WWDAccessories Supplement October 2008

Breeze WayFor spring, accessories designers have captured the carefree spirit of Continental style in pieces with a retro touch.

Only your Jeweler will know for sure

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The Gold Leaf CollectionFine Cubic Zirconia hand set in Sterling Silver, finished in Pure Platinum and 18kt Gold Vermeil

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6 in the mix: The new and noteworthy in accessories.

12 bardot beach: Spring accessories harken back to European beach towns of the Sixties and Seventies.

18 rent controlled: Avelle.com allows customers to rent the trendiest accessories.

20 armed and beautiful: Designers turn deadly weapons into unique jewelry.

22 all in the family: For Echo, business is a family affair.

24 on the dial: The latest news from the watch sector.

26 time trials: The newest timepieces pay tribute to the past.

28 status symbol: Designers are focusing on the luxury watch market.

30 neck and neck: A look at spring necklaces featured on the New York runways.

Managing Editor, Fashion/Special ReportsDianne M. Pogoda

Special Sections EditorMichael Agosta

Senior Accessories Editor, FashionRoxanne Robinson-Escriout

Accessories Market Editor, FashionShoshanna Fischhoff

Accessories Market Editors, NewsSophia ChabbottCaroline Tell

Market Editor, FashionCourt Williams

Bookings EditorCinnamon St. John

Group Art DirectorAndrew Flynn

Associate Art DirectorsSharon BerAmy LoMacchio

DesignerCourtney Mitchell

Junior DesignerEric Perry

Art AssistantTyler Resty

Photo EditorCarrie Provenzano

Copy ChiefPeter Sadera

Deputy Copy ChiefMaureen Morrison

Senior Copy EditorLisa Kelly

Copy EditorsDeborah Boylan Adam PerkowskyKim Romagnuolo

•••

PublisherChristine Guilfoyle

Associate PublisherEd Hecht

Associate Publisher, AccessoriesJennifer Marder

Associate Publisher, Innerwear/Legwear/Textiles Joel Fertel

West Coast Director Ron Troxell

Senior Account Manager, West CoastDeborah Levy

Associate Production ManagerJill Breiner

Production CoordinatorAhmed Pruitt

President, Fairchild Fashion GroupDaniel Lagani

inside

BADGLEY MISCHKA’s leather and gold-toned belt; BYLU’s brass and enamel bangles; AK ANNE KLEIN’s

leather, brass and stainless steel watch, and L.A.M.B.’s leather, lambskin, cotton webbing and metal tote.

Dallin Chase shirt and Cynthia Steffe shorts.

ON THE COVER: ERIC JAVITS’ polypropylene, metallic, rayon and polyester hat; DIANORA SALVIATI’s silk, linen and cotton scarf, and TED ROSSI’s 14-karat gold-plated

metal and lizard skin bangles. Prairie New York dress.

THIS PAGE AND THE COVER: photos by Howard Chu; model: Reid Kastyn/IMG Models;

styled by Roxanne Robinson-Escriout

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Sarah Hearey was feeling caged in. The New York-based designer had worked in accessories design for several years, but knew that eventually she had to break from the flock.

“I wanted full creative freedom to make bags that were raw and unfiltered,” says Hearey, who studied design in Florence. “I found that the quality and design of bags are always watered down by the time they hit stores.”

So over one year ago the Bay Area native decided to launch her own handbag line, where she was free to create colorful python pieces that featured hardware in the shape of birds, her favorite animals and the source of her inspiration.

“The idea of a bird taking flight, the freedom, it’s so relevant in starting my own collection and was so

inspiring to think about,” Hearey says. “I love the idea of a bird with feathers and claws — it’s all about the

combination of textures.”Sarah Hearey handbags wholesale from $176 to

$3,105 and are available at such boutiques as Verve in Beverly Hills and New York’s Takashimaya.

Hearey is taking her avian influence one step further and will launch a jewelry line for spring, with bronze and resin bird-shaped pendants and bracelets featuring pavé diamonds as well as amethyst and

peridot. Wholesale prices range from $40 to $630. — Caroline Tell

Handmade in England sunglasses by Oliver Goldsmith.

