RAPAPORT...
Exhibitors at the 14th edition of Couture at the Las Vegas Wynn said they were surprised and satisfied with the opening days of the show, welcoming a mix of regular customers and new buyers. Couture is largely an appointment-based show, so it’s hard to gauge traffic. However, organizers reported a 20 percent increase in buyer attendance on May 28, the opening day of the six-day show. Still, by the third day, when the JCK Show opened across the street, there was a noticeable siphoning off of traffic.
This year’s event hosted approximately 200 top-of-the-line brands of jewelry and watches and attracted 4,100 retailers from 55 countries, including those in the perennial Cornerstone category as well as the new VIP designation, along with qualified walk-ins from the Luxury and JCK shows. However, most exhibitors agreed that the show’s six-day length is too long.
Many retailers divide their time between the shows, keeping appointments with key suppliers but at the same time looking for new resources. Dani Siroan, co-owner of Serli & Siroan, Toronto, said she comes to Las Vegas to find new and exciting designs. Her itinerary included both Couture and the JCK show.
In her shop, Siroan offers original designs, as well as established brands. “I have a lot of American customers who like more dramatic, bolder styles than Canadian shoppers,” she said. Despite the current malaise in the market, she stated: “This is not a time to lower quality of merchandise. I have weathered three recessions and I know it will end. It might be tough for awhile, but it’s important to keep quality up.”
Lower PricesGenerally, exhibitors agreed with Siroan’s philosophy. But to keep clients interested and to encourage sales, many designers said they added new categories and/or new materials to hit lower price points.
For example, Eddie Sakamoto, owner and designer of Sakamoto, Torrance, California, said he continues to enjoy great success with his dangling sculptural earrings in the $750 to $3,500 wholesale range. For Couture, he added necklaces to the line. Most take the form of pendants on neck rings in white, yellow or rose gold with movable elements and diamond accents.
Each has a hand-engraved texture that provides a dramatic backdrop to the diamonds. Sakamoto chooses diamonds in G to H color and VS clarity; total weights are generally a half-carat and lower.
Sofragem, Bangkok, known for its multicolored gemstone jewelry, added new designs to satisfy the American market. Cedric Garnier, principal, said some of his customers are requesting the addition of brown diamonds to keep prices down. “They don’t ask us to lower quality, but to cut prices with color,” he said. The quality of white diamonds is G to H color and VS clarity.
One notable trend coming out of Europe is “silver diamonds,” said Garnier. These are natural colored diamonds but with many imperfections that give them a silvery, grayish tone. Sofragem showed several pieces featuring these diamonds, combined with gray gold and moonstones.
Price is always an issue, but in these challenging times, even top-of-the-line retailers are looking for some price breaks.
In order to succeed in today’s market, designers have “to add value so there are no fights over prices,” observed Sergio Antonini, Antonini, Milan. The company’s new Anniversary collection consists of romantic, organic designs of flowers and hollow, freeform links in rose, yellow and white gold with diamond accents. Each piece is signed and numbered and there will be a maximum of 130 pieces of each style. The new collection stresses adaptability. Pendants are offered in a variety of sizes and diamond weights and most pieces can be detached and worn in different ways.
A number of designers added sterling silver to their lines. Yvel, known for its sumptuous pearl jewelry, launched the Daniel collection of colored gemstones and sterling silver. Jordan Schlanger, New York City, creator of a sleek, contemporary collection of gold, diamonds and silver, has introduced pieces with slightly lighter weights to keep prices in line. He said his new pieces are “affordable but with flair, keeping the aesthetic, but keeping it light.” Adding to his signature “dot diamond” design are other styles using accents of micropavé.
The Right BuyersFirst-time show exhibitors were generally enthusiastic about the number and caliber of buyers they met at Couture. Robin Haley, of Robin Haley Jewelry, Nashville, Tennessee, said she is a 30-year veteran of jewelry design, but this was her first Couture. She had a small booth in the Design Atelier, but said she was happy with the reaction of buyers to her ancient-inspired designs in sterling silver and 18-karat gold.
Yael Sonia said the Couture audience was “the right public for what I do.” Her jewelry features boldly cut gemstones, bracelets and pendants with rolling spheres of gems and pearls and other whimsical architectural designs. Sonia has her own boutique in New York City, which attracts shoppers from as far away as Texas and California, and she said she felt the time is right for her to distribute to other regions.
Jewelry veteran Armand Jacoby, whose Philadelphia company bears his name, said reaction was positive to his Solare Collection of shimmering pendants and earrings of carbon fiber encrusted with tiny diamonds. Most pieces retail from $1,000 to $15,000.
Suna Bros., New York City, dazzled buyers with its “floating diamond necklace” and several big, bold diamond bracelets in either platinum or 18-karat white gold. Principal Aaron Suna said diamonds have always been a cornerstone of his designs. The style of the new bracelets, he said, is “vintage with a twist.”
Showing her unique designs for the fourth year, Raffaella Mannelli, Florence, attracted lots of attention with her oversized ebony and diamond jewelry. “This is a very important show for me,” the designer commented. “The United States is a small part of my market but growing steadily.”
Couture Design Award WinnersOne of the perennial highlights of the Couture show was the display and selection of winners of the Couture Design Awards honoring 12 designers in 13 categories.
Barbara Heinrich for Best in Gold
Roberto Demeglio for Best of Platinum
Armenta for Best of Silver
Stephen Webster for Best of Diamonds
La Reina for Best of Natural Color Diamonds
Arman for Best of Colored Gemstone
Zobel Atelier for Best of Pearls
Pamela Froman for Best of Bridal
Sevan Biçakci for Best of Men’s Jewelry
La Reina for Best of New Trends
Milus for Best of Timepieces
Elena Votsi for Best New to Couture
Yossi Harari for Best of Haute Couture
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - July 2009. To subscribe click here.