Articles and News
BRAND NEWS: VICTORIA’S SECRET BRA AT CENTURION, CHAD ALLISON PARTNERS WITH BROOKE BURKE, MORE January 26, 2012 (1 comment)
Victoria’s Secret $2.5m Fantasy Treasure Bra On View At Centurion
Scottsdale, AZ—The Victoria's Secret Fantasy Treasure Bra (left) will be on display in Norman Silverman’s salon, #542, at the upcoming Centurion Jewelry Show in Scottsdale. The bra, designed by Manhasset, NY-based London Jewelers, was constructed at Norman Silverman’s Los Angeles studio and has a retail value of $2,500,000.
The bra’s design is evocative of water and the colors and movement of the ocean. It was handmade—more than 500 hours of labor over four weeks—with 5,671 gemstones sourced from around the world, including 1,079 white and yellow diamonds, totaling 142.36 cts.. In the tassel, two white diamonds are more than eight cts. each, and two yellow diamonds top 14 cts. each. The bra also features 338 faceted citrines, 674 faceted aquamarines, and 3,580 pearls, all set in 18k white and yellow gold.
Management Changes at ViewPoint and Studio PR
New York—ViewPoint Showroom and Studio PR both have announced changes in management.
Helena Krodel, former director of the Jewelry Information Center, will take over as director of Studio PR at the end of the month, and Laura Brown, chief merchandising officer of ViewPoint Showroom, is stepping down to launch her own consulting firm.
Krodel will take over the position formerly held by Shaye Strager, who is retiring to spend more time with family. Strager will remain on the Studio PR board of directors.
At the helm of ViewPoint with president and CEO Jim DeMattei is Amy Alabaster, vice-president of marketing; Josh Adams, vice president of operations; Scott Martin, sales director; and Davia Lipscher, national sales manager. Brown will remain a member of the advisory board at ViewPoint.
“Laura Brown was one of the members of original ViewPoint team and helped grow the company to where it is today. She has been an invaluable asset and is an exceptional merchandising strategist,” said DeMattei. “I’m excited for her to take this next step in her career and look forward to many strategic alliances down the road.”
During her career, Krodel has ambitiously promoted and marketed fine jewelry, watches, fashion accessories and beauty products. She has secured product and feature stories in all major national women’s fashion magazines – including W, Elle, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar andInStyle, and more. She has been a regular guest on broadcast media stations across the country, appearing on over 40 television and radio stations in 2011 alone. She also has directed all efforts in the production of the annual GEM Awards, the industry’s awards for excellence in jewelry marketing and media. Krodel also is well versed in strategic marketing, brand building, collateral material creation, cross-promotional tasks and website development.
Mark Davidovich has been promoted to senior account executive and will continue his work on both jewelry and beauty accounts at the agency. Current agency clients include Sevan Bicakci, Passman, Sylvie Collection, MadStone, Caswell-Massey, and Marvin Watch C°1850.
Studio PR is a boutique public relations agency owned by Jim DeMattei, serving beauty, fashion, and jewelry clients seeking publicity and promotions in the media. ViewPoint is a full-service sales and marketing company specializing in bringing designers and retailers together to maximize sales and build brand awareness in the luxury market. For more information, call (800) 237-9477.
Brooke Burke Partners with Chad Allison to Launch Fine Jewelry Collection
New York—Chad Allison has a new fan in Brooke Burke, a host of Dancing With The Stars, the highest rated show on ABC. Burke is partnering with the brand to launch her first fine jewelry line, Brooke Burke Collection by Chad Allison.
As a popular TV personality, actress, dancer, author, model, entrepreneur, and co-host of numerous shows such as Dancing with the Stars, annual Golden Globe Awards programs and the Miss America Pageant, Burke, left, is a multifaceted celebrity. The co-founder of Baboosh Baby and brand ambassador for Sketchers footwear, Burke is following her desire to create fine jewelry that reflects her sensibility, right, and to bring beautiful jewelry to women that share similar passions in life. Her partnership with Chad Allison is a perfect stylistic match with emphasis on romance and timeless elegance, says a statement from the company.
The first collection of 30 styles consists of bracelets, pendants, earrings, and rings in black and white diamonds and colored gems, set in gold and sterling silver. The collection retails from $149-$3,000, with the expected distribution of 700 doors in the United States. The soft launch will occur at the Centurion show opening Saturday in Scottsdale, AZ, with the official launch planned for May at the Luxury by JCK and JCK Las Vegas shows.
Industry Communications Veteran Launches Ghost-Blogging Service
Shoreham, NY—Industry veteran Howard Cohen announces a new blog writing service for independent jewelers. The service launched six weeks ago and has 40 participants so far, he says. The new service allows jewelers to enhance their social media presence without having to create editorial topics on their own.
The blog is ghost-written from the jeweler's point of view with new posts five days a week. Content is common across all participants, but each has a custom-designed template and territory exclusivity of a 15-mile trading radius. Cohen also assists jewelers with recommended daily Facebook posts and Twitter tweets that reference the current blog posting. Facebook "LIKE" buttons are embedded onto each blog.
At present, Cohen says content is common across all jeweler blogs to keep costs low—only $50 per month to participate—but links of course are customized to each jeweler’s individual website. In the future, it may be possible to customize content to a greater degree, such as writing about individual designers or products, he says, but it would require an additional charge for the retailer.
Jeweler feedback has been very positive so far, he says. For example, Craig Husar of Lyle Husar Designs, Brookfield, WI, calls his version the “Romance University Blog." Here’s another example from Louis Anthony Jewelers in Pittsburgh, PA.
For information, contact Howard Cohen, (631) 821-8867, email hscohen60@gmail.com.