JCKstyle - March 3, 2006
Whizzing around L.A. this week (or puttering, depending on the traffic) and visiting suites of jewels, lavish industry parties, or harried local designers, it begins to feel like The JCK Show ~ Las Vegas on a larger geographic scale and minus all the retailers.
But, since retailers are key players, what is their part in this flurry of activity? What can Oscar frenzy mean to a retailer thousands of miles from the Hollywood Hills? JCKstyle asked companies spending time and money to be here this week what the impact is on their retail partners. All were adamant that, though retail jewelers aren’t involved in the day-to-day activities here, they, too, benefit from that old Hollywood magic. Here are some of the best answers we heard:
“All of us have a special story. [Red-carpet style] gives retailers something special to talk about [with consumers].”—Erica Courtney, designer
“It makes a tremendous impact on the retail jeweler. When [consumers] look to create their own look, their inspiration is celebrity.”—Michael O’Connor, Platinum Guild International
“It gets people to talk about the retail brand. It helps finish the sale.”—Greg Kwiat, Kwiat
“It’s this increased awareness that drives people to stop by retail stores to see what you do.”—Andrea Hansen, H. Stern
