To be sure, not every jeweler has the patronage and repeat business of popular celebrities, yet in American popular culture, celebrity style is much ballyhooed and often imitated.
Thanks to the seemingly insatiable appetite of the public for information about favorite celebrities, it has become relatively easy to follow in the media what various celebs are choosing for their jewels. Why this is useful is that these individuals are considered style-setters, so seeing what they are wearing can be helpful in anticipating style trends that may take hold in your neighborhood, wherever you are located.
Red carpet events are the pinnacle of celebrity fashion, of course, with teams of experts on hand to provide style advice. The jewelry industry is well represented here, and industry voices are heard. Beautiful jewelry as a necessary accompaniment to evening wear at formal events from coronations to proms is a no-brainer. Only the composition of the pieces and the price points vary.
However, for business wear and casual wear, there are no red carpet events of style. This is where celebrity-focused magazines provide a useful peek into day-to-day celebrity style and a resource for the hoi polloi to use as inspiration.
People magazine covers repeat appearances of various accessories, including jewelry, on celebrities in a feature called “I Really Love My. . .”, which you can also find online at people.com. As seen in the July 14, 2008 issue, even a $38 pair of gold-plated earrings can become a signature piece for the celebrity if worn and seen on her on multiple dates in multiple occasions. We have the vigilant paparazzi to thank for bringing to our attention those items of jewelry that are more than one-hit wonders with specific individuals.
[Eva Longoria Parker in gold-plated earrings by K. Amato]
Of course, wearing a style of jewelry repeatedly can be an intentional effort to bring attention to a particular designer, especially if he or she is a friend of the celebrity. This, of course, is a time-honored marketing strategy. By all means, if you are good buddies with a celebrity, encourage her regularly to wear your designs.
When you’re not initiating the direction of your designs but are looking for inspiration, one word of caution: Be careful in jumping on the style bandwagon based on celebrity magazine coverage, as some of the photos can be quite dated. Be sure the styles are fresh or have demonstrated staying power. Here are a couple of more examples from the archives:
[Jennifer Garner in Cartier orchid pendant]
[Hilary Duff in CC Skye bamboo hoop earrings]
Be familiar with specific celebrities’ taste in jewelry has a couple of potential benefits. If you carry designs similar to, or of the same genre as, those being worn by a celebrity, sharing that information may carry weight with some of your customers.
And of course, if, of all the jewelry stores in all the world, that celebrity walks into your store, you are ever so ready to show her jewelry she’s gonna love.
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