My Store: Taking a look at Marylebone’s Kabiri

Established in Marylebone in 2004, Kabiri is a multi-brand fashion and fine jewellery boutique aimed at the “modern metropolitan woman” through a curated selection of fine and fashion jewellery designers. Founded by former PR executive and Goldsmith’s alumni Nathalie Kabiri, the idea for the boutique came after spotting a gap in the market in 2004 for designer jewellery at a certain price point. In essence, Kabiri describes the idea behind the boutique as “editing a jewellery wardrobe” targeted towards “self-purchasers” who want “different” and “unusual things” but one that also allows for a similar sense of aesthetic that binds the pieces together. “It is a lot of what I would want to wear and what I think people would want to wear, it is quite simple and is not a big strategy. Obviously it is a little more than just liking it, it has to be at the right price point and not overpriced or too cheap,” says Kabiri. Over the years the boutique has featured in many iterations including as a concession in luxury department store Selfridges and an additional shop on King’s Road before the decision was made to focus solely on its Marylebone flagship. “As we have become better known people have placed more trust in us and to buy fine jewellery so over the years we have started to make more fine jewellery, and as such our price point has steadily increased as the business has developed.” While still known for its trendsetting jewellery collections and for championing up-and-coming jewellery talent from the UK and overseas, Kabiri explains how the store has decided to take “fewer risks” on new designers and has learned to look at people's careers first in order to establish whether a new designer can support the store as a commercial enterprise. “I can't go with my heart all the time,” she adds. Described as not an overly large store the Kabiri flagship’s store layout sees lower priced pieces displayed at the front of the store with the more valuable pieces displayed at the back. Kabiri also explains how she tries to work out how the pieces “flow aesthetically”. She adds that jewellery much like clothing and retail, has a certain colour flow to how the “metals work together”. She says: “It is very important that when customers enter the store that they are met with a visually pleasing layout. I also know the areas in the store that are more popular with them and that always helps.” Looking ahead Kabiri said she is “always looking to increase” the company’s sales going into 2020 and I still thinks that is “achievable” despite what is going with Brexit and is more dependent on having the right brands in-store. “In terms of strategy we also want to focus more on bespoke pieces and marketing that with bespoke engagement rings and even bringing in some own brand items.”