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Brand News: Michael Bondanza Launches New Coin Line; John Varvatos Teams With Gurhan; More May 23, 2018 (0 comments)
Michael Bondanza Invites You To BYOC
New York, NY—Don’t flip a coin, bring it to desiger Michael Bondanza for his new BYOC collection. Bring Your Own Coins, that is.
Although the designer rose to fame in the 1990s with his modern platinum jewelry designs, few in the industry recall that he’s been designing coin jewelry for much longer. In the mid-1980s, Bondanza created a collection of coin jewelry for two Fifth Avenue retailers in New York City. He’s always had a passion for coin collecting, something he started doing as a teenager, but he realized that ancient coins, especially Greek and Roman, worked beautifully as a centerpiece for fine jewelry.
Now, in addition to his fashion and bridal collections, Bondanza has launched a new coin jewelry line numbering approximately 100 one-of-a-kind pieces. Not surprisingly given his history as a collector, he started with ancient Greek and Roman coins, but for holiday 2017 he expanded to include other ancient coins as well as modern coins, even U.S. coins.
But then something funny happened. As he put the coin jewelry out for his various holiday shows last year, in virtually every store, customers came up with stories about their own coins: “I have coins from my grandfather/my mom/my uncle. May I bring you one to mount for me?”
And so the BYOC collection was launched.
“Clients give us medals and tokens like finding a coin with a family member’s birth year or celebrating family heritage like the Irish series of barnyard coins,” says Geri Bondanza Wolf. “One woman of Italian decent purchased six Roman coins—and one “bunny” coin for her granddaughter, who’s a veterinarian.”
Since the BYOC launch in January, Bondanza has done nine trunk shows, has another eight on the calendar, and a list of retailers still working out dates, says Wolf.
“We feel this is just the beginning of a new collectible. We’re finding the consumer likes taking part in the creation,” she told The Centurion.
Fashion Designer John Varvatos Teams With Gurhan To Launch Signature Jewelry Collection
New York, NY – Renowned men's fashion designer John Varvatos has developed a signature jewelry collection, comprised over 100 pieces using precious and semi-precious stones set in sterling silver and 18k gold and bronze, brass, and leather. The collection includes bracelets, cufflinks, necklaces, and rings styled in the edgy, rebel vibe of Varvatos brand, and is created in concert with famed Turkish jewelry designer Gurhan.
Varvatos’ design takes inspiration from his brand symbols, textures and color palettes, which combine to echo themes evident in the DNA of the brand. Diamonds and gems in the collection are ethically sourced and the collection is hand-finished in Istanbul, Turkey.
“Jewelry has always held an important place in our brand DNA. Last fall, while searching for the right partner to further develop and create a more robust collection, I met renowned jeweler Gurhan Orhan. We immediately connected on so many levels. Together we’ve created a very special and unique signature collection,” said Varvatos.
Pieces from the new John Varvatos/Gurhan collection.
It was apparent early on that the two designers share a similar style and design direction, but they soon discovered a variety of other shared interests including a passion for music and the fashion associated with it. The synergy of the two designers now will bring the collection beyond the John Varvatos brand stores to wholesale distribution.
Designer Gurhan said, “It is a dream for me to have found a partner who shares my passion for rock music and the style that goes along with it. My own line of jewelry is an important reflection of one part of my life: world history and ancient cultures. John’s line enables me to celebrate another huge part of my life: music! Every part of creating this jewelry line has been about sharing the same ideas, mentality, and passion.”
Philip Gavriel Launches Gold Collection; Royal Chain Parent Celebrates 40 Years
New York, NY—Phillip Gavriel, part of the Royal Chain Group, is adding gold to his Italian Cable Collection, previously available only in sterling silver. Retail prices of the new collection begin at $220 in 14K gold, something Gavriel pushed for in keeping with the brand’s philosophy of “democratizing” fine jewelry to the masses.
The collection brochure states “From Italy with love,” as the jewelry is 100% made in Italy—an important point of difference for the designer who spent time there as a student in Florence and continues to foster the country’s artisan jewelry traditions.
Royal Chain Group, parent of the Philip Gavriel brand, is celebrating its 40th anniversary and will be celebrating at booth B36160 in JCK Las Vegas.
Pandora Q1 Sales Off 8% in United States
Copenhagen, Denmark—Pandora’s U.S. sales dropped 8% year on year in the first quarter of 2018. Company CEO Anders Colding Friis blamed the decline on lack of newness, something American consumers demand more than other markets. The company has changed leadership in the United States and plans to introduce new product on a more frequent basis. Read more here.