Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein

JewelryBizGuru Blog has moved to CindyEdelstein.com

Finally! I've got a new look, a new name and a new blog at www.CindyEdelstein.com. I'm so excited!

Expect a lot more content and please don't be shy to comment or ask questions on the new site. CindyEdelstein.com offers a lot more information on the rest of our projects and events, too. So much to share! I hope you join me there.

 

One of A Kind Show -- NYC & Chicago Holiday Sales Applications Ready

Applications are now ready for the 2011 One of a Kind Shows in NYC and Chicago. The New York show has two dates: Nov. 10-13 and 17-20, 2011.

Deadline is May 2, 2011.

Jeweler's who have done the 2010 NYC show:

• Anna Ruth Henriques
• Ambermoda (Poland)
• Angela Cammarota
• Cornelia Goldsmith
• Dana David
• Judith Haas
• Jessica Fields
• Judith Foster
• Julia Failey
• Gabriel Ofiesh
• Rebecka Froberg
• Victoria Varga
• Yasuko Azuma
• Rina Young
• Erica Zap
• ....... and others - 57 jewelers in total from US and abroad

 

Jeweler's who have done the 2010 Chicago show:

• Alisa Miller
• Ardith Johnson, Silversmith
• Amy Buettner
• Christine Bartling
• Craig Hagstrom
• Dana David
• Donna D'Aquino
• Devon Driscoll
• Flying Anvil
• Jeannie Hwang
• Jessica Fields
• JL Walsh
• John/Christine Design
• Keith Lewis
• Margo Morrison
• Sarah Richardson
• Somers
• Linda Steinworth
• ....... and others - 138 jewelers in total from US and abroad

Visit the Chicago show's exhibitor page here and the page for the New York event here.

 

 

 

Lark Books Curating second "500 Rings" book

500 Rings, to be juried by Bruce Metcalf, is second collection of juried rings in the 500 series. Following the widely popular 1000 Rings (Lark Books, 2004), this encore installment will be a 420-page, full color survey of contemporary rings created after 2000.

This international collection will be beautifully presented and widely distributed throughout the world in Spring 2012.They  welcome outstanding images of rings made from any materials and in all design styles.

Jewelers whose work is selected for inclusion will receive full acknowledgment in the book, a complimentary copy, and discounts on the future purchase of books. Artists retain copyright to their work. Lark accepts high-quality digital images, transparencies, and slides. No entry fee is required. Submissions must be postmarked by March 30, 2011.

Detailed entry guidelines and permission forms are included on the 500 Rings Entry Form, which can be downloaded here. 

 

Neil Lane Debuts Bridal Line with Kay Jewelers

Celebrated jewelry designer Neil Lane and Kay Jewelers today announce the launch of Neil Lane Bridal™, a collection of 36 vintage-inspired engagement and wedding rings. Each ring is designed by Neil Lane and hand crafted, assembled, and finished by skilled artisans, with diamonds that were hand selected by Kay, said the press release.

“We are thrilled to launch the new Neil Lane Bridal collection at Kay Jewelers,” said Mark Light, President and CEO, Kay Jewelers. “Partnering with Neil Lane, we have created a one-of-a-kind bridal collection for our Kay customers that reflects Neil’s immense talent for intricate design and passion for style and glamour.”

The Neil Lane Bridal collection features 36 engagement and wedding rings, grouped in the following themes: Energy, Timeless, Essence, and Harmony. Prices range from $2,599 - $7,799. The collection is available at select U.S. Kay Jewelers stores and online at kay.com.

Far cry from what Neil usually offers ... what do you think of this kind of brand extension?

(Photo: Business Wire)

Who deserves to be a Design Star?

I can't get this article out of my mind: it published weeks ago but I keep thinking about it. Being in the business of helping designers -- both newcomers and those that have arrived -- I ruminate on the topic a lot.

The New York Times' Eric Wilson covered the glamorous and self-promoting 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards event on June 7th. The tenor of the article is "who deserves stardom?" And it addresses the age old tug of war between talent and fame; longevity vs. newness.

                    He writes:

It is, after all, hard to say who has real talent and staying power or merely the ability to sell themselves effectively, which is why, at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards ceremony, some provocative comments made by Kim Hastreiter, a founder of Paper magazine, struck a nerve that was in sharp contrast to a night that is normally dominated by a spirit of self-congratulation.