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In its heyday, Oliver Goldsmith counted Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers and Michael Caine among its fans.

Now the British eyewear brand, which was revived in 2005 by Claire Goldsmith, the founder’s granddaughter, will introduce a limited edition acetate and horn sunglasses line in collaboration with Hoffmann Natural Eyewear. Dubbed Handmade in England, the new collection, available in sets of eight frames wholesale priced at 2,415 pounds, or around $4,300 at current exchange, will launch at Paris’ Silmo eyewear trade show Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.

— Katya Foreman

free bird

modern marvel

eyes on ollie

Former Organizers designer Jane Saidenberg wanted to create chic and affordable handbags from the same laminated fabrics used in her home storage alternatives line. The result is Jane Marvel, a combination of her first name and her singer-songwriter husband’s stage name, Andy Marvel.

The collection features 20 basic and pattern-rich styles, retailing from $42 to $124. The bags, which are made without leather, are sold at target.com (availability in Target stores is in the works), as well as on HSN, online at eBags.com and Shoebuy.com and in more than 200 specialty stores across North America.

“Most women are emotional shoppers,” Saidenberg says. “We will buy goodies for ourselves in bad economic times as well as good, but with Jane Marvel at least you don’t have to feel guilty about your purchase.”

— Nadine Cheung

in the mixin the mix

Bags and jewelry by Sarah Hearey.

The designer.

A Sarah Hearey bag.

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handbag.

For us, inspiration is everywhere.The deep, burnt orange of an autumn leaf. A streetlight reflected in a puddle after a long rain. The delicate shimmer of the starlit sky.

What will inspire you this Fall?

H O B O I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Here: TDM Design scarves. Below left:

Nepalese artisans working wool fabric.

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Michelle Baldwin and Michelle Taylor-Spearman want to save the world in style.

On a trip to Nepal, the entrepreneurs, who previously worked in the textile business, became enamored with a diamond fiber cashmere made from the underbelly of the capra hircus goat. While they found the fabric beautiful, soft and light to the touch, the working conditions of the local women who weave the fabric weren’t up to par.

So in creating TDM Design, the duo decided to give back. The women who make their handwoven, dyed and sometimes ruched silk, bamboo and merino wool scarves are offered above-market compensation and access to education and health care, courtesy of TDM Design. The scarves hit stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Scoop and Henri Bendel in the spring and the company is now expanding into wraps and small knit accessories. Wholesale prices range from $37 to $295. The company now provides medical care to 125 children, and is looking to make an even bigger mark on Nepal. “Our goal is to eventually build a school,” says Baldwin.

— Sophia Chabbott

San Francisco accessories company Helena de Natalio is driven by the premise that a bag is only as good as its materials.

Following a stint in the Peace Corps working in the small Paraguayan town of Natalio, founder and designer Helen Hoppock Lubetkin moved to Buenos Aires and began working with Argentinian leather. The quality of the leather so inspired her that about a year ago she decided to launch a full-blown Bohemian-inspired handbag line.

“The leather was too good to pass up,” says 29-year-old Hoppock Lubetkin. “If you have a design and you don’t have the right material, it is worthless.”

The bags are priced from around $218 to $500 at retail and are carried by more than 50 specialty boutiques, including Bettina Duncan at Fred Segal, Verve, Mint Julep and Jennifer Kaufman.

— Rachel Brown

material girl

love affair

fabric of society

in the mixin the mix

I Love Factory, a New York-based line of embellished headpieces, came about to solve a simple fashion quandary.

“I don’t wear hats well,” says designer Laurel St. Romain. “They don’t look feminine enough.”

So St. Romain, who works in product development for Kidrobot, and her wardrobe stylist friend Christopher Garbushian crafted a Marie Antoinette-inspired collection of fun, frilly headdresses, which amount to more than a headband and less than a hat.

The circular or teardrop-shaped headpieces, which can be attached to a hair clip, elastic band or headband, retail from $90, for a black satin style with a feather and black Swarovski crystal stud, to $250 for an ivory satin style topped with a big black feather and cameo.

