Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68NATIONAL JEWELER 53 jewelry design MATCH STONES SEARCH SHARE COLLECTION 360° VIDEO FREE TO SEARCH Request Username and Password www.vdbapp.com 21ST CENTURY DIAMOND SOURCING NETWORK Kathy and Rick Rose of LosAngeles boutique Roseark note that designers Karma El Khalil, Huckleberry Ltd, James Banks and Elisabeth Bell are innovative brands on their roster, while Dagmar Zaragoza,Y akira Rona and Stormie have loyal customer followings. The Roses also mention Perez Bitan as being, “innovative and ahead of her time,” and, “one of our favorite designers right now.” Teichman listsWaterman as well as Irene Neuwirth, Sharon Khazzam andTenThousandThings as being at the top of their craft. “After so many years in business, it is amazing how the new and innovative designs keep popping out,” she says. She mentions Jennifer Meyer, too, as being a draw across all demographics. Teichman also champions the up-and-coming brands she’s stocking, like Jordan Askill, Raphaele Canot, Yannis Sergakis and Selim Mouzannar. Leven, of Love Adorned in New York, says that Xiao Wang and Fraser Hamilton are two young brands to watch, while Selin Kent, Gigi Clozeau and Katherine Bowman all resonate with her store’s clientele. She also notes the artistic dominance in the jewelry industry of designers James Taffin de Givenchy, Solange Azagury- Partridge, TAP by Todd Pownell, and Anthony Lent, whom Leven calls “a mad genius who is happy to sit from morning to night in his studio.” Despite the diverse aesthetics of the brands that are at the top of the fine jewelry industry, designers are surprisingly unanimous in explaining what it takes to be successful in such a competitive arena. “I think clarity of who you are as a brand, who your customer is and where you want to sit in the market are all absolutely key in building long-term success,” says Azlee’s Baylee Zwart. “I think it’s more important than ever for a jewelry line to have its own vision that it adheres to,” echoes designer Mi- chelle Fantaci. “To me, it’s important that a design has a reason to exist by distinguishing itself. Being specific, authentic and a ruthless editor of your own work are factors in that.” While designers shouldn’t ignore social media or be uncon- cerned with market saturation, their greatest job is to develop their vision. “I think it’s really important to stay focused on your own journey,” says Jade Lustig, the creative force behind diamond-focused jewelry brand Jade Trau. Paige Novick emphasizes the importance of adaptability, which is “right up there with resilience, in my opinion, in terms of the qualities that are essential in achieving success in today’s new world. We must be open, fluid and willing to fix what isn’t working.” Todd Reed, for one, believes that the difficulty of navigat- ing the industry will filter the pool of designers, bringing the strongest to the top. “What I like about the current dynamic is that the unique and consistent will win. The current climate will force people to be honest and unique, and to stay the course to create new business and excite old business.” Reed has this advice for his fellow creatives, “The necessity is to actually be authentic in business and design. The essential quality to success is to believe in what you do, and tell an honest story about it.”