Q&A: Muse Shop-in-Shop at Nordstrom is a “Meaningful Win” for Jewelry

By Karen Dybis | July 25, 2025

Since June, Jennifer Shanker says she has been living a dream come true: The founder and creative director of Muse started her first retail partnership with Nordstrom through a new shop-in-shop in New York City.

Muse is stationed inside Nordstrom’s flagship store at the corner of 57th Street and Broadway, bringing the West Village boutique’s swagger, thoughtful jewelry, and curated home decor into the department store’s celebrated jewelry hall.

The Muse experience within Nordstrom is a place for fun, discovery, and great jewelry, Shanker says. Since the space opened, she says the partnership has been a strong one—and she discovered a surprisingly great lunch spot in the process. So, that’s a win too. Cheers to you, Wolf.

“We made this move for a few big reasons, and so far, it feels like we’re moving in exactly the right direction,” Shanker says. “It was a bold decision, and based on the early response—across sales, client crossover, and general excitement—we feel very good about it. It’s never been a more exciting time to do something meaningful, bold, and a little unexpected in the fine jewelry space.”

JCK spoke with Shanker about her first opening weeks, the opening party, and what’s next.

What has the first month been like? Any tweaks, updates?

It’s been incredible. We’ve already sold pieces from 15 of the 20 brands, and we’ve even had repeat customers returning to purchase more. The response to designers like Ten Thousand Things and Nakard has been especially exciting. We’ve also seen a wonderful crossover: Longtime Muse clients have visited us at Nordstrom, and new customers who discovered us uptown have since stopped by our West Village shop.

We’re only one month in, and we’re learning a ton. So far, no tweaks. But as we continue to learn, we’ll definitely make the adjustments that make sense for our customers and our designers.

The reaction online seemed immense—what was it like to walk into the space and talk to people about it?

Opening our shop at Nordstrom was a true labor of love, so walking into the space for the first time was surreal to see all the ideas that had only existed in our heads materialize in tangible form. Hearing people talking about it and seeing the response from designers, our friends in the industry, and our customers has been extremely rewarding.

This feels like an honor, but also a massive validation of Muse and what you wanted to do. How do you feel about it?

The entire team feels so proud. Muse is a small, mighty team, and this experience stretched us in ways we didn’t anticipate. It asked each of us to step up—creatively, strategically, you name it. Watching it come to life has been one of the most rewarding chapters in our journey. Every detail was touched by someone on our team, and that makes this moment feel even more meaningful. It’s not just a win for the brand, it’s a win for the team behind it.

What is coming next with the space?

A party, of course! In September, we’ll be celebrating the launch, and then in October something charming and very Muse will be happening around then as well. Exciting things to look forward to.

What have been the best parts about this partnership?

We can’t emphasize enough how aligned this moment is with Muse’s DNA. Right now, fun, fabulous jewelry is trending, but we’ve been championing that attitude from the day we launched our wholesale business 20 years ago when jewelry was far more traditional. This partnership brings visibility to designers who deserve a larger platform, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see that resonate with a new audience.

From the very beginning, the welcome from Nordstrom has been nothing short of extraordinary. The enthusiasm from their leadership, floor teams, personal shoppers, and sales associates has been palpable. We’ve felt at home since day one. There’s a shared energy between our brands that just clicks, and we’re loving how seamlessly Muse fits into their world.

Top: The Muse shop-in-shop is the cornerstone of the Nordstrom jewelry hall in New York City (photo courtesy of Muse).