As for the name, St. Romain says she was sewing headpieces in her Brooklyn apartment, joking with Garbushian that “one day we’ll be having our labels made in factories, and I said, ‘I love factories.’”

“It will never get to that point,” says St. Romain, noting the entire collection — available at ilovefactorybk.com — is hand-sewn. “It’s just ironic.” — Beth Wilson

A Helena de Natalio handbag.

I Love Factory hair accessories.

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Vintage custom wear company A. Kurtz has added sunglasses to its line of unisex accessories, which currently includes hats and bags. The 15 eyewear styles are inspired by military and aviation wear in Vietnam War films, says designer Darren Zio, vice president of the licensor Zio Group, adding that he also looked to eyewear molds from the Seventies and Eighties, “tweaking them for modern flair.” Updated touches include sleeker lines, new technologies like soft plastic and laser-engraved patterns and colors including tortoise, black, white and burgundy.

The glasses retail for $130 to $150 in plastic and $200 in metal, says Sean Connelly, brand manager for A. Kurtz, and are available on akurtz.com and at Kitson in Los Angeles.

The line, which made its debut in June, fits the A. Kurtz image as historic and iconic, he says. “We like to think of [the company] as things that have historical significance…and represent your favorite things.”

— Melanie Lasoff Levs

kurtz so good

Georgina Goodman has shoes, boots and bags in her lineup. Now she

wants jewels. The British footwear and accessories designer has teamed with hot

jewelry designer Hannah Martin to create a capsule collection of jewelry and a special high heel for spring 2009.

“It plays on Georgina’s signature heart motif,” says Martin, whose own collection is stocked in Dover Street Market and Liberty in London. “It’s quite abstract but still sensual.” She adds, “Designing the shoe heel was very similar to my own process, like doing sculpture, really.”

The jewelry line will be made from silver and gold and will start with roughly six designs before expanding in following seasons. Pieces will be sold in Goodman’s London store starting in January 2009. Price points have yet to be determined.

— Lucie Greene

goodman grows

character studyGreat characters make great books — and Junior Drake hopes the same will be said for handbag brands.

The Los Angeles accessories company’s new line, Love, JD, is being marketed through short Webisodes starring seven women who toil together at a handbag firm. Among them are owner JD; Pia, the uptight finance guru; Romeo, the in-the-know public relations specialist, and Barcelona, the spicy photographer.

“We are not doing our job if people are not relating to the characters, so that is something we are constantly tinkering with,” says Junior Drake branding and marketing director John McDavid Lehman of the Webisodes, which will launch on YouTube in January and currently play weekdays on LoveJD.tv.

The characters are featured on the logo plates and embedded in prints on Love, JD bags, which retail from $80 to $210. The price is meant to appeal to women in their 20s who, Lehman says, “are looking for something that is kind of fun,” just like the Web videos.

— Rachel Brown

in the mixin the mix

Renderings of shoes by Georgina Goodman with Hannah Martin.

A. Kurtz sunglasses.

Love, JD handbags.

Bardot BeachPhotographed by Howard Chu

In the spirit of the young Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and

Françoise Hardy, spring accessories recall the Riviera of

the Sixties and Seventies. Straw bags, oversize sunglasses,

enamel jewelry and flat sandals create the look.

LEYLA’S snakeskin net and cotton canvas tote; 18-karat gold-plated metal and enamel necklace with Swarovski crystals, and nickel-plated metal and enamel rings, all by SKINNY, and MATT BERNSON’s patent leather sandals. BCBG Max Azria shirt and Trovata shorts.

OPPOSITE: SEE BY CHLOE’s cotton-lined patent calfskin bag; EMILIO PUCCI’s plastic sunglasses, and LA PETITE PRINCESSE’s cuff in 24-karat gold-plated metal and enamel. Shoshanna bikini top.

LEE ANGEL’s gold-plated brass bangles with Swarovski crystals and semiprecious stones; ANYA HINDMARCH’s woven calf

leather bag; JOIE’s cotton rope sandals; KOTUR’s straw clutch with an agate closure; ANNA SUI’s cowhide loafers; SERPUI

MARIE’s wicker bag, and RALPH LAUREN’s plastic sunglasses. White + Warren cardigan and Orla Kiely bikini bottoms.

