Matt and Mike and Emily
May 6th, 2015
Her jewelry collections are not for the faint of heart — rich, bold, crusty granulated gold with Byzantine, gothic and religious overtones. One would most likely not see Donna Reed sporting Armenta cuffs. Perhaps Rooney Mara.
Armenta is sold in 11 countries worldwide, in the greats such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Harrods in London, and now Wilson & Son of Scarsdale and Mount Kisco.
Emily Armenta — the mom, artist and women’s empowerment advocate — is gearing up to be a mega accessories designer. But to get a real sense of the woman and what she believes, all you need to know is this: “I hired the cleaning lady.” She is speaking of Lida, her first employee, who is now vice president of product development. As Emily herself explains it:
“One evening, while sketching new designs, a most astonishing woman walked into my small rented office space. It was late and we two were the only people still left in the building. She was emptying waste into an oversized black trash bag and humming the most beautiful song I had ever heard. The ineffable emotion of her singing drifted through the air and curled itself around me like a palpable calmness.
She spoke almost no English and I spoke almost no Spanish. Today, Lida is Vice President of Product Development for Armenta. And still singing. The story of how fortune brought Lida and me together implies something about the company’s attitude toward business and human potential. It also defines my original dream for Armenta: bold in confronting the odds, confident in recognizing unseen talent, and faithful in preserving the superior art of old-world craftsmanship.”
As the enterprise has expanded, Armenta the company now runs an in-house training program for women to learn the jewelry-making trade and hires the best of them to stay on.
We were captivated by Emily’s story. And knocked out by her collections. Different than anything we’ve ever carried in our stores. But we think you’ll agree with us: Armenta is the new beauty. Come in. See for yourself. Be captivated!
