwd.com/accessories-news/jewelry/john-hardy-sets-up-shop-in-las-vegas-1203136493/
  11. https://wwd.com/accessories-news/jewelry/john-hardy-appoints-kareem-gahed-to-ceo-1203116409/
  12. Elle Magazine, May 2007
  13. https://www.johnhardy.com/code-of-conduct.html
  14. Story, Louise. - "ADVERTISING; The Hidden Life of Paper and Its Impact on the Environment" - The New York Times. Oct 25 2006.
  15. "The John Hardy Bamboo Agro Forestry Pilot Project" Archived 2009-10-10 at the Wayback Machine - Friends of the National Parks Foundation. Retrieved Jul 15 2010.
  16. "Damien Dernoncourt - Wear Bamboo, Plant Bamboo" - Art and Design. Issue No. 122. Pg 45. Feb 2010.
  17. Tang, Vivienne - "Jewellery for the Earth." - Prestige Magazine. Pg 188. Feb 2009.
  18. "Recycled Silver" Archived 2015-02-14 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. Archived August 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  20. Archived November 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.