OPPOSITE: FENDI’s metal sunglasses; wood link necklace with 24-karat gold vermeil chain from ERICKSON BEAMON FOR TONY

COHEN, and ALEXIS BITTAR’s 18-karat gold vermeil on sterling and chrysoprase ring. Prairie New York dress.

ACCESSORY NETWORK’s straw hat; SARAH HEAREY’s necklace with a resin pendant and gold-plated metal and Swarovski crystal chain, and RODO’s wicker, patent leather and metal bag. Magaschoni Collection dress.

OPPOSITE: THEA GRANT’s brass charm bracelet with vintage resin medallions; RAFE’s straw clutch with patent leather trim; CAPELLI NEW YORK’s rayon scarf; RAFE FOR TIBI’s canvas tote with leather trim and cotton rope handles, and KEDS’ cotton canvas and rubber sneakers. White + Warren cardigan and Abaeté swimsuit.

Photographed at Tournesol restaurant, Domaine Bar a

Vins and Water Taxi Beach, all in Long Island City, N.Y.;

model: Reid Kastyn/IMG Models; hair by John Ruidant

for Cutler NY and makeup by Keiko Tagaki for Chanel,

both at See Management; manicurist: Bethany Newell/Magnet NY; photo assistant:

Joan Hernandez; sittings assistants: Sydney Eisenstein

and Diana Vasilec; styled by Roxanne Robinson-Escriout

Available for rent at Avelle.com: a Charriol watch…

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Avelle.com allows customers to rent the trendiest accessories without emptying their wallets. By Sophia Chabbott

FAST FASHION IS A COMMON TERM THESE DAYS, BUT HOW ABOUT TEMPORAL fashion, as in rent-a-trend?

Avelle.com is banking that, with the dour economic climate, luxury fashion rental could become a viable new market.

Avelle.com is the new name for Web site BagBorroworSteal.com, the four-year-old online luxury rental retailer. The firm’s executives renamed the site last month and believe the new moniker is more luxurious and European-sounding.

The company, which started renting designer bags by the likes of Gucci, Prada, Coach and Chanel, will also expand into additional accessories categories and some apparel starting this month.

“We have already expanded beyond handbags into vintage, jewelry and sunglasses, and our members are asking for even more,” says Avelle.com chief executive officer Michael Smith. “Avelle more accurately reflects who we are as we expand our offering significantly beyond our handbag beginnings.”

The company’s client base has grown to over one million people, and there are more than 4,000 styles available on the site. In general, weekly rental prices are approximately 10 percent of the retail price of an item, so say a $440 Botkier bag will rent for about $44 per week. The firm purchases some stock directly from designers, as well as authorized retailers.

After its initial offering of handbags the company expanded to include fine and costume jewelry and sunglasses, and will start offering watches for rent this month from the likes of Charriol and Chanel. The firm is also considering eveningwear and shoes, although those would be more challenging sectors considering sizing issues and wear and tear.

The company plans to extend its reach internationally into Kuwait and China.

“If you look worldwide, there are a number of companies that have cropped up in Europe [with the same concept],” says Smith. “We believe that this is a universal concept. There are [only] a few women who will buy everything they want. The [others] see this as a smarter way to wear luxury.”

The company even got a shout-out in one of the most fashion-drenched movies in recent memory, “Sex and The City: The Movie.” In the film, Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant, played by Jennifer Hudson, carries an array of luxe designer bags and ultimately confesses that she rents them from Bag, Borrow or Steal.

The firm has strict quality controls. Bags are inspected going out and then again when they come in. Repair work is employed when needed and bags are sold or disposed of when they are no longer up to snuff. Smith contends that renters are very careful with the product and that bags typically arrive back in pristine condition.

“We’re dealing with a very discerning woman,” says Smith of the brand’s clients. “She is highly educated, affluent and sophisticated. We’re treating her in the way she needs to be treated. We want customers to feel that every product they get feels like new.”

