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Brand News: Scott Kay Announces Design Contest Winner; Hasenfeld-Stein Conference; More February 08, 2017 (0 comments)
Scott Kay, FIT Announce Winner of Jewelry Design Contest
New York, NY—Scott Kay and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) announce second-year Jewelry Design student, Isabelle Meyers, has won the inaugural Scott Kay/FIT jewelry design contest.
Last year the Scott Kay brand—a division of Frederick Goldman Inc.—announced its collaboration with the Fashion Institute of Technology to host a design-inspired contest in honor of the late Scott Kay, brand founder and namesake. The contest, for second-year jewelry design students, asks them to create a set of bridal jewelry including three pieces from a set of four: ring, bracelet, necklace and/or earrings. Students were asked to use their creativity to build upon the brand’s original design codes and present hand drawings, technical drawings, measurement details, materials, and color options.
After two rounds of judging, the winner was chosen based on overall design, originality, creativity, production viability, and the usage of Scott Kay’s design codes. Representing the scope of the jewelry industry, the judging panel included Colleen Banks, associate style editor at Martha Stewart Weddings; Ashley Davis, National Jeweler’s associate editor; and Steve Velasquez, CEO of Bailey Banks and Biddle. Representing the company was Jonathan Goldman, CEO, and Merritt Mayher, chief merchandising officer of Frederick Goldman Inc.
On February 2, 2017, the Scott Kay team hosted an intimate dinner with the five finalists of the contest, the judging panel, and key members of Scott Kay and FIT. During the evening, each finalist presented his or her final designs to the panel, concluding with the brand’s announcement of Isabelle Meyers as winner and recipient of a $3,000 prize.
In addition to the monetary award, Meyers’ winning designs will be produced, and she will accompany Scott Kay to Las Vegas in June to unveil her jewelry set at the JCK Luxury Show. The winning designs will be displayed throughout the show alongside the brand’s 2017 introductions.
“We had an incredible experience partnering with FIT for this design contest,” says Kelly Kahn, director of brand management. “Each student showcased excellent design skills, creativity, and extreme dedication to perfection. Scott Kay recognizes each student’s efforts and appreciates all who participated.”
Scott Kay also rewarded the first runners-up, Francesca Bates and Shanya Amarasuriya, as well as second runners-up, Ashley Volbeda and Ruowei Cheng, with a monetary prize for their strong design submissions.
All finalists’ designs will be on display at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Left to right: Merritt Mayher, Frederick Goldman Inc., Colleen Banks, Martha Stewart Weddings; Isabelle Meyers, winning student; Jonathan Goldman, Frederick Goldman Inc.; Steve Velasquez, Bailey Banks & Biddle.
Hasenfeld-Stein Hosts Sixth Firemark/FireCushion Summit At Centurion Show
Scottsdale, AZ--Hasenfeld-Stein hosted its sixth annual FireMark/FireCushion Summit during the just-concluded annual Centurion Show. This year’s event boasted a standing-room only crowd of more than 65 retail jewelers (top of page) from all over North America.
This year’s event speakers were Charles Stanley, president of Forevermark US, and Natalie Zfat, a social media entrepreneur, and blogger with more than 500,000 followers.
Stanley’s presentation focused on both of Hasenfeld-Stein’s patented, branded diamonds: FireMark (to be called the Forevermark FirePrincess within the Forevermark program only) and FireCushion.
Stanley’s endorsement (below) is one of the most important in FireMark’s eight-year history, says Steve Feldman of Hasenfeld-Stein. Stanley began his presentation explaining, “today the diamond category, particularly in solitaire products, has become extremely competitive, driven by the transparency of the Internet and the commoditization of diamonds through commonly-traded certificates, resulting in differentiation on price alone.
“The independent jeweler cannot win in this price war and therefore you need a different strategy that adds value to the diamonds you sell so that it creates differentiation in the minds of the consumer.”
That is what Forevermark is about, he said, explaining that the brand offers a story that resonates emotionally with consumers and drives differentiation and premium.
“This story is further enhanced through the addition of the specialist cuts that Hasenfeld-Stein offers, creating an even more powerful offer for your consumers that drives competitive advantage.” He added his intention to clarify “why we are proud to embrace FireMark and FireCushion as Forevermark diamonds that live up to our overall promise of being beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced.”
Stanley added that Forevermark’s own experts have studied the Hasenfeld-Stein cuts to be able to recommend them with confidence. FireMark is the only princess shape in the Forevermark stable that receives a cut grade, he added. The FireCushion receives an Excellent proportions grade, the only one apart from Forevermark’s Black Label cushion that receives a proportions grade.
Marketing support to be provided for the stones includes a special landing page on Forevermark.com, available finished product in the jewelry gallery, linked to participating jewelers, search-engine optimization for both paid and organic search for “princess” online, including on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat; advertising templates for traditional print and out-of-home advertising campaigns, PR support, in-store signage, and more.
For more information contact Steve Feldman, sfeldman@hasenfeld-stein.com, or (212) 575-0290, ext. 145.
Belle Étoile Partners With The Sea Turtle Conservancy
Emeryville, CA—Belle Étoile has introduced a new partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy to help save these threatened animals that are vital to the ecosystem. The Sea Turtle Conservancy is the world’s oldest sea turtle research and conservation group, and through its extensive programs has discovered much of what is now known about sea turtles and the threats they face. With the sale of the Sea Turtle Collection, Belle Étoile helps support the work of the organization to protect and save sea turtles all over the world.
A green turtle on Tortuguero Beach, Costa Rica
“We are extremely excited to partner with the Sea Turtle Conservancy. At Belle Étoile, we are constantly inspired by the magnificence of nature and are committed to helping preserve this beauty for generations to come,” says Carolyn Thamkul, executive vice president. “Turtles have been longstanding symbols of wisdom, fertility, good health, and life. This underwater paradise reminds us of the preciousness of these spiritual creatures and how imperative it is for us to care for them and their habitats.”
The Sea Turtle Collection features scenes of ocean life highlighting sea turtles, seahorses, and tropical flora and fauna in hand-painted Italian enamels on pavé-set sterling silver, starting at $225 retail. Belle Étoile sales manager Bryce Harenburg says response from both retailers and consumers has been extremely positive. For information, contact sales@belleetoilejewelry.com or call (415) 626-9223.
Bangle and pendant from the Sea Turtle collection.
Pandora Chops More Retailers From Its Network
Copenhagen, Denmark—829 more jewelers lost their Pandora accounts in 2016, according to this report in National Jeweler. While the company’s global revenue rose 21% and it added more concept stores and shop-in-shops, it continued to reduce its presence at multi-brand retailers. The Danish bead brand opened 27 concept shops last year, bringing the U.S. total to 346 concept stores. Combined with shop-in-shops, the total number of Pandora branded stores in the Americas (U.S., Canada, and Latin America) now stands at 1,484. There still are 881 multi-brand retailers that carry Pandora as well, though that number has shrunk to less than half of the 1,888 it had at the end of 2015.