Hedda Schupak

On Display in Basel
April 17, 2007

One good reason for retailers to attend foreign tradeshows is to look at the displays. Jewelry aside, it’s a great place to get ideas for everything from in-case props to redesigning an entire store.

Of course, there’s the obvious possibly of finding some nifty new jewelry that’s not available in the United States—although since many wonderful international companies also exhibit at the JCK Show in Las Vegas, it’s possible you could find one that doesn’t want to export here anyway.

But I digress. Having just returned from Basel, I’m again suitably impressed with the efforts of the vendors to create compelling visual spaces in their stands. While certainly the JCK Show and its attendant niche shows have many vendors who do create outstanding examples of visual merchandising, many more don’t. And, to be fair, Basel also has its fair share of exhibitors who pile the goods into the showcases and hope for the best.

The watch hall, of course, is known for its amazing display booths, many of which are two stories high and cost more to build than a four-bedroom house would in many parts of the United States. And Hall 2, the main jewelry hall, has its fair share of jaw-dropping edifices as well, especially on the top floor. Hall 3 also has some impressive spaces, such as Escada and Rosy Blue. But even on the main floors, there’s a wealth of smaller but no less creative examples of brilliant design.

Coleman-Douglas Pearls, based in London, is one such example. Designer Chrissie Douglas’s choice of warm yellow walls and pale tan suede cases sets off her fashionable pearl jewelry beautifully. Pieces of driftwood provide subtle shadings and texture to the theme without distracting from the simplicity of color. A cone-shaped clear glass vase filled with apples and a few pieces of curly willow sits on her table, echoing the roundness of the pearls she sells and the natural feel of her cases, without resorting to an overused seashore theme—or investing in costly props.

Another simple but effective—and inexpensive—D-I-Y idea came from Rebecca Moskal of California-based Beaudry. Designer Michael Beaudry calls his very high-end line a work of art, so instead of presenting the pieces on ordinary display pads, Moskal went to a standard craft store and bought a bunch of ornate picture frames, some cardboard, some foam, and some suede fabric. She took out the glass from the frames, cut the cardboard to fit, glued down some foam to make a padded surface, covered the whole thing with the brown suede fabric, and fit it back into the frames. Voila! Artistic, customized displays that coordinate with Beaudry’s delicately feminine designs. And Moskal didn’t have to do a global search for them, either.

Las Vegas is barely six weeks away. Put a note on your “to-do” list to keep an eye out for clever displays, along with the jewelry product you’re shopping for.

Posted by Hedda Schupak on April 17, 2007 | Comments (0)