A deep dive into the prestigious jewelry competition by Ylang23 and its latest partnership with NouvelleBox.

Mentoring jewelry designers was an unofficial part of the job for Joanne Teichman from day one of opening the doors to Ylang 23, Dallas' ultimate jewelry destination.

But the retailer has gone on to formalize their efforts in supporting young talent with THENEXTNOW, a designer competition spearheaded by Joanne's daughter and vice president of business development at Ylang23 Alysa Teichman, alongside the investment platform Ember Company.

Joanne and Alysa Teichman - founders of THENEXTNOW and Ylang 23

"It has evolved into a great way for us to discover talent and a business driver too, which we hadn't really expected," said Alysa Teichman who aimed at using the platform to "share knowledge and connections" with up-and-coming talent, looking for a way in.

"Being successful in the jewelry industry is about your product, your design, your branding - all those things. But a lot of it is also about who you know and how you work it," she said.

To ensure connections are made and designers' networks keep growing, team Ylang23 has always made a point of sharing their little black book of contacts with THENEXTNOW participants and inviting judges from across the industry.

"The industry is very competitive, so the first time I invited some of our “competitors” to be on the judging panel or designers we don't work with, they were taken aback - but it's all about lifting these designers up. The old school way is to be very guarded, but that's not what our core values are. We are fully aware that a lot of retailers have to exist in order for this industry to thrive," explained Teichman.

Judges at THENEXTNOW during the last physical show

In the past, judges have included buyers from the likes of Moda Operandi and Bergdorf Goodman; Foundrae designer Beth Bugdaycay; and editors from titles like ELLE, In Style and Town & Country.

As for the winners, L.A.-based Retrouvai has been among the "biggest success stories," alongside Cyril Studio, DRU and most recently PARI, the jewelry label by Athens-born Pari Sofianou.

Sofianou was the winner of the 2021 digital iteration of the competition and it came at a time when designers needed the support more than ever before, as real-life networking opportunities vanished, markets moved online and physical stores closed for prolonged periods of time. 

"It would take years to make the connections I made in a day (when winning THENEXTNOW). I had a lot of response from the U.S. market, people placed orders digitally and wanted to know more about the competition. That was the point, when I really felt that things were going to be fine, " said Sofianou, who is best known for her cosmic jewelry, often inspired by the worlds of Greek mythology and astrology she grew up with.

Uranos Pendant by 2021 THENEXTNOW winned Pari

The post-lockdown iteration of THENEXTNOW includes a year's access to NouvelleBox, so that the winning brand can better adapt to the new digital-first business landscape and connect digitally with retailers around the world.

"I would normally just send emails to buyers, but when you are on a dedicated platform it's a different story. Connections are easier, you get replies faster and better feedback," said Sofianou. "I do miss people and in-person interactions but this has been so easy."

Pari Sofianou

Indeed, jewelry professionals across the board are eager to get back on the road and experience what is, at the end of the day, a high-touch business. But after a year of Zoom calls, day-to-day online interactions will be a lot smoother.

"It's great that we've learnt to use digital as a tool. It makes our job easier because the reality is we're not going to be seeing our European partners more than twice a year at most," said Teichman. "But I'm ready to get back and to be wow'd by something I've never seen before."

@thenextnow