![94 JCK JULYAUGUST 2015 jckonline.com
Now jewelers are hot on the trail.
Ward reaches U.S. travelers via three Four Seasons
locations in Hawaii, plus another in Palm Beach, Fla.,
and Europeans at the Viceroy Anguilla in the Carib-
bean;the hotels are her only points of sale beyond her
website (rockandgems.us).
Designer Kimberly McDonald racked up more
than $1 million in sales at hotels last year. Her 足jewels
recently popped up at boutiques at Four Seasons
resorts in Hawaii, Lanai, and Maui.
By timing her 2011 bridal debut to New York Fash-
ion Week and renting a suite at the hip Standard High
Line hotel, jewelry designer Anna Sheffield connected
with top editors, buyers, and fashionistas who were
staying and attending parties at the hotel. The Stan-
dardhas its finger on cultures pulse, says Sheffield.
Savvy designers have become traveling salespeople
whose Instagram feeds double as marketing tools,tan-
talizing prospective clients. More important, moving
trunk shows,pop-up shops,and meet-and-greets have
changed the way jewelry sells. As Roland notes, these
outlets allow retailers to introduce lines without costly
commitments,while designers can court a well-heeled
new audience through one-on-one exchanges.
The consumer feels more compelled to buy on
the spot when the designer is present, says Amanda
Gizzi, public relations director for Jewelers of Amer-
ica. Being able to ask, Why and how did you make
it?theyre buying an emotional experience thats
renewed every time they share the story.
Plus,vacationsprovideampletimeandseta足mellow
mood for impromptu and leisurely 足shopping sprees.
People stroll in wearing a bathing suit and sarong,
holding a pi単a colada, McDonald says. Everyones
so relaxed and, unlike at home, not trying to get out in
time to pick up kids from soccer practice.
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE
Designer Jennifer Fisher had turned down numerous
requests to sell at hotels until she was approached
by Limited Edition, the sleek boutique in The Miami
Beach Edition. [Retail consultant] Kate Foley has a
great eye and sense of style,says Fisher,who also sells
her celeb-coveted gold-plated brass earrings, cuffs,
and chokers at Barneys and Net-a-Porter. The hotel
fits our modern aesthetic, she adds, and its guest
demographic matches our jewelrys demographic.
Similarly, the beachside settings in Hualalai and
Lanai suit McDonalds eco-conscious recycled dia-
mond and gold jewelry, carved onyx bowls, and agate
bookends. Youre surrounded by nature. Theres a
very organic vibe between the stores and my stuff,
McDonald says.While David Webbs jewelry is lovely,
the connection wouldnt be as seamless.
McDonald is so seduced by the Hawaiian vibe that,
when she visits, she becomes a client herself, buying
caftans, sandals, and sunglasses from lines previously
unknown to her, such as Australias Camilla Franks
andL.A.-basedBritGregoryParkinson.Itgoesbackto
the buyers edits, she says. They dont overpopulate
the store with merchandise,and they understand their
client instead of trying to be all things to all people.
AMP UP THE EMOTIONAL FACTOR
Like Sheffield, you can stage a party at a nearby
inn when guests reflecting your target market are
expected. Arrange a VIP shopping experience for trav-
elers, or place catalogs in rooms or lobby cases. Look
for the right partner with the right consumer demo-
graphic and sensibility, Gizzi says. Also think about
the vacation mindset in planning your collaboration.
While traditional jewelry stores located far from
足tourist haunts cant import the sand or view, they can
Stop It Right Now
X choker in gold-
plated brass; $375;
Jennifer Fisher
Jewelry, NYC;
888-255-0640;
jenniferfisher
jewelry.com
Necklace with
27.15 ct. opal in
14k gold with 1.07
cts. t.w. diamonds;
$12,000; Rock &
Gems, Manhattan
Beach, Calif.;
310-871-5360;
rockandgems.us
Jennifer Fisher
14k gold XL
reverse burnish
white diamond
cuff with
monogram and
date; $9,000
Kimberly McDonald earrings in a window display
at the Seaside Luxe boutique at Four Seasons
Resort Hualalai
Peoplestrollin
wearingabathing
suit,holdingapi単a
colada.Everyones
sorelaxed.