Andrew Jassin, managing director of consulting firm Jassin-O’Rourke Group LLC, has found that people have become familiar with luxury goods, whether or not their wallets allow for them. “What we’re finding now is that people in the luxury mode want to wear the hottest dresses and shoes and bags, but can’t afford it,” says Jassin. “It’s a compelling and timely story, especially given the state of the economy.”

rent controlled

…Vera Wang diamond earrings…

…a Dior bag…

… and Tom Ford sunglasses.

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Designers turn deadly weapons into unique jewelry. By Beth Wilson

CALL THEM WEAPONS OF MASS DECORATION. THIS SPRING, GUNS, BULLETS AND grenades are the focal point for a handful of jewelry designers looking to put a positive spin on the politically charged symbols.

One such designer knows the perils of war firsthand. Rafi Anteby, a former officer in the Israeli army and former head of a counterterrorism consulting group here in the U.S., created his Los Angeles-based line Bullets 4 Peace as an antidote to our violent times.

“I’ve witnessed many conflicts in my life including wars in the Middle East,” says Anteby, who in 2006 introduced the fashion line ShaDang. “We live in a very sensitive time and space and I feel a strong need to make a statement.”

As a result, he crafted necklaces featuring real bullets with a message of peace, including a bullet opening into a lotus flower accented by a ruby in the middle, retailing for $450. Basic necklaces on chains, leather or suede cords start at $300, whereas a sterling silver bullet necklace with pavé diamonds retails for $1,500.

Anteby also looks to donate a portion of sales to charity with his “Every Bullet Has a Target” program.Donna Gunther, owner of Surfing Cowboys in Venice Beach, Calif., admits she was hesitant to

bring charm necklaces featuring a brass skull with two six-shooters, a gas mask with rhinestone eyes and a hammered dog tag from Los Angeles-based Apocolucky Charms, into her

“peacenik” neighborhood.“We wondered how people were going to respond,” she says, noting that “They’re selling

surprisingly well.”Gunther attributes the success of the pieces to their ability to trigger meaningful discussions.“In our environment, the war is heavy on everyone’s mind, but it’s hard to be communicating about

it on a regular basis, especially in the fashion world,” she says. “But with these pieces it becomes a point of conversation. It creates an awareness.”

The line, designed by Dax Savage, retails at $84 for a necklace with two charms to $192 for a necklace with five charms.

Jewelry designer Zani Gugelmann created her silver bullet necklaces to open in the form of a capsule, encouraging buyers to enclose their own inspirational message or wish. After all, a silver bullet is defined as a simple or seemingly magical solution to a complicated problem, she says.

To further the positive message of the line, called Santo (meaning “saint” in Spanish), the New York-based designer plans to donate 10 percent of sales from four new

necklaces, featuring sterling silver bullets wrapped in different-colored gemstones and retailing from $350 to $850, to charity. For example, a portion of the ruby banded

bullet sales will go toward an AIDS charity whereas part of proceeds from the pink sapphire banded necklace will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Justin Tranter, designer of the Brooklyn-based line Fetty, discovered a large audience responds to his signature heart and

gun necklaces. The pieces sold so well at Urban Outfitters, Tranter, who initially designed the necklaces to sell at concerts to promote and finance his garage glam band Semi Precious Weapons,

launched a higher-priced 14-karat gold and diamond collection of charm necklaces featuring a damaged heart with a gun, axe or saw, retailing at Barneys Co-op from $525 to $675.

“People really like their jewelry to mean something,” says Tranter, who enclosed a gun necklace in some copies of his debut CD release last month. “This jewelry tells the story.”

In Philadelphia, fashion and jewelry designer Melanie Brandon struck a deal with her hometown to make her collection of cuffs, bracelets, rings and pendants from the

metal of melted guns confiscated from city streets.“I wanted to take something that was destructive and turn it into something beautiful,” says

Brandon, whose line is called Melani Von Alexandria. “With each piece made, another gun is off the street.”

