Catherine Zadeh decided to open her first ZADEH shop on the Upper East Side— the New York City neighborhood she considers home. The jewelry designer wanted to open a store to provide customers with the ability to step into her brand’s world and experience it in an entirely new and authentic way. Zadeh’s vision was to create an environment where shoppers feel welcome and excited to add new jewelry to their collection. We caught up with the designer to find out why now is the chosen time for the pop-up.

Why did you feel now was the right time to open a pop-up shop?

Our brand has been around for almost 25 years now, and for most of that time, we’ve reached our clients only through wholesale and our website. We wanted to invite them to step into our world and experience ZADEH in an entirely new and authentic way. We wanted to give them a chance to touch and feel the materials we use, to get to know us better as a brand but also as people – and vice versa. It gives us a chance to control our narrative, and maybe even refine it in the process.

Why did you choose the Upper East Side as the location for your store? Why do you love this neighborhood so much?  

First of all, the Upper East Side is home for me. I raised my girls here, and even as other neighborhoods downtown have perhaps become trendier, the Upper East Side has a special place in my heart. I love the people, I love the vibes, I love the stores and the restaurants. When we think about our target customers, they are here: the mothers and fathers frantically shuttling their kids to school, the ones who get dressed up to the nine for the most glamorous of galas, but who look equally as chic when they’re in their gym clothes on a Sunday.

How would you describe the overall look and feel of the new store?

We wanted the store to be an accurate reflection of who we are as a brand and what we admire in our clients. They’re confident, playful, bold, chic, and effortless. Our pieces are expensive but the store is not stuffy. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. It’s precious jewelry that’s not precious, and that’s exactly what we wanted the store to emanate.

How does the store tell the story of ZADEH?

We love being able to have total control over the environment – everything from the art on the walls, the music we play, the way we style ourselves in the store, our personalities and interactions with customers. We want to show that our jewelry is meant to be worn every day, at the office or on vacation, with casual jeans and a white T-shirt or a black tie gown. We want our clients to have fun when they come into the store. We want them to laugh. Hopefully, they walk out feeling refreshed and energized, excited about a new accoutrement that just took their look up a notch.

What’s the next step for the brand?  

This pop-up is a prototype to test out our direct-to-consumer retail strategy. If it goes well and we enjoy it, we’ll keep the space and develop a broader plan to roll out more stores. We love having a direct line to our clients (in person), so fingers crossed!

Editor’s Note: This feature is part of an ongoing editorial series on designer’s retail locations.  Click here to see more.