By Rachel Garrahan
Dalia Oberlander, the founder of luxury gem e-tailer Latest Revival, fell in love with jewellery at an early age, exploring her collector mother's jewellery boxes and joining her father at auctions and fine jewellery houses.
Later, while working at Sotheby's, the New Yorker frequently helped male friends in their epic search for the perfect engagement ring, and in doing so spotted a niche for a fine jewellery site that offered the best in vintage and contemporary design. "Every piece of jewellery carries a story, and I love being a part of that. That's the wonderful thing about jewellery - it's forever," she says.
This led, in 2012, to the launch of Latest Revival, a one-stop shop for classic pieces from the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels and Bulgari as well as what she calls "the contemporary best": a select number of designers including Delfina Delettrez, Bao Bao Wan, Monique Péan, Deborah Pagani, Fernando Jorge and Noor Fares.
This mix of old and new is a reflection of the way Dalia herself wears jewellery. "I love the balance of those two worlds," she says over tea at hip Manhattan hotel The Marlton, layering contemporary Caroline Bucci and Lulu Frost with vintage Cartier and Hermès. "With Latest Revival, we're playing with the different undertones of jewellery - old and new, quirky and established, high and low - to create something fresh," she says.
With an ever-growing number of online competitors, Latest Revival sets itself apart with a number of features, including exclusive designs by many of its brands, something that has proved so popular that the site is planning many more in the coming months. Its striking visual look and editorial approach is an enticing mix of high fashion magazine and contemporary art exhibit, and it features a steady rotation of designer interviews as well as an Essential Edit section, with selections by brand friends such as fashion maven Lynn Yaeger.
Always on the lookout for rare and outstanding antique pieces as well as up-and-coming designers from around the world, Dalia seeks jewellery that will have lasting appeal, and eclectic brands with a unique voice that also complement each other.
The latest brand to receive the Latest Revival stamp of approval is London-based COMPLETEDWORKS, whose architecture-inspired fine jewellery collection launched in the United States this week exclusively on Latest Revival.