KimberlyMcDonald](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/dd0a1187-2243-46b1-9701-19c2c7f80602-150721205434-lva1-app6891/85/hotel-jck-final-7-15-2-320.jpg)
hotel.jck.final.7.15
- 1. 92 JCK JULYAUGUST 2015 jckonline.com 93jckonline.com JCK JULYAUGUST 2015 Boom ACROSS THE COUNTRY, STYLISH HOTEL PROPERTIES ARE BECOMING HOME TO A NEW BREED OF RETAILER, SWAPPING 50-CENT POSTCARDS FOR $5,000 JEWELS Sig Ward,a Manhattan Beach,Calif. based jewelry designer, scored a coup at a recent trunk show in Hawaii. She sold $34,000 worth of earrings, opal and diamond chains,and a bangle to a local resident,who dropped by on her way to the gym. (She never made it.) She wasnt coming to see me or the jewelry, says Ward, who also sold $27,000 of jewelry to a Japanese customer that week. You just never knowand the shopper never knows. The most surprising aspect of those sales? The less-than-traditional location: Makamae at Four 足Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay in Hawaii. The boutique was designed and is curated by Seaside Luxe, a Los Ange- les company specializing in high-end resort retail. Hotel Were not your airport 足souvenir shop, says Michelle Roland, the resorts retail director. Our guests expect the very best. If you havent visited a luxury hotel in a while, its time to check out the shopsnot to stock up on sun- dries, but to scope out your growing and undeniably strong competition. Among the Oscar de la Renta floral caftans, fringed Lanvin clutches, and Jimmy Choo flat sandals, youll find top jewelry linesas well as lessons on marketing and merchandising. TAKE IT TO THE PEOPLE While upscale hoteliers have offered a dusty vitrine or two of jewelry over the years, it took the 2009 arrival of a Seaside Luxe shop at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Kona on Hawaii (the Big Island) to open retailerseyes. Seaside Luxes subsequent success with 23 stores across seven resorts and about $30 million in annual rev- enueis a testament to the power of top-tier travelers pocketbooks. ByMicheleMeyer Makamae at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai
- 2. 94 JCK JULYAUGUST 2015 jckonline.com Now jewelers are hot on the trail. Ward reaches U.S. travelers via three Four Seasons locations in Hawaii, plus another in Palm Beach, Fla., and Europeans at the Viceroy Anguilla in the Carib- bean;the hotels are her only points of sale beyond her website (rockandgems.us). Designer Kimberly McDonald racked up more than $1 million in sales at hotels last year. Her 足jewels recently popped up at boutiques at Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii, Lanai, and Maui. By timing her 2011 bridal debut to New York Fash- ion Week and renting a suite at the hip Standard High Line hotel, jewelry designer Anna Sheffield connected with top editors, buyers, and fashionistas who were staying and attending parties at the hotel. The Stan- dardhas its finger on cultures pulse, says Sheffield. Savvy designers have become traveling salespeople whose Instagram feeds double as marketing tools,tan- talizing prospective clients. More important, moving trunk shows,pop-up shops,and meet-and-greets have changed the way jewelry sells. As Roland notes, these outlets allow retailers to introduce lines without costly commitments,while designers can court a well-heeled new audience through one-on-one exchanges. The consumer feels more compelled to buy on the spot when the designer is present, says Amanda Gizzi, public relations director for Jewelers of Amer- ica. Being able to ask, Why and how did you make it?theyre buying an emotional experience thats renewed every time they share the story. Plus,vacationsprovideampletimeandseta足mellow mood for impromptu and leisurely 足shopping sprees. People stroll in wearing a bathing suit and sarong, holding a pi単a colada, McDonald says. Everyones so relaxed and, unlike at home, not trying to get out in time to pick up kids from soccer practice. GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE Designer Jennifer Fisher had turned down numerous requests to sell at hotels until she was approached by Limited Edition, the sleek boutique in The Miami Beach Edition. [Retail consultant] Kate Foley has a great eye and sense of style,says Fisher,who also sells her celeb-coveted gold-plated brass earrings, cuffs, and chokers at Barneys and Net-a-Porter. The hotel fits our modern aesthetic, she adds, and its guest demographic matches our jewelrys demographic. Similarly, the beachside settings in Hualalai and Lanai suit McDonalds eco-conscious recycled dia- mond and gold jewelry, carved onyx bowls, and agate bookends. Youre surrounded by nature. Theres a very organic vibe between the stores and my stuff, McDonald says.While David Webbs jewelry is lovely, the connection wouldnt be as seamless. McDonald is so seduced by the Hawaiian vibe that, when she visits, she becomes a client herself, buying caftans, sandals, and sunglasses from lines previously unknown to her, such as Australias Camilla Franks andL.A.