Jumping into new markets: The CHRIST brand JETTE goes international - an interview with designer Jette Joop

During our visit to Vicenzaoro, we also had a conversation with designer Jette Joop, who markets her JETTE brand through the jewelry chain CHRIST. Under the Morellato umbrella, JETTE will now conquer entirely new markets. In this interview, Jette Joop talks to us about design, her expectations for international expansion, the recognition of her brand, and reveals her personal style.

INSIGHT LUXURY: Ms. Joop, were you aware that JETTE as a brand would automatically become internationalized through Morellato's takeover of CHRIST?

JETTE JOOP: Not automatically, but ultimately it's also thanks to Massimo Carraro's vision and approach, because he realized it might be a good fit. It was also his job to decide in which market to develop further in order to make the whole thing more international. 

I'm also very grateful to him for making this decision. We had one or two conversations, and that confirmed to me the positive direction things are headed in. After all, there are also takeovers that don't happen through a family business, but rather as a mere private company, and then it can be difficult to have your own ideas or suggestions heard. 

IL: The name Joop, and also Jette Joop, has a history and appeal in Germany. Do you have any insight into how the label is perceived abroad?

JJ: I deliberately chose my first name, Jette, for the brand. And it's true that JETTE exists as a brand completely independent of other labels, but abroad, "Jette" might just be a nice-sounding word. It's a whole new world that opens up, and for some people, that connection isn't immediately apparent, unless you're genuinely interested and informed.

Interestingly, I know that there are markets that are extremely interested in the Jette story: Hungary, for example, and some other countries where you wouldn't expect it. And in America, of course, there's a certain level of awareness...

But otherwise, the whole thing is completely new territory, and I find that incredibly exciting! There are always two reasons why a brand works well: One is simply the design itself...

IL: …that means you have the chance to let the design speak for itself, because the history is not known in other markets.

JJ: Exactly! And the design is also very well-crafted, and the quality of the production is also very good. I'm very happy with it. The jewelry is very well made, and the quality of the settings for the stones is also very, very high—almost like diamonds. 

I'm very excited to see what happens in new markets that aren't familiar with the brand and the family history. JETTE is glamorous, it's feminine, it's an interesting mix of styles and materials, and I think even for retailers who aren't yet familiar with JETTE, the collection fits very well into Morellato's existing, already familiar range. One collection is made of sterling silver with gold plating, and the other collection is made of steel and is a bit more masculine in some aspects, so it's a great mix for positioning.

IL: You started making jewelry quite early, but you've designed a wide variety of things throughout your career. How important is jewelry design to you?

JJ: Jewelry design is simply my thing. It's my heart, my passion, and what's always driven me. I studied automotive design, I have a Bachelor of Science, and I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to cars. And there's a part of me that sometimes just wants to explore the world. I make jewelry, jewelry, jewelry, and suddenly my brain tells me: You're an industrial designer, you have a Bachelor of Science, can't you invent something?

Jewelry is beautiful and decorative, but new inventions can only go so far. And the industrial designer in me sometimes needs an outlet. Sometimes I have ideas for something that's needed, or for something I personally need, and I just get started on it.

IL: You have experience in automotive, shoes, bedding, and a radio. You even designed a tent with your students. How much overlap does jewelry have with the other design areas you've worked in?

Instead of a direct explanation, Jette shows a ring from the new collection, which consists of two silver ring bands that merge together in the lower part, while in the upper, separate part of the ring, one band winds around the other like a loop.

JJ: Look at this ring: There's a lot of thought and consideration put into these details, and the question of how things fit together. To stay with the example of the tent my students designed: To tie the tent to the tent pole, you think about loops. If we go back to jewelry, we'll eventually end up with a loop again. There are always elements in one area that also work in another and for which an overarching design exists.

You look at the jewelry and think, this is totally new, but actually the design already exists somewhere in another context.

What I want to achieve with my jewelry is a mix of innovation and accessibility – and it's not that easy to combine the two.

IL: How would you describe your own style?

JJ: In my private life, I'm more of an athletic type. When I go for a walk in the woods with my dogs, I wear only my favorite pieces—a few, but select, personal talismanic items from my collections. Since I spend my life with aesthetics and design, a break in nature is especially important to me. Things can be quite simple there, too.

IL: Ms. Joop, thank you for the interview.