The winter 2025 edition of Melee the Show is just around the corner, and it promises to offer fresh designs. Kicking off in New York from February 1 to 3 before moving down to Tucson from February 5 to 7, the boutique jewelry trade show features a stellar group of established and emerging designers.
Show founders Lauren Wolf and Rebecca Overmann are especially excited about a host of Melee first-timers, whose work they describe in a joint email to Rapaport as “inspiring, bold, [and] truly showcasing the diversity of artistry in jewelry.”
The show has come a long way since its inception: It started out with just 13 brands in 2017, and this upcoming fair will number 67 designers.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this year’s lineup,” say Wolf and Overmann, who are themselves successful jewelry designers. “It’s amazing to see the creativity, craftsmanship and vision they’re sharing with the world. We’re particularly thrilled to introduce new designers in Tucson.”
The latest styles
Showing at the Arizona fair for the first time are Paola Zovar, Studio Baharra, Siri Hansdotter, Renata Cambauva, Heather Guidero, Human Design Studios, and Seth Michael.
There will also be new creations from Melee the Show regulars in the New York showroom, which the organizers say demonstrate the breadth of influences and aesthetics there. Visitors should look out for the vibrant gemstone work of British jewelry designer Ciara Bowles, new sculptural pieces from Fannie Thomas, organic forms and thoroughly modern pearls by Mariko Tsuchiyama, and fresh ideas from Manuk’s Workshop, whose innovative diagonal rings saw plenty of attention at a Paris event the Melee organizers held during Fashion Week in fall 2024.
Among the newbies, French designer Zovar has grown a following for her personalized Totem tag necklaces and use of negative space, while Michael’s intricately worked interpretations of the natural world are sure to turn heads. Elsewhere, Guidero combines unusual stones with modernist influences, and Hansdotter brings strikingly sculptural, organic form to the table.
‘By creatives, for creatives’
Wolf and Overmann originally started Melee the Show in New York to introduce a new kind of jewelry trade fair, one that would provide a more meaningful experience for both buyers and jewelers. Designed “by creatives, for creatives,” Melee aims to be smaller, easier and more manageable for visitors on both sides of the stand, with consideration for the curation and floorplan. They launched the Tucson show in 2022 and added the Paris event last fall to help participating brands build global visibility.
As they prepare for the winter shows, Wolf and Overmann are grateful for “everyone who makes Melee the Show what it is. To our returning designers, whose dedication and passion continue to inspire us year after year, and to the new designers bringing fresh energy and exciting perspectives to this community…. We can’t wait to see this year’s show come to life.”
Melee the Show will take place at The Lighthouse Chelsea Pier in New York from February 1 to 3, then at Stillwell House in Tucson, Arizona, from February 5 to 7. Visit meleetheshow.com for more information.
Image: Earrings by Ciara Bowles. (Ciara Bowles)
