Cass Dimicco On Aureum’s New York City Pop-Up And Nordstrom Launch
Cass Dimicco is the founder and creative director of Aureum , a fashion brand that sells luxury accessories, like belts, jewelry and eyewear. Inspired by vintage design, she wanted to make luxury jewelry for everyday wear.
Aureum means "Golden" in Latin, and the brand's items are plated in 24K gold or silver. It's what Dimicco calls "a little dose of daily luxury."
Now, she is celebrating the brand's five-year anniversary—and one-year anniversary of 'The Art of Accessorizing,' the brand's expansion into eyewear and belts–with a pop up boutique in New York City, which is running until tomorrow at 251 Elizabeth Street.
Aureum: The Gallery, as they call it, brings a fine art touch to Soho. It focuses on the power of accessories to elevate minimal looks, and give it a homey feel with furniture, artwork and accessories.
Since founding in 2019, some of their biggest milestones are hitting seven figures in their first year in business, being worn by Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, and expanding into quality Italian belts.
"The brand was created at a time when I was entering my late 20s and wanted to start to dress timeless and chic," said Dimicco. "I was tired of chasing trends, and once I created a capsule wardrobe for myself, I felt like accessories played a crucial role in elevating every look."
The brand says they have spent "zero dollars" on influencer marketing and celebrity partnerships, claiming all endorsements are organic. "As you can imagine, talents like Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley all have a world of options at their fingertips," said Dimicco. "When I see them choose Aureum, it gives the brand credibility that we're doing something right. It comes from the women styling themselves, which makes it even more special that they are personally choosing our pieces."
Aureum, which Dimicco runs alongside her partner Matthew Hoyle, recently partnered with Nordstrom to showcase their line of leather belts, called Aureum Fine Leathers. The collection will be sold in 10 of their stores across the country, and . Aureum also sells at Shopbop, Neiman Marcus, FWRD and Revolve.
Their vintage-inspired style calls to mind jewelry and belts from the 1980s, and minimal eyewear from the 1990s. They are items that are sophisticated, and some can blend well into a quiet luxury outfit, but others are standout pieces with unique metallic finishes.
"Since the inception of the brand, we have always prioritized the quality of our products and the same is true for our fine leather belts," said Dimicco. "We exhaustively sourced the highest quality Italian leather and partnered with a manufacturer that meticulously crafts belts with quality at the forefront."
The New York pop-up features 10 new belt designs. The designs include chocolate suede studded belts, a bordeaux croc style, and classic styles. "Aureum was first started in our New York City apartment and is still the city with the most of our clientele," said Dimicco. The pop up is filled with wooden furniture by Andrianna Shamaris , including a console table, sculptural chairs, benches and other artsy elements, alongside accessories chosen by the LES Collection .
Their belts range from minimal classics to statement belts with bigger buckles, and studded designs. Statement belts have made a comeback recently, but that isn't where it ends. "I think with the rise of minimalist, classic dressing, a leather belt is an essential piece to look more polished," said Dimicco. "Our statement belts are an easy way to add interest to a look that's as simple as a t-shirt and jeans. Our belts are so universal and can be dressed up or down and styled in endless ways."
Aureum's jewelry ranges from chunky earrings to bold rings and bracelets. Their best selling jewelry items include gold earring designs, like the Irina earrings and the Cait earrings.
Aureum doesn't depend on their logo to share their message. They're one of the logo-free brands with a focus on luxury craftsmanship. "I think more and more people have been wanting accessories that you may not see everyone else in," she said.
The brand wants to forge a path away from "influencer brand" culture to stand on its own within the luxury accessories market.
"We're not an influencer brand, many of our customers have no idea who I am and we want to keep it that way," said Dimicco.
Next up, Dimicco plans to grow Aureum into a fashion house, so stay tuned for clothing to be added to the mix.