Currently in production, the collection, which is expected to be available in December, will retail at $200 for a gunmetal cuff sporting the initials MVA to $2,500 for a chunky pendant

necklace of gunmetal, diamonds and crystal quartz.

armed and beautiful

20 WWDACCESSORIES

Above: Santo pendants.

Below: A Melani Von Alexandria cuff.

Above: A Bullets 4 Peace ring. Below: An Apocolucky

Charms necklace.

®

THE LEATHER HANDBAG COLLECTION34 West 33rd Street, New York City 10001 Tel. 212.239.1888 Fax 212.239.0432

The brand’s new home decor book.

The Echo team: Meg, Steven, Dorothy and Lynn Roberts.

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all in the familyBusiness at 85-year-old Echo is a family affair. By Kavita Daswani

DOROTHY ROBERTS LIKES TO SAY THAT SHE HAS THREE CHILDREN: DAUGHTER LYNN, son Steven and Echo, the design company that her parents founded 85 years ago. Certainly, as chairman of the New York-based design mini empire, she likes to keep it all in the family: Steven is the brand’s chief executive officer and president, and Lynn is the vice president of advertising and public relations.

When Echo was first started in September 1923 by newlyweds Theresa and Edgar C. Hyman, it made a small selection of scarves that it sold to stores such as Saks, Marshall Field’s and I. Magnin. In the eight-plus decades since then, Echo has gone on to have a combined staff of 170 in New York and at a distribution center in New Jersey, and its various offerings are available in some 3,000 to 4,000 doors nationwide and another 500 globally. In addition to scarves, which continue to be a staple, Echo makes puffy nylon jackets, rainwear, hats, wraps and leather gloves. There is a comprehensive home line that extends to duvets and pillow shams, table linens, paper napkins, ceramic soap dispensers and shower curtains. The brand’s core products are priced anywhere from $38 to $200 at retail. And the one unifying element among all these seemingly disparate categories: the vibrant and eclectic prints that have always been at the heart of Echo.

“We’ve always said that our brand is about print, pattern and color,” says Steven Roberts. “We’ve always woven our products into this kaleidoscopic design, and everything else grew out of what we were good at and what we enjoyed. We mix patterns and colors and brushstrokes, and engineer them into interesting and compelling designs.”

To commemorate the company’s anniversary, Echo has launched a new ad campaign that will carry through to next spring. The ads, which first bowed in The New York Times in August, focus specifically on the prismatic nature of the prints, and are more about the overall aesthetic of the line than any tangible product.

“It’s really all about the design, and how it’s interesting and different and unusual,” says Lynn Roberts. There is also a redesigned Web site, echodesign.com, which was launched a few months ago to coincide with the release of the company’s third home decoration book, and plans for a series of personal appearances and trunk shows with key retailers are planned throughout the rest of the year. In short, after 85 years — at least half of them spent working in licensing deals with brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor and Talbots — the company is looking fresher than ever.

“We love newness, and much of the innovation here is inspired by what’s happening around the globe, through music, films, the streets,” says Steven Roberts.

That explains the wide retail mix. Echo products are available at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, as well as at trendy boutiques such as Shop Intuition and Kitson. Internationally, the company sells at Harrods in London and Le Bon Marché in Paris, and is seeing a spike in business in Japan. On the agenda are new accounts in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Taiwan and Australia.

Despite the economic downturn, Steven Roberts says that business is up about 6 percent this year over last. “It’s challenging, but when times are difficult, we develop more, do more, take more risks,” he says. “We innovate as much as we can. These days, we don’t cut quality. We reinvent.”

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The brand’s new home decor book.The b

Here: An Echo handbag.

Right: A signature Echo scarf.

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Bulova is introducing a luxurious special edition diamond timepiece to its Diamond Collection.

The stainless steel watch features a total of 267 pavé-set stones in its dial, case, bezel and

crown, and retails for $2,750. “The Special Edition Diamond Pavé watch

is a perfect representation of Bulova’s expertise in providing today’s consumers with superbly

designed timepieces offering impeccable style and exquisite craftsmanship,” says Dennis W. Perry,

president of Bulova Corp. “As the most luxurious watch in our Diamond Collection, it highlights

Bulova’s leadership in this growing category, one which has driven a significant portion of our impressive growth

during the last decade and signals our commitment to continued innovation in design.”

