Culture & Style
Celeb Fave Designer Jessica McCormack’s NYC Store is a Magpie’s Dream
By Sam Broekema. May 27, 2025
The New York City townhome offers sumptuous
decor, a cozy vibe and plenty of diamonds.
Brand Ambassador Zoë Kravitz (Courtesy of Jessica McCormack)
Madison Avenue’s accent just got a little more genteel courtesy of UK-based, New Zealand-born jewelry designer Jessica McCormack. The go-to jewelry designer for Zoë Kravitz brings her distinctive antique-inspired but quintessentially modern aesthetic stateside in a multi-floor boutique that is more living room than lapidary. Blue velvet-lined vitrines filled with both exceptional pieces and everyday jewels rub shoulders with Brancusi-inspired sculptures and custom upholstered chairs to take it all in.
The experience is an immersion into the unique world of Jessica McCormack, and the result is a desire to stay forever, if not move in. If it has felt like a long time coming, that would be correct. With two freestanding stores in London, along with a substantial presence at Xanadu and Harrods, there has been a growing desire from her expanding number of fans in the States to have a space of their own.
Jessica McCormack is in NYC… At Last!
Jessica McCormack lights up when asked about the delay, laughing. “Yeah, it’s been a really long time [coming]! But you know that jewelry is slow and takes time. We just had to be patient because if you rush it, you don’t get a second chance. It’s like building a jewelry collection and having years and then generations. But it feels like we’re here now.”
A launch of new exceptional pieces coincides with the opening, made specifically for the new store. One of the stunners of the collection is a 20.09 carat oval-shaped diamond pendant set into the brand’s signature torque necklace. Jessica McCormack has been sourcing the stones for this array for over a year, another testament to that the best things take time. “I was just looking for interesting stones, like that 20-carat oval elongated old mine cut. Things that don’t feel cookie-cutter or the same. I’m always looking for that special stone shape.”
But not to worry if high jewelry isn’t in your plans. The designer’s signature gypset drop earrings and foil-backed rings are very much in evidence. And many familiar with the ring worn on that finger by Zendaya will be excited to see similar styles in person.
Inside Jessica McCormack’s NYC Flagship Store
Spanning 3,200 square feet over two floors (with plans for a 3rd-floor apartment), the 1879 Beaux-Arts building has been refurbished in the Jessica McCormack image. Nary a surface has been left untouched with custom millwork, restored parquet flooring, with elegant wallpaper and touching murals decorating the spaces between a highly curated art collection. Like the diamonds themselves, the artworks are a personal curation with pieces ranging from Carolee Shneeman and Manuel Álvarez Bravo to a sculpture by Thomas J. Price.
Jessica McCormack describes the space and her design ethos, explaining, “I really think of this as a very London brand. A lot of my inspiration is from Victorian and Georgian, and that heritage antique style. But what I think resonates really well with the American client is that it’s modern and fresh and young and cool and wearable. So, when those two things come together, you’ve got a little magical formula.” Even though much of the art and furniture is vintage, everything does feel like it could have been designed today, but even better, that it has been designed with forever in mind.
The designer expands upon her process, saying, “It’s not a reproduction. What we’re doing is bringing the balance of the new and masculine and feminine with the craftsmanship. It’s quite hard to make a 20-carat diamond feel wearable. It was like a little challenge, and my job is to see if I can make this wearable for me.”
The goal of wearability and touch is paramount in the new space. “Sometimes even the cabinets make it a little bit inaccessible,” Jessica McCormack explains, which pushes visitors to want to open the doors and play at every turn. A salon for private clients upstairs, therefore, feels more like a close friend’s dressing room than a formal space. It should be noted that this close friend has exceptional taste you want to borrow.
Why Jessica McCormack’s Jewelry Is Beloved by Celebrities
This exquisite taste and ability to balance the antique with the modern have brought its fair share of celebrity attention. McCormack is quick to point out that this is all genuine love for the brand, with Zoë Kravitz as a notable example. “Zoë is obviously the face of the brand. She started off as a friend and a client. First, she bought a few pieces, then she commissioned some pieces. I always said to her, ‘If you’re not working for a big brand, you can always work with us.’ That also took a few years. When it happened, it just felt really easy and organic.”
Dakota Johnson was seen all over Cannes wearing Jessica McCormack pieces, but always in her off-carpet moments when she is dressing to please herself. This is intrinsic to the relationship with the designer and her clients. “The women are clients first and foremost. They inspire the way that I design, and the woman informs what I create. Because these women are self-purchasing women, doing well, and empowered by the buying.”
