Industry Jewelers Website johnhardy.com Founder John Hardy Parent organization Catterton Partners | Products Jewelry Headquarters Hong Kong Founded 1975 | |
 | ||
Key people Robert Hanson, CEO
Guy Bedarida, Head Designer and Creative Director
John Hardy, Founder CEO Robert L. Hanson (1 Aug 2014–) Profiles | ||
John Hardy is a jewelry company. Founded by John Hardy in 1975, the company is known for its Asian inspired designs and traditional handmade jewelry techniques. It markets itself as a “sustainable luxury” brand.
Contents
History
John Hardy jewelry was founded by Canadian designer and artist, John Hardy, in 1975. He visited Bali in the mid-1970s and the island's jewelry-making traditions raised his interest. He began learning the techniques of the local artisans then developed his first pieces by applying new design concepts to traditional Balinese techniques.
The John Hardy compound was built in Mumbal, Bali in 1996 and is the company production center where the jewelry is created. It also serves as a living and gathering space with an organic farm and low impact buildings.
In 1999, Guy Bedarida, a senior designer of haute joaillerie of the Place Vendôme, joined the company as Head Designer and expanded Hardy’s design concepts to include the use of classical European jewelry techniques and new motifs inspired by nature and ancient East Asian art styles and themes.
In 2007, then John Hardy president Damien Dernoncourt, with Head Designer and Creative Director, Bedarida, purchased the company from Hardy. That same year the company headquarters was moved to Hong Kong and a satellite office was opened in New York.
The company opened its first flagship store in Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta in 2010. In 2011, it opened its first store at The Landmark, Hong Kong. In 2014, two more stores were opened in Bali, Indonesia.
On July 31, 2014, John Hardy announced that Robert Hanson, former CEO of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., was appointed CEO.
Summer 2016, John Hardy opened its first U.S. boutique in Houston and is scheduled to open the second on the Island of Manhattan. The building at 11 Prince Street, between Greene and Wooster streets in the SoHo neighborhood, will take up an entire building over three floors.
Designs
John Hardy jewelry is known for its designs in sterling silver and for using traditional Balinese jewelry-making techniques and patterns to create modern pieces.
Environmental and Social Consciousness
“Greener Every Day” is a company slogan used to summarize and describe its efforts to be a “green” company (the ultimate goal being to become carbon neutral). In 2006, John Hardy launched its “Sustainable Advertising” program to offset the carbon emissions from its print advertising, business travel and electricity consumption. It does so by planting bamboo on Bali and Nusa Penida, a small island off the coast of Bali. Through its "Wear Bamboo, Plant Bamboo" program, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of its Bamboo collection items are used to fund the company’s continuous bamboo plantings. As of August 2012, the company uses 100% recycled silver in all designs.
Acquisition by Catterton Partners Equity Firm
On July 31, 2014 Catterton Partners, a leading private equity firm, acquired John Hardy and announced that Robert Hanson would take over as Chief Executive Officer.