-basedBritGregoryParkinson.Itgoesbackto the buyers edits, she says. They dont overpopulate the store with merchandise,and they understand their client instead of trying to be all things to all people. AMP UP THE EMOTIONAL FACTOR Like Sheffield, you can stage a party at a nearby inn when guests reflecting your target market are expected. Arrange a VIP shopping experience for trav- elers, or place catalogs in rooms or lobby cases. Look for the right partner with the right consumer demo- graphic and sensibility, Gizzi says. Also think about the vacation mindset in planning your collaboration. While traditional jewelry stores located far from 足tourist haunts cant import the sand or view, they can Stop It Right Now X choker in gold- plated brass; $375; Jennifer Fisher Jewelry, NYC; 888-255-0640; jenniferfisher jewelry.com Necklace with 27.15 ct. opal in 14k gold with 1.07 cts. t.w. diamonds; $12,000; Rock & Gems, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; 310-871-5360; rockandgems.us Jennifer Fisher 14k gold XL reverse burnish white diamond cuff with monogram and date; $9,000 Kimberly McDonald earrings in a window display at the Seaside Luxe boutique at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Peoplestrollin wearingabathing suit,holdingapi単a colada.Everyones sorelaxed. KimberlyMcDonald
- 3. Rock & Gems ring in red gold with 34.46 ct. purple chalcedony and 0.42 ct. t.w. diamonds; $4,600 5 BE THEIR GUEST Ways jewelry brands have enticed top-tier travelers: 1 Mexico Cityborn sisters and Anndra Neen designers Annette and Phoebe Stephens created a six-piece capsule collection exclusively for The Beverly Hills Hotel last year. Their rose quartz, alpaca, and brass handmade clutches, cuffs, necklaces, and rings replicate the hotels pink- wash walls and palm-frond wallpaper. 2 At the $25,000-per-night Jewel Suite at The New York Palace hotel, designed by Beverly Hills jeweler Martin Katz, guests receive a complimentary diamond microband ring and a private consultation with a Martin Katz rep. They also sleep close to a floating (permanent) Lucite tableau of $1.5 million in Katzs jewels. 3 The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong serves a $1,400 afternoon tea for two from a vintage trunk that displays hundreds of carats of Graff diamonds, available to try on and buy. The Ritz- Carlton, Dallas previously offered a Bulgari shopping package; each month, a Bulgari watch was randomly placed under the pillow of one lucky guest who signed up for the package. 4 The Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas debuted a timepiece concierge service in 2013. Watch trade veteran Amit Dev Handa advises travelers on pieces and helps them acquire watches from 50 watch and 15 jewelry brands. Additionally, the hotel has hosted Scotch and Watch and Wine and Watch events, where guests sample special vintages and try on high-end watches in a relaxed setting. 5 Manhattans luxe boutique hotel The Quin offers an in-room provisions cabinet selling high- ticket jewelry, handbags, and cufflinks from Bergdorf Goodman. MM 足replicate the slower pace and serene setting, says Lee Ann 足Sauter, founder and CEO of Seaside Luxe LLC; her boutiques strive to evokealuxuriouslivingroom,withsofasnearthefittingroomsand ever-present flutes of Champagne. Consider creating a cozy corner where guests can relax over a cup of coffee or glass of wine. Train your associates to dial down their sales approach, heeding unhur- ried customers rather than launching promptly into a conversation about carats and karats. The vibe in the store should make you want to hang outand take everything home, she adds. Anotherwaytomimictheserviceatyourfavoritehostelry:Make like a concierge. Arrange shopping or museum packages for guests at fine hotels, or offer to accessorize fashion shows at other like- minded properties, with displays featuring gems and jewels cred- ited to your store. Consider placing jewelry pieces in a museum lobby to complement a particular exhibit, cohosting charity events, and providing accessories for runway shows, Gizzi says. Its a no- brainer partnership, she says,a win-win for everyone involved. Incaseslikethese,twovendorsareoftenbetterthanone.Jeweler Misahara, for instance, invites Parmigiani Fleurier to sell its time- pieces along with Misaharas signature green diamond, emerald, and yellow gold necklaces at its shop in New York Citys Plaza Hotel. As part of the Happy Suite Diamonds package at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva, guests are invited to Chopards private atelier. And Piaget watch buyers at Floridas Bal Harbour Shops receive a free treatment at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental in Miami. In another promotion at the Miami hotel one evening, each guest received a gold key, one of which unlocked a Judith Ripka display case housing a sterling silver and 18k gold Montana ring. Above all, listen to your customers stories. If theyre out-of- towners, identify pieces that will remind them of the destination and experience, Gizzi says: The beauty of jewelry is, our hearts guide our purchases. n Theconsumerfeels morecompelled tobuyonthespot whenthedesigner ispresent. AmandaGizzi