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I was lucky enough to get to the second week of the Goldmiths’ Fair in London last week and again I was blown away by the quality, diversity and creativity on display there.
It really got me thinking about our industry and how predictable it has become on one side and how innovative it is on the other. With my office based in London’s Hatton Garden, I often feel quite uninspired about the trade. Shop after shop selling real crap, with the exception of a few. The opportunity to turn this into a ‘Premier’ jewellery shopping area is repidly slipping away. Imagine a world where all the shops on Hatton Garden were like a big version of Goldsmiths’ Fair. Every shop run by the jeweller creating wonderful pieces, silversmiths getting the recognition they deserve for the work they do and skill they do it with. It would be mind blowing. It would compete with Bond Street and would be a beacon for creativity, craftsmanship and skill of the kind that the UK was once known for all round the world.
Is it a dream, of course it is. I’ll tell you why, because you need passion and drive and care and attention to detail and a million other characteristics that are missing from the trade as a whole, but still burn brightly in pockets of the industry. The creative mostly hide out in small workshops dotted around the country, known only by those who seek originality. Even those who only buy at the high luxury end of the market are not buying jewellery that is made with as much passion, originality and creativity as was demonstrated at the this years show.
As an insutry, these are the people we need to celebrate, support and showcase! I would like to congratulate all those who took part in the show, wish them the best of luck and speaking for myself at least, tell you that it gives me pride to know and work with some of you.
I went to week one of goldsmiths’ fair with a very fresh perspective. With everything that’s been going on with the economy and the impact it has had on luxury and jewelley, I now see events like goldsmiths’ along with their exhibitors as representing the future of the industry.
When you first walk in to the hall you get struck by a sense of history. The fact that they still have uniformed commissionaires sets the tone of the whole event. Very formal and grand, well on the outside anyway. Those very grand surroundings of the hall are quickly put into sharp contrast by the very contemporary designs on show.
Firstly there is the silversmithing. If you are not familiar with the kind of work they show there, forget the stuffy dated image of candlesticks and goblets and feast your eyes on the craftsmanship on show. Designers like Jenny Edge, Ndidi Ekubia and Heather O’Connor, have taken this ancient craft and moved it right into the 21st century. Their pieces incorporate materials such as silver, wood and glass to truly amazing effect.
Then there are the Jewellers. There are the regulars such as Eric Smith, Paul Spurgeon, Mikala Djorup, Liz Tyler, Shaun Lean and David Marshall to name but a few. And there are the newcomers such as Maria Militsi and Jenny Deans, who collectively could teach the Bond Street set a thing or two. In fact they could teach the whole industry a thing or two as the principles that guide them – creativity, commitment, care for all materials used, skill in putting it all together and passion about their craft really shine through in the final product. It’s a shame more of industry doesn’t operate in this way.
It is definitely a must if you can get there. I’m looking forward to week two.
http://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/exhibitions-promotions/goldsmiths’-fair/
I recently read an interesting discussion thread on LinkedIn (which I recommend you join by the way) in which people were answering the simple question: What is branding?
It was interesting to see the range of answers. They touched on the issues around price, design and availability. Others seemed to think it was generated from the customers rather than the organisation. Some seemed to suggest that it was a much more emotional connection with people’s heart. Some talk about adding value to your product and how it differentiates you from your competitors. Others see it as something that will you will pay you a premium for, while other questioned why you’d ever want to do it with something cheap (I guess Asda, Wall Mart, Tesco et al have also missed the point).
Lots of people seemed to write about what brands do and don’t do, but most people failed to answer the question ‘what is branding?’
Now I’m not saying I’m a master marketer or brander, I’m not the brand evangelist and I am not the last word in defining all things conceptual. What I do know is that I didn’t get a clear understanding of what people thought branding actually was.
Ok the easy part is to pick apart other people’s thoughts and definitions. Time to state my position: Put simply, branding is the identity you give your organisation and the voice you use to communicate with your customers.
From this everything else comes: Price, position, marketing channels, logo, usp you name it, sometime your product. Once you have your identity and your voice then you bring your product into alignment.
In the luxury field, perception is everything and everything is perception. The brand should stem from the core of who you are (your identity), transcend everything you do (your inner voice) and represent you in the way you want to be seen (your outer voice). Think about your identity (inner and outer) and ask yourself what am I trying to say and what are my customers (inner and outer) hearing. Somewhere in between the 2 are your brand values. Once you’ve defined them align your products, sales strategy and marketing message to this and you’re on your way to fulfilling your brands potential.
Please let me know where you stand on the subject and post your thoughts.
(February 3, ’10, National Jeweler)
Ramat Gan, Israel–A new collection of diamond jewelry featuring pieces crafted by Israeli designers is now on display at the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum in Ramat Gan, Israel.
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(January 20, ’10, Catherine Dayrit)
Vicenza, Italy–”Renewal,” a term 2010 Vicenzaoro First show organizers use to describe the mindset at the show, might be applied to the jewelry designs, too, as most of the new offerings appeared familiar, the fruits of designers who either extended popular collections or came up with updated versions of previous strong sellers.
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The second half of my gemstone-making tutorial, showing how to put foil backings onto your gemstones. Feel free to visit my blog at: http://proplady.livejournal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkRVQG2R4k4
The title’s pretty self-explanatory. Here’s Part I of the tutorial. Feel free to visit my costume blog at: http://proplady.livejournal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pnr21sjV2g
A how-to video for using epoxy resin, silver-plated rings and pewter pendant trays to create jewelry from reproductions of your artwork. Part 2 of 3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Xn-xf_GqY
A how-to video for using epoxy resin, silver-plated rings and pewter pendant trays to create jewelry from reproductions of your artwork. Part 1 of 3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAEKnv0OU08
How to use enamel for making jewelry by hand; get expert tips on homemade jewelry methods and techniques in this free instructional video.
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