The special edition watch will be available this month at select Macy’s and fine jewelers.

— Nadine Cheung

Oceanaut, the Redondo Beach, Calif.-based company cofounded by Danny Blair, chief executive officer and designer, and his wife, Frances, president, started in 1999 as a line of diving watches and became a full collection in 2004.

After tripling its sales, the company is now venturing deeper into the luxury market with its 35-mm. Bacara style, made from rose gold and diamonds. The Swiss-made watches retail from $1,295 to $4,000 and are sold in Nordstrom (the brand is its top-selling watch) and 30 boutiques nationwide.

— Marcy Medina

After three years spent in the international market, Dutch watch brand TW Steel has struck a distribution deal with the Tempus Group to launch in the U.S. this fall. Four collections of the oversize timepieces — Canteen, Grandeur, Tech and Goliath — which retail from $625 to $2,000, will be offered at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and other specialty retailers.

“TW Steel is a watch that is aspirational in its own way,” says Scott Rosen, partner in the Tempus Group. “[It’s] a value in today’s market, a sure thing in unsure times.”

Rosen’s partner, Jay Vullings, adds, “Every model has an excellent fit and finish to it, and there is an exceptional quality-to-value ratio for every customer. TW Steel is hip and exciting, while staying in line with watch industry trends.”

— N.C.

going dutchtime wave

on the dialon the dial

luxe addition

A watch from Bulova’s Diamond collection.

Oceanaut watches.

TW Steel watches.

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time trials

Chronographs are moving forward in new versions inspired by their 19th-century ancestors.

Clockwise from top: Stainless steel and rubber watch from AK ANNE KLEIN SPORT; JUST CAVALLI’s stainless steel and plastic

watch; TIMEX’s silver-toned metal and leather watch; PEDRE DESIGN’s brass

watch; GLAM ROCK’s lizard watch, and RENATO’s titanium watch.

WWDACCESSORIES 27

Clockwise from top: BREIL MILANO’s enamel, stainless steel and leather watch; SKAGEN DENMARK’s stainless steel watch; NIXON’s

stainless steel watch; 7 WEST ACCESSORIES’ stainless steel and crocodile-embossed leather watch; ERNST BENZ’s diamond, mother-of-pearl

and alligator watch; TED BAKER’s stainless steel and crocodile-embossed leather watch, and

TOMMY BAHAMA’s stainless steel watch.

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Designer brands are increasingly targeting the luxury watch market. By Caroline Tellstatus symbolIN A TIME WHEN CONSUMERS LOOK TO BRANDS TO HELP define themselves, sometimes an “It” bag is not enough. Enter the latest category to attain the status stamp of approval from luxury firms — watches.

Designer brands are entering the category in great numbers. Salvatore Ferragamo launched a collection with Timex Group in 2007, while Valentino, which was formerly under contract with Sector, launched a watch collection in April, also with Timex. In 2006, Versace launched a collection with Vertime, Timex Group’s luxury division. Brands such as Armani, Burberry and Michael Kors, which are all produced by Fossil, and Roberto Cavalli, which signed with Sector Group, are constantly reinvigorating their lines with new styles and trends.

“Today, every designer should be in the market with everything that can make a person feel more fancy, more special,” says designer Roberto Cavalli, who launched Roberto Cavalli The Diamond Time collection in April, with prices that run from $3,200 to $6,000. “I believe that people like to have a special watch, not the usual watch. Today, it has to be a designer watch.”

Brands such as Dior and Chanel, which have been amping up their watch divisions in the past several years, are seeing sales escalate.

“Dior has been making watches for 33 years, so it has been in the DNA of the brand for a while, but it is definitely picking up now,” says Stephane Barraque, president of Dior Watches. “We really took off when John Galliano designed the Christal watch — that was a breakout for us, and ever since that time, we’re really growing the category and understand the necessity to make the watch business a real and separate entity.”