“Just because you’re cute, connected, rich and famous doesn’t necessarily mean you design great stuff,” Ms. Hastreiter said on stage. “We’ve got to stop with this ‘one day you’re in, the next day you’re out’ business. How can you be a genius today and the next year you’re not, because you are off trend?”

I often refer to the luck of the draw, the "one hit wonders" and the yoke of success in all my marketing seminars. And conversely of not stagnating and missing trends that consumers want to buy.

We talk about those in relation to the more prosaic acts of bookkeeping, paying ones dues and knocking on countless doors. There's such a need for basic business knowledge -- and more important, mastery -- that talent alone is the bare minimum job requirement of a entrepreneur.

But it always looks easy for the "other guy." I have yet to find a designer who didn't find greener grass in someone else's yard. No matter how verdant their own plot may be.

We're all seduced by the newest hot designer -- often whom we assume has great heat based on their press coverage or showcase location in Bergdorf's, Neimans or Ylang23/Twist/Moondance Jewelry. We rarely, if ever, know how hot their bank account is and that, of course, is the truest measure of business success.

I've now been around long enough to witness the long and short lifecycles of some very famous, and a few infamous, jewelry designers.

I can tell you for sure -- when it comes to true success it ain't about the jewels. It most often comes down to the marketing and the operations. Marketing to create the desire and operations to sustain the growth.

While I too am often seduced by the design, the designer and the inspiration -- I am now impressed more with the discipline, the command of numbers and the execution of good strategy. I am now more turned on by a spreadsheet firmly in the black than the most colorfully unique design. 

There is a rather low barrier to entry in this field -- even when working with precious materials you can find the cash to start a line. But the ability to grow a business is way more impressive. And way, way harder to do.

And while passion is certainly on the top of the list of traits needed to run your own design firm -- it is closely followed by discipline. And diligence. 

It takes time to develop these skills even if you come by the trait naturally. To quote Michael Kors in the article:

“I waited three years before I ever had a fashion show, and by the time I did I had a business,” Mr. Kors said. “Today the spotlight is so quick that it’s really hard to start anything under the radar today. I don’t know if you can still let a business percolate and grow naturally.” But it is a fact that there are more aspiring designers than ever before. “It may be easier to become a designer, but it’s a lot harder to make it as a designer,” said Mr. Spurr, who trained at Yves Saint Laurent before starting his men’s wear label. “There are a lot of people out there with no training at all, but you have to understand the business side, the public relations, the production and the shipping.”

Read the whole article here.

Designers continue pledge not to use coral

[source: NationalJeweler.com] New York--With a much-anticipated protection measure for red and pink coral failing to pass this week, nonprofit organization Sea Web and its "Too Precious to Wear" campaign continue to push forward, gathering designers and manufacturers from the jewelry industry to pledge their support for coral conservation.

In the weeks before the 15th Conference of Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)-where, on Sunday, 64 countries voted in favor of the measure, 59 countries voted against it and 10 abstained-Sea Web had gathered 11 new Too Precious to Wear signatories, adding them to a long list of designers, including Tiffany and Co. and Temple St. Clair, who had previously pledged their support.

"The jewelers joining the campaign today are helping to set the standard in responsible design among the fine jewelry industry by pledging to personally do their part to protect these natural resources by refusing to purchase or use real coral in their designs and by urging other designers to take a similar stance," the organization said in a release.

The most recent Too Precious to Wear signatories are Dana Lorenz of Fallon and Fenton, Eduardo Garza, Ileana Makri, Irene Neuwirth, Kara Ross, Kimberly McDonald, Melissa Joy Manning, Monique Pean, Nak Armstrong of Anthony Nak, Nicole Miller and Robin Renzi of Me and Ro.

"The efforts of these committed fine jewelry designers mean we are experiencing a sea-change in the fashion and design industry when it comes to coral use," Dawn Martin, president of SeaWeb said.

Additional supporters who had previously signed the pledge include Amy Smilovic of Tibi, Chantecaille, Simon Cardwell of Cheeky Monkey Jewelery, Hannah Garrison of AZU Jewelry and Wear your Music, Leber Jeweler, Lela Rose, Lilly Pulitzer, Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai of Vena Cava, Maria Cornejo, Maria Grachvogel, Michael Aram, Minnie Mortimer, Nicole Miller, Norma Kamali, Pottery Barn, Reem Acra, Temple St. Clair, Tiffany and Co., Toni Hacker and Ben Harnett of Hayden-Harnett and Yigal Azrouël.

