Designer Mimi So breaks the ice in Manhattan
By Julie D. Soo | Special to AsianWeek
Mimi So dazzles as much with her personality as her line of fine jewelry. With grace and flair, she personally tended to each client at a showing of her work at the San Francisco Neiman Marcus, selecting a sparkling diamond piece or a glittery precious or semi-precious ensemble to match the whims and lifestyle of each woman.
The designer’s newest Sesi collection features pavé diamonds set in the shape of seven-armed starfish, in 18-karat white gold. The large starfish spins like a pinwheel on a matching pavé bracelet cuff — for a breathtaking 70-carats — and can be converted into a brooch or clipped onto beaded necklaces made with precious and semi-precious stones such as aquamarines, rubies and blue sapphires. Small starfish can be moved along multi-strand beaded bracelets that evoke the little sea critters captured in netting.
Mimi So is as unique as her designs. She is the first — and still the only female — to break into the boys’ club of Manhattan’s jewelry district. In 1993, at the tender age of 24, So opened the doors of her 500-square-foot flagship store on 47th Street and Fifth Avenue. Last fall, she discarded the girlish deco hodgepodge look of her shop and opted for a cleaner, more streamlined look. She’s now the mother of an infant daughter, Coco-Mei, and an established businesswoman.
So’s jewelry retails from $500 to $150,000 but her one-of-a-kind pieces can cost upwards of $350,000. Her first-year projections for her newly renovated store tap in at more than $5 million. And, Neiman Marcus is now carrying her line in 11 of its 33 stores, including San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Palm Beach, Fla. Her designs also cover the modern day man with discriminating tastes. The succulent gemstone rings of her Jellybean collection add polish to any well-dressed man.
The artisan remembers the tough road in the beginning of her career and because of that, she will always adhere to top quality and crafting in the designs that carry her name and reputation. Equipped with a Bachelors of Fine Art in design from the renowned Parsons School of Design in New York City and a gemologist certification from the Gemological Institute of America, So decided to test her strength as a designer of fine jewelry. She also found her own strength in character tested, after a less-than-hospitable reception from her male counterparts.
“They weren’t very welcoming,” said So, who faced age, gender and race discrimination while breaking into the diamond market. “Now, they’re welcoming,” she muses, noting that her work and strong sense of ethics have improved the reputation of New York’s Diamond District.
“I built a business on reputation and referral. I couldn’t get a bank loan and I had no capital,” explained So. Lacking a network and money, So sought out people who would be willing to take a risk and execute her designs. Unlike the more established jewelers, So had no inventory of diamonds or other stones, not even the precious metal to set her designs. Soon, however, her talent was recognized and So was being sought out by people wanting to work with her.
So, a New York City native of Chinese descent — whose grandfather immigrated to the city — quickly found that the business acumen she had gleaned from her parents paid off. So’s mother was the first Asian Pacific American woman to own a jewelry store in the Bowery, an enclave bordering New York’s Chinatown. Growing up, the younger So spent time helping her parents in the business. But, when the time came for So to chase her dreams, she opted to strike out on her own and break out of a comfortable small neighborhood to test her talent.
“I wanted to break out and see if I could make it in Midtown Manhattan,” recalls So, conjuring the lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s hit song “New York, New York.” From the looks of things, Mimi So has “made it” everywhere.
So’s male counterparts have embraced the glamour that So has brought to Manhattan’s jewelry district. The Hollywood set has also been drawn to So’s creations. One of the dozens of magazines capturing So and her work dubbed her style as “Hollywood glam meets Park Avenue sophistication.” So’s clientele includes Halle Berry, Destiny’s Child, Julianne Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, Joan Allen, Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jordan, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gina Gershon, Carolina Herrera, and Naomi Campbell. The Sex and the City television cast sparkles in Mimi So designs both on and off the set. Early in her career, So struck international acclaim when David Bowie and Iman chose their wedding rings from the Mimi So bridal collection and Iman commissioned other jewelry from So for her wedding day.
So gets her creative inspiration from people. “I enjoy creating beautiful pieces for people and their lifestyle. I don’t design to be trendy,” notes So. She also says she designs with the independent woman who wants to buy jewelry for herself in mind. In addition to the Sesi collection, her highly popular lines currently showcased are the five-petaled diamond flowers of the Anzia collection and the concentric geometric bands of diamonds or precious stones in her Piece collection. All are refreshing and contemporary designs, yet classically elegant.
Although Mimi So could have her choice of stones these days, her first love is still designing with diamonds. “I love quality and the heirloom quality of diamonds,” she says. Diamonds are indeed Mimi So’s best friend. Forever.
For more information go to www.mimiso.com.
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