“Who am I to say that this is not for you?” Ariel Neman, designer and founder of jewelry brand Regime NY, says of his collections. The brand, based in midtown Manhattan’s jewelry district, is based around the idea that everyone can wear it, no matter their gender or age. “Designing for just men or just women — that was not something that I was interested in.”
Unlike many designers, Neman had no formal training or fancy fashion education. “I went to college in the city at a school that had nothing to do with design, but I always loved fashion and the creativity involved with it,” he says over the phone. So during the summer after his junior year, he went for it. “I noticed a lot of people wearing these big, heavy chains, so I started playing around with that stuff. Looking at the designs that were out there, though, I kept thinking of ways that I could tweak them to be better.” In the end, he designed a ‘60s-inspired collection that was high quality, on-trend, and designed with no gender in mind. Soon after, a family vacation to Vegas (of all places) put things with Neman — and his brand, Regime — in motion.
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“I was heading to Las Vegas at the time for a family trip, and something told me that I should bring my jewelry with me.” It’s safe to say that the universe was working in Neman’s favor that day. “I kept seeing people go in and out of this building across the street from my hotel, so I took the liberty to walk in. Apparently, it was a trade show. I didn’t have a pass, a booth, nothing.” Before long, celebrities, retailers, and brands at the show were asking him about his designs. “I had no idea what a trade show was, but it seemed like a good opportunity.”
Good was an understatement. From that trade show, Neman garnered the relationships necessary to get his designs in front of Urban Outfitters. “About a year and a half ago, buyers from the brand reached out to me after finding Regime at another show. They really saw the brand for what it is: a unisex brand that’s made in America; a brand that’s quality and different.” There was just one issue: The prices didn’t match up.
To make sense of their higher prices compared to Regime’s, Neman developed a new brand, R by Ariel Neman, exclusively for Urban Outfitters. “They gave me two weeks and said do it.” Neman’s debut collection with UO was made up of 14 pieces, all handmade by him and his team, that sold out in two weeks. Not bad for an untrained 22-year-old with a dream.
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Now, almost two years later, Urban Outfitters is back for more. “They called me up and said that they loved the aesthetic, the quality, and the fact that no one else in retail was doing what I was doing at the price that I was doing it for.” His response? Another 14 pieces, inspired by Virgil Abloh and Japanese jewelry designer Ambush, to be sold at the brand under a new name: Ariel Neman for Urban Outfitters.
Teddy bear necklaces, knife earrings, chains made out of literal safety pins — you won’t find anything like Ariel Neman’s collection for UO. So follow in the footsteps of Katie Holmes, Jamie Foxx, Winnie Harlow, and more by shopping Ariel Neman’s inclusive jewelry collection for Urban Outfitters, available now on urbanoutfitters.com.