Let your accessories tell a story — that’s the message brands exhibiting at AccessoriesTheShow employed in hopes of standing out from the contemporary pack.
Be it organic materials, locally produced product or color-infused fashionable wares, designers focused on trendy yet functional merchandise that won’t break the bank.
Held from Jan. 8 to Jan. 10 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, the trade show showcased spring and summer looks with splashes of bold colors and pastels, as well as metals from the budget-friendly favorite rose gold, to new sustainable materials like corn resin and fish leather.
That craftiness paid dividends as attendance rose 3 percent over last year, according to Britton Jones, president and chief executive officer of Business Journals Inc., which produces ATS.
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“Clearly the economy is better than it has been,” he said, referring to the improved traffic, “but buyers are still a little careful in their buying.”
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For Giuseppe D’Arcangelo, president of Jaded, a New York-based jeweler that handcrafts all of its vibrant baubles in a studio above its Madison Avenue store, the fragile economy has affected his consumer.
“People have abandoned gold. They don’t ask if this is gold, they ask, ‘What is the stone?’” he said, explaining that even though shoppers are buying, they remain price-conscious.
In order to keep prices in the $95 to $1,400 range, Jaded uses gold-plated metals or bronze and mixes in stones like freshwater pearls with turquoise, citrine and rubies.
Accessories vendor Brighton, which got its start in belts, said it regulates prices by selling to specialty boutiques, not department stores. The City of Industry, Calif.-based firm works with regional shops across the U.S. in order to facilitate their business and keep the prices of their product stable.
“When department stores have big sales, who pays? The vendor,” said president of sales and marketing Laura Young, adding that the company has a sales staff of over 100 that focuses on localized merchandising with their regional partners.
At sustainable watchmaker Sprout, which is owned by E. Gluck Corp., the draw is the product’s message. The company makes eco-friendly watches with bands crafted out of biodegradable corn resin, reusable fish skins, Tyvek and organic cotton. The watches, which retail for between $30 and $80, feature conflict-free diamonds on natural bamboo, cork or mother-of-pearl dials.
“It’s easy to sell a watch that tells a story,” said marketing director Allan Farago. “It helps the retailer sell the product as well.”