A piece of fine jewelry or classic investment timepiece is never just an accessory—there’s always a rich story behind it. In W’s series Rock Stars, we delve into what makes past, present, and future heirlooms so unique.
Would you ever buy a $5 million dollar necklace online? It’s an intriguing, and rather amusing, question to chew on—amusing because it's fun to pretend I have a spare $5 million floating around, and intriguing because, well, would I? I already do so much of my shopping online. Should high jewelry be any different? Olivier Reza has made a bit of a name for himself bringing high price, luxury items to the world wide web. First, at Sotheby’s, where he sat on their Board of Directors and was instrumental in establishing the auction house’s first forays into e-commerce, and now at his namesake brand, Reza.
The storied high jewelry maison was established in Paris in the 1950s by Olivier’s father, Alexandre Reza. Known for its unique and extraordinary designs, the house was located on the Place Vendôme until 2020, when Olivier took the reins and relocated to New York City. Olivier, who has degrees in law and finance, and a varied career background, felt called to preserve the legacy of his father’s jewelry business, while introducing a more contemporary outlook.
The modernization of Reza took two essential steps. First, transitioning the brand from Place Vendôme to its current Madison Avenue atelier, a very rare move in the high jewelry world, which was toasted with a chic party at NYC’s Public Hotel. Second, prioritizing its “digital flagship”, worldofreza.com. Reza is the first among high jewelers to make their entire offering—priced from $9,000 to $5 million—available to purchase directly online. For Reza, this is about lifting the veil that seems to shroud the world of high jewelry. No need to make an appointment at the boutique, or endure the scrutiny of a sales associate. Visitors to the website can try on jewelry with Reza’s exclusive virtual reality application.
This approachable philosophy can be seen in Reza’s branding as well. The new campaign, which accompanied the launch of the site, has a fresh, fashion-forward feel, and was shot on models from an array of races, ages, gender identities, and professional backgrounds. Think more SSense than appointment-only. And the jewelry, while truly exquisite, also feels extremely modern. Many of the designs were conceptualized by Olivier with gemstones from his father’s extensive collection that have been re-cut to enhance their brilliance. These pieces are all available now at worldofreza.com, alongside a selection from the brand’s heritage collection.
