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Fashion Focus: Five Key Consumer Style Types And New Product Directions For Each | September 18, 2013 (0 comments)
Vicenza, Italy—During the recent VicenzaOro exhibition, Paola DeLuca, chief forecaster and creative director of Trendvision, a global trend-forecasting service, gave a global overview of the jewelry market, followed by a series of consumer profiles that identify the various styles of customer a luxury jeweler is likely to serve.
In terms of global jewelry sales, the United States is a mature market but it is still strong. Asia/Pacific of course is rapidly rising and driving much of the global jewelry sales increases, she said, and Europe, mired in economic turmoil, is eroding.
She then outlined five overarching consumer style types, with product directions reflecting each. There lines between these consumers aren’t clear-cut, said DeLuca, but she stressed that one thing does stand out above all else: how differently Millennials view fine jewelry from previous generations.
“It’s all about the design. It’s a projection of themselves, a reflection of their individuality in fashion,” she said. Design is paramount, more so than the preciousness of the materials, and indeed their contemporary lifestyle blends the precious and the ordinary on a regular basis. And, of course, they’re comfortable buying anything and everything online.
These were the five consumer style trends she identified:
1) The Essentialist. Likely to be a Gen-X or Millennial—or even a Boomer—she’s value driven, brand savvy, and focused on high-quality, well-executed basics. She’s a minimalist, says DeLuca, but not anti-consumer. Rather, this customer believes in quality over quantity; that less is more--when the less are very well-chosen pieces. She is not logo-driven, she is socially and environmentally conscious, and wants straightforward, “haute basic” jewelry to simplify her life.
Some product trends for this customer include minimalist, symmetrical design, pared-down looks, no extraneous decoration, negative space, and high-shine metals. She likes sleek, minimal pieces she can stack, insists on versatility, and she’s not a snob about mixing fine and fashion jewelry. But at the same time, she is not into disposable fashion or throwaway luxury; she’s a believer in lasting value. 
The Essentialist is drawn to symmetrical design, negative space, and pared down looks, such as the Moraglione leather and gold necklaces at the top of the page. She's also drawn to message jewelry, such as these pendants by Heather Moore, left. Right, a sleekly polished geometric ring in gold and diamonds by Garavelli.
2) The Eccentric. This is an up-and-coming “Gen-Z” consumer, currently a tween or teen less than 20 years old. She’s likely from an urban background, and she loves play and gaming. She likes to play with jewelry, too—preferring her jewelry personalized and unique, she’s not motivated by trends, and she is likely to mix things up rather than wear one thing. Presently, she’s a key target for Pandora and other self-made jewelry, and we will see charms get bigger as this customer gets older. She’ll be drawn to color, whether it’s affordable enamel now, colored gems later, or even colored diamonds when she hits her affluence peak. She’ll be drawn to faceted gems, cocktail rings, and pave covered statement pieces. She’s one for sliced stones, cut stones, and mixed media. Nothing too simple or geometric for her—she likes edgy shapes. Gem materials that would have been discarded as worthless in the past are now desired by this consumer.
Left, rings from the Iguazu collection by Rodney Rayner, and chunky gemstone earrings with black diamonds, from the Zarina collection by JJ Jewels. Though few teens could afford these pieces, older consumers who fit the "eccentric" style profile would appreciate them.
3) The Exoticist. This globetrotting, eco-friendly consumer may be anywhere from her 20s to her 40s and beyond. She’s a locavore, focused on a host of local cultures and things that are authentic, and she insists that her purchases be ethically and environmentally sound. She loves pieces with ethnic touches, but interpreted with a global appeal. Examples of this kind of product include mosaic or inlay jewelry, multiple materials and multiple textures within a piece, a mix of precious and non-precious materials, pieces with history and handcrafting, beads and charms, reinterpreted cameos, gem carvings, and more. China and Chinese culture is very influential right now, and anything relating to the Chinese horoscope (this year it’s the snake) is important. Butterflies and fauna with a fantasy approach are also important.
Left: For consumers who are intrigued by the Chinese horoscope but don't want a literal interpretation, Antonini's Aurea cuff is reminiscent of a snake, but in the abstract. Right, Kara Ross's hemimorphite pendant in gold with diamonds combines rough and polished textures. This eco-friendly customer will like the pebble-like ovals of Nanis's bracelet, while the mosaic-like appeal of Sevan Bicacki's ring also will resonate with an Exoticist customer.
4) The Romantic. Also skewed a bit older, this customer loves nostalgia, loves retro pieces, and is most likely to admire jewelry that’s a bit over the top. Got a Kate Middleton lookalike set? She’s the customer for it! She’s also going to be drawn to tassels, and even a bit of Goth romance done in gray and black, darkened metal, religious symbols, and pearls with a modern edge. She’s drawn to curves and swirls rather than geometrics, and also to romantic ribbons and bows, lacy looks, and filigree.
The Romantic is the customer for anything regal-looking, such as the diamond collar from Chopard, left. But she's also equally drawn to Goth interpretations, like the Stephen Webster for Gemfields earrings at right.
5) The Digitalist. Last, but not least, this customer may be Gen Y or Gen Z—in other words, both Millennials and their younger siblings (or their kids!). She’s highly connected, sensitive to innovation, experimental, and, in an unusual twist, is more focused on access than ownage, says DeLuca. She’ll mix all materials (diamonds and plastic), all colors, and is focused more on finishes than shapes. She’s likely to be drawn to spiky and punk or anything that’s reminiscent of cosmic outer space, expressed in things like shimmering pave, milky moonstones, white diamonds and white quartzes, blue and purple tones, or even granulation reminiscent of the moon’s surface. Unlike the locavore, this woman is not about the earthy, she’s about linear, space, and industrial—leave it to her to find a precious blackened bike chain to wear!
Diamonds in colorful silicon rubber bracelets from the Blue & White Group are perfect for the futuristic Digitalist, who mixes all kinds of materials and calls it fine jewelry. She's also drawn to ethereal outer space, and is someone who would look at Todd Reed's bracelet, right, and see a lunar surface.