I have to admit: I’ve never been the world’s biggest fashionista. Don’t for a minute think this means I do not believe in fashion. I just don’t tether my identity to it. (That role is filled, thank you very much, by jewelry.) Besides, I can’t keep up with fashion’s merry-go-round of trends. Slim, slouchy, ’70s-inspired pantsuits! The Roaring ’20s redux! Peplums and other New Look silhouettes!
Instead, I rely on thorough, big-picture analyses to provide the talking points I need to make it through each season. Case in point: “Belle of the Fall,” contributor Venessa Lau’s exhaustive review of what appeared on the fall 2012 runways (in a word: jewelry).
Embellishments, embroidery, all those tiny but important little add-ons: The upcoming season is a love letter to the kind of flash only a smart combination of accessories can truly deliver. Check out our gorgeous still life—“Project: Accessory”—for the best ornaments 2012 has to offer.
With those images in mind, check out how your peers are planning their assault on next month’s JCK show in Las Vegas. In “There’s No Business Like (JCK Las Vegas) Show Business,” contributor Kristin Young highlights the products that top retailers’ buying lists for market week. Color, as you may have guessed, takes high priority, not only because it’s über-fashionable, but also because it tends to be more affordable than colorless diamonds.
Fall fashion trend I’m obsessed with? This major statement necklace with 212 cts. t.w. green tourmaline from David Yurman’s new high jewelry collection.
If you gravitate toward red stones, then senior editor Jennifer Heebner’s report on the glut of lead glass–filled rubies on the market (“The Ruby Ruse”) is essential reading, particularly if you intend to shop for rubies in Las Vegas.
Finally, be sure to study the trio of articles in this issue’s Marketing & Management section. If the fashion coverage that dominates the first part of our feature section tells you what jewels to buy this year, then consider the more strategically minded stories in this section a guide to how to buy, from an operations point of view.
We’re thrilled to welcome Emili Vesilind to our editorial team!
From an analysis of the benefits of focusing your business on a niche, to a comparison of inventory management systems, to a step-by-step breakdown of what to include in a business plan, we’ve harnessed some big, bottom line–oriented ideas to help make your operations more efficient, more effective, and ultimately more profitable.
P.S. Please join me in wishing our stellar editorial team a huge congratulations! On the heels of senior editor Rob Bates’ win at the 2012 Jesse H. Neal Awards (his Cutting Remarks blog earned props for Best Commentary), JCKonline.com won big in the Media Industry Newsletter Best of the Web awards.
P.P.S. Last, but certainly not least, we’re thrilled to welcome our newest staff member, senior editor Emili Vesilind, to the JCK team! A former WWD and Los Angeles Times staffer, Emili brings her talent for writing, reporting, and storytelling to JCK’s retail beat. (So don’t be surprised when she contacts you for one of her upcoming pieces!)