In the wake of the CITES vote, signatory Tiffany and Co. released this statement: "Tiffany and Co. is appalled by the CITES decision not to list red and pink corals on Appendix II.  We will continue to support efforts to ensure this threatened species is properly protected."

via www.nationaljewelernetwork.com

TOWN & COUNTRY has a new look

TOWN & COUNTRY* has a new look,says the magazine industry blogger Meg Weaver on her weekly enewsletter.

"Starting with the January issue, to shore up their sagging ad pages - 45% year-to-date, they are still going after the woman in her 40s, "but she acts younger and dresses in a youthful way," said editor-in-chief Pamela Fiori. 

Inside the magazine, Fiori plans on running more provocative travel pieces (the January issue has a story on Marrakech) and first-person accounts of navigating difficult times in personal and professional relationships.  "The magazine is evolving from old money and moving toward new money," said Fiori.  "These women are totally unafraid of change and what's coming next.  And she's not just a White Anglo Saxon Protestant."  On the publishing end, vice president and publisher Jim Taylor said his job as a luxury marketer is to provide "permission" for shoppers to visit a store again and again.  "We are inviting our readers to special events, giving them exclusive access to such things as designers, fine wines, personal shoppers and private appointments and jewelry."  Or as one of Meg's staffers at the Wooden Horse Magazine News expressed it: "Translation?  Younger, sexier models, more sex in the text, and editorial aimed at women in their 40s who are rich enough to act like they are still in their 20s with a trust fund."...

At Ben Bridge a "Girl" Becomes a Trust Agent

Are you wondering how you can get started with social marketing? Or how to do it well?

Here's a quck blog post from Veronica Wei Sopher an employee at Ben Bridge who turned herself into @BenBridgeGirl a clever, engaging "trust agent" for her company who tiptoed carefully into cyberspace to become the voice of her company. 

 Her rationale?

"Why am I doing all this? Because I’m a “trust agent” (hat tip to Chris Brogan and Julien Smith). I believe this is the next move that will truly set Ben Bridge Jeweler apart in customers’ eyes. So many people are ready to hear from and rally around Ben Bridge. Amazing things happen when a company begins speaking with a human voice instead of a corporate one. Frank Eliason has done it for Comcast. Scott Monty has done it for Ford. Richard Binhammer has done it for Dell. I know I can do the same for Ben Bridge Jeweler. "

 Hats off to Veronica, a beacon of enlightenment. Follow her on twitter and see what the fuss is about!

Jewelers Should Be Efficient With Your Social Networking

  Budget your time wisely -- or risk being ruled by the internet, says Starr Hall, author of Get Connected: The Social Networking Toolkit for Business, available from Entrepreneur Press.

 In a recent Entrepreneur.com article Hall advises using third party "helper" programs to manage your various social media sites.  For instance, Tweetdeck helps you tie your Twitter updates with your Facebook updates. And Facebook has a little application called Networkedblogs that lets you pull your blog entries into your Facebook page.

 Since you need to use more than one social medium -- but NOT that many more, please! -- these helpers are a great timesaver. And just to remind folks we advise that a blog,  Facebook and Twitter are the only ones you need. And of course, you're sending regular enewsletters via a service like Myemma.com (we're an agency for them and can help you set it all up) is also essential to your marketing plan.

That's all you need to be completely plugged in.

Adding Linkedin is ok if you want a professionals only network, too, and Flickr for photo sharing if that interests you. No more! Don't confuse the issue; those sites suffice.

 Another time saver Hall suggests is not to "e-mail back or talk to every single person that responds to your post or that thanks you online for posting something. The easiest way to stay connected yet not get overwhelmed is to only respond to conversations where the person is asking for an answer, further information, or guidance. If they simply post a thank you, let it be. Another effective way to stay on task with social networking is to set up a response system. One or two days a week, set aside 15 to 20 minutes to respond to your social networking e-mails and posts."

Read the full article here on msnbc.com where the article recently was published.

Photos you can use on your jewelry blog without breaking the law…

Getting serious about blogging? Want to blog about more than your own work? Love fashion so you want to comment on fashion designers and their trends?

Read this article on the Fashion Bloggers blog and learn how to find and use other people's images correctly!

"Sure there are loads of bloggers who lift images from other sites, but due to copyright infringement laws, they may be breaking the law, and vulnerable to lawsuits. Yuck. So which images can you use? "  Jennine Tamm of Independent Fashion Bloggers

Image by Digital Sophia