Stylecurated: ETSY POPS UP @ MACY'S

Etsy pops up at Macy's Herald Square, 34th Street NYC

To extend the scope and scale of homegrown talent, the wholesale handiwork of 8 Etsy artisans land 'IRL' (in real life) at Macy's One Below on January 27th. Past the food court and around the corner from junior's apparel, a selection of 57 traditionally 'online only' items pop up in an edited on-site endeavor between big box mega-retailer Macy's and out-of-box e-tailer Etsy. The fleeting, themed collaborative space is the newest addition to the year-old, radically transformed, 53,000-square-foot cellar at Macy's Herald Square flagship. New brands will rotate every 6-8 weeks as Macy's and Etsy consider a prolonged partnership. Keep reading for a look inside...

Sol del Sur Jewelry by Soledad Proaño

With a 5.2% reduction in Year on Year sales, Macy's seeks to refresh its selling strategy by striking a balance between lifestyle and technology products, and assorted apparel offerings. The partnership with Etsy is a thoughtful move towards including small batch, bespoke items in a product mix of commercialized product. The current compendium includes jewelry from Sol del Sur, Etymology Jewelry, Reason to be Pretty and Hook & Matter alongside jewelry holders from Modern Mud. Stationery and prints from Meera Lee Patel and Penelope's Press bring a means of creative communications to the metro-modern customer base.

Etymology Jewelry by Natalie Jacob

Since launching in 2005, Etsy has grown from a community of crafters and artisans to a public company with fine print considering the definition of "hand made." At the 10-year milestone, Etsy has evolved the e-tail marketplace and changed perception of artisan craft. While Etsy brings Macy's a measure of 'hand made' (albeit tucked into a quiet corner), will Macy's help Etsy rise to the next level? Will Etsy clientele continue to be comfortable with an increase in commercialization of its creative content (and decrease of the "direct sales" model)?