At 65 Bleecker St. on Oct. 17, jewelry brands got a taste of a spotlight typically only reserved for apparel makers. The Council of Fashion Designers of America held its first annual CFDA Jewelry Showcase at its downtown headquarters to boost exposure for the group’s growing number of jewelry designers.

CFDA member and jewelry designer Simon Alcantara suggested the idea, and got some guidance and support from Talya Cousins, a jewelry consultant and former accessories editor for W magazine.

In total, 19 jewelry designers exhibited wares on petite pedestal stands in the light-filled CFDA conference room. Both retailers and editors were invited to attend the daylong open house, and many of the designers themselves were present to walk guests through their collections.

Lisa Jenks

Mimi So

“We have a big contingency of jewelry designers, and every year it gets bigger,” Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA, told JCK at the event. “We acknowledged this sub-group at board meeting, and David Yurman commented that the jewelers shouldn’t be lumped into the general category of accessories. So we asked members, how do we put a spotlight on jewelry. Simon Alcantara suggested this event, which would be ideal to do twice a year.”

Nak Armstrong

Of the 450 CFDA members (only designers can join, and they must be recommended by others), about 25 percent are jewelers, many of whom make fine jewelry.

Simon Alcantara

 

Brands on display included:

Angela Cummings

Dannijo (Danielle and Jodie Snyder)

Dean Harris

Gerard Yosca

Kara Ross

Steven Lagos

Lisa Jenks

Loree Rodkin

Lulu Frost (Lisa Salzer)

Michael Spirito

Mimi So

Mish (Mish Tworkowski)

Nak Armstrong

Nicholas Varney Jewels

Simon Alcantara

Stephen Dweck

Gemma Redux (Rachel Dooley)

Ten Thousand Things (Ron Anderson and David Rees)

Virgins Saints and Angels (Cheryl Finnegan)

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