Barraque acknowledges that, for a company like Dior, watches are an avenue for the firm’s three core designers — Galliano, Victoire de Castellane and Kris Van Assche — to express the aesthetic of the firm in a different way. And the category gives both men and women the opportunity to wear the Dior name.

“Bags are only good for women, and jewelry and clothing is limited,” says Barraque. “But with watches, everybody is inclined to buy them. Watches are products that are recognizable. Someone may look at you and isn’t going to recognize what you’re wearing, except for maybe a bag. But you’re not going to say, ‘It’s a Dior jacket.’ When you look at a watch, you know what it is. It’s an important element of recognition and status.”

Dior recently launched a tourbillon watch, which, like Chanel, places the firm into the realm of haute horology. The tourbillons, which retail at $500,000, are all painstakingly handcrafted by artisans in Switzerland.

Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard, president and chief executive officer of the $700 million Timex Group, sees the designer market as a huge opportunity for the firm. Since his arrival from high jewelry firm Georg Jensen last year, he has built upon the firm’s existing luxury offerings and raised its international profile. In addition to acquiring the licenses for Valentino and Ferragamo

DiorMichael Kors

Ferragamo

watches, Timex is eyeing more potential licensees to solidify its portfolio. It is building up its Vertime luxury group, which houses Versace watches, and acquired Vincent Bérard, whose watches start at $75,000 at retail, in 2006.

“The whole notion of watches has been taken way beyond timekeeping,” says Hoejsgaard. “It is a real fashion category, an accessory that happens to show time. When you define it from that perspective, it makes sense that fashion brands would move into watches and jewelry. In its own right, the watch sector has had a great run for the last seven or eight years.”

According to Hoejsgaard, Timex Group’s luxury watches encompass 7 percent of the firm’s total business and is building toward the 15 percent mark over the next two years.

Chanel’s first watch, dubbed Premiere, made its debut in 1987. Over time, Chanel timekeeping has evolved into a collection of highly stylized and expertly crafted watches that do a huge business for the storied house. The J12 model, introduced in 2000, is a top seller at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. In 2005, Chanel introduced the J12 tourbillon, which put the firm into the world of true fine jewelry watches. But the firm doesn’t see its foray into the category as an extension of its brand, but more as an homage to the brand’s core.

“The first watch for us, which launched in 1987, is still there,” says Nicolas Beau, director of watches at Chanel. “We are modernizing the line this year at 21 years old. Later we are launching another version of the Premiere watch and the J12, which, born in 2000, will soon be 10 years old. We are confident we’ll be celebrating its 10th, 20th and 30th birthday. We are not into launching watches every season, and our history proves it.”

Michael Kors has seen a huge success with his oversize watches, produced in partnership with Fossil. While retailing at between $110 and $350, the pieces are more for a whimsical fashion statement than expert timekeeping, but they are nonetheless one of Kors’ best-selling accessories.

“A lot of Michael’s success is attributed to the brand,” says Jennifer Fink, brand manager for Michael Kors watches. “But buying a watch makes people feel good. Michael’s philosophy is that people should have a wardrobe of watches.”

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neck and neck

Move over, cocktail rings, cuffs and stiletto earrings: Spring is all about the necklace. From collars to beaded strands, many New York ready-to-wear designers turned to jewelers to help fi nish off their looks. Ann Watson, vice president and fashion director of Henri Bendel, anticipates that bold necklaces will drive spring jewelry sales. “We’ve seen a variety of necklaces so far, from bib styles to the multilayered look, which are looking fresh and updated through the mixture of fabrics, ribbons and stones,” she says. “These new elements add a great deal of drama and focus to the neck.”

— Sophia Chabbott and Caroline Tell

Janis Savitt’s cameo necklace

at Vera Wang.

A Sonia Boyajian metal necklace at Brian Reyes.

Dean Harris’ tigereye

strands at Derek Lam.

An Irene Neuwirth

moonstone necklace at

Richard Chai.

An Eddie Borgo pendant necklace for 3.1 Phillip Lim.

Jill Platner’s silver necklaces at Vena Cava.

Spring 2009 catalog available

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