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Brand News: Hearts On Fire in China; Melkonian to MARLI; Forevermark In Miami; More December 03, 2014 (0 comments)
Hearts On Fire Launches in Mainland China
Shanghai, China—Hearts On Fire celebrated its upcoming launch in Mainland China with a special ceremony last week. Its first standalone brand image store is set to open in Shanghai in December, but Hearts On Fire shared its marketing and retail rollout strategies in advance of the boutique’s opening.
Hosting the event were director and Hearts On Fire board member Adrian Cheng and CEO Glenn Rothman, as well as fashion icon Olivia Palermo as a special guest, who wore pieces from the brand’s new “Fire Collection.”
China is the world’s fastest-growing market for diamond jewelry sales and, focused on meeting the rapidly rising demand for diamond and gem-set jewelry there, Hearts On Fire will tap into two key Chinese consumer trends. Its specialty diamond offering aligns with young Chinese consumers’ increasing preference for diamond over traditional gold jewelry, particularly in the bridal category. The brand’s premium luxury positioning also caters to the country’s expanding demographic of brand-aware middle-and upper-class buyers eager to spend on luxury and lifestyle purchases.
“We are very confident about the prospects for Hearts On Fire in Mainland China. It is ideally suited to realize these key emerging trends,” said Adrian Cheng. “As demand for diamond jewelry continues to increase here, Hearts On Fire will become a household name, known not only for its extraordinary diamond cutting process, but also the luxury lifestyle that it represents.”
Hearts on Fire, with its proprietary hearts-and-arrows cut, is also known as the jewelry of choice to many Hollywood Stars, a positioning that the brand will amplify further as it enters the mainland Chinese market.
“Back home in the United States, Hearts On Fire has already been embraced as symbolic of the Hollywood and red carpet lifestyle,” said Rothman. “We are very excited now to share with so many of our new customers what this lifestyle means and how they too can live it. We expect that this brand positioning and our retail strategy to deliver it will be very well-received here in Mainland China.”
Palermo at the new Hearts On Fire boutique in Shanghai.
Following the opening of the Shanghai boutique, the brand has plans to open points of sale in Hong Kong and Macau.
Ara Melkonian Moves To MARLI
Los Angeles, CA—Industry veteran Ara Melkonian has joined luxury brand MARLI as its executive vice president, just in time for its national launch campaign.
"What attracted me to MARLI was its uniqueness and fresh appeal,” says Melkonian. “We needed something new and really different in our industry to attract new buyers of jewelry. MARLI’s unique concept, its designs, and brand lifestyle was something I hadn’t seen before.” The brand already is creating buzz, he says. During its launch at the JCK Show’s Prestige Promenade, MARLI was selected as the Top Ten Brand For Trend Setting Jewelry, and was awarded third place for Top Designer at the Luxury Privé Show.
Last week, MARLI and its curator/co-founder Maral Artinian were featured on the KTLA prime time TV segment, where the station broke all records when 5,000 viewers submitted entries within minutes of the airing in hopes of winning the MARLI Cleo bracelet. Click here to watch. Artinian also was featured in a recent article in Fashion Times.
Forevermark Teams with the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami for Miami Art Week
Miami, FL--Forevermark, the diamond brand from The De Beers Group of Companies, hosted a VIP preview reception at the Institute of Contemporary Art, the official museum kick-off event for Miami Art Week.
The VIP Preview debuted the PROMISE installation. Designed by Miami resident artist Mylinh Trieu Nguyen, the bespoke installation displayed a selection of the Forevermark Exceptional Diamond Collection. Nguyen's installation PROMISE illuminates, literally and figuratively, the intersection of art, design, technology, and the diamond through unique videos that respond to the symbolism and character of one of the most prized and valued objects on earth.
Mylinh Trieu Nguyen is a Creative Director and Principal of Studio LHOOQ, based in Miami, FL. Her work explores ideas of distribution, collaboration and curation through new and appropriated systems and frameworks. Her projects mediate the space between subjectivity and objectivity, while continually striving to recontextualize the familiar and mundane. She has a MFA in Graphic Design from Yale University and has presented her work in the MoMA P.S.1, CCA Wattis Institute, Art in General, and the New Museum, among others.
The Forevermark Exceptional Diamond Collection represents the pinnacle of the Forevermark promise: some of the earth's most magnificent creations, in carat weights that demonstrate just how magical and stunning nature's beauty can be. Few diamonds will ever reach this echelon. Each diamond is named using its carat weight and presented with a unique booklet defining key milestones in the diamond's life.
DJ and model Hannah Bronfman, right, with artist Mylinh Trieu Nguyen at the Forevermark kickoff of Miami Art Week.
David Yurman Opens Soho Boutique; Second In NYC
New York, NY—Jewelry designer David Yurman returns to his downtown roots with a new boutique opening at 114 Prince Street in Soho. It’s the designer’s second New York City location; the first is on Madison Avenue, both in Manhattan.
According to Luxury Daily, the new Soho store is 2,000 square feet, and reminds Yurman of his early days as a sculptor in the neighborhood, then mainly filled with artist lofts and galleries before it became an international shopping destination.
Jewelers Mutual Promotion Focuses on Children
Neenah, WI—For the fourth consecutive year, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company continues its holiday partnership with Sarah's Hope Jewelry and Jewelers for Children. Again there will be jewelry giveaways and, this year, charitable donations for three renowned children's charities.
"We are honored to work with Sarah's Hope Jewelry and Jewelers for Children this year to make a difference in the lives of children who have been faced with significant challenges," said Trina Woldt, chief marketing officer of Personal Lines at Jewelers Mutual.
The sweepstakes opened December 1 and runs through December 19. Jewelers Mutual asks the public to vote for their favorite children's charity, each supported by Jewelers for Children. The three charities selected for the Sweepstakes voting are Make-A-Wish America, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Association. The organization with the most votes at the end of the promotional period will receive a $1000 donation from Jewelers Mutual; the two remaining charities will each receive a $500 donation.
In addition, Jewelers Mutual will hold weekly jewelry giveaways with pieces from Sarah's Hope Jewelry, a socially responsible jewelry line that helps provide microloans and small business training to women in impoverished situations in the United States and throughout the world. At the end of the sweepstakes on December 19, a grand-prize three-piece jewelry set valued at more than $500 will be awarded to one lucky winner.
"The holidays are a great time to give back to our community and to the causes we're passionate about," said Woldt.
Contestants can show their support by entering and voting in the Hope for the Holidays Sweepstakes on Jewelers Mutual's Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance brand Facebook page or on the brand's website.
Individuals may enter once per email address per day. Jewelers Mutual encourages people to come back to the Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance website daily, and while there, learn more about how to protect jewelry, too. "Experiencing the sadness that comes from losing a meaningful piece of jewelry is not something we want anyone to endure over the holidays, or any time," said Woldt.