Jewelers get creative for Fashion's Night Out

Jewelers get creative for Fashion's Night Out

New York—With the second annual Fashion's Night Out (FNO) event just two days away, fashion  jewelry brands are revving up for a fun-filled evening that includes cocktail parties, limited-edition collections and charitable efforts, all intended to incite consumers to get out and shop.

Centered in New York City, but with events also taking place nationwide and even around the world, FNO is a global extravaganza of all things fashion. One of the event's organizers, Vogue magazine, dubs it a "party with a purpose," as the event is intended to support the fashion and retail industries via full-price shopping.

At this year's FNO, set for Friday, Sept. 10, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., the jewelry industry will be full-force participants, with emerging designers, iconic brands, major retailers and independents among the hundreds of entities that signed on to participate in New York City alone.

Taking a closer look at the extravaganza's Big Apple events, some jewelers are using FNO as an opportunity to showcase new product. Jewelry Designer Yael Sonia is inviting shoppers to her store to discover the latest kinetic designs (such as these above) in 18-karat gold and platinum from her "Perpetual Motion" collection, all while listening to a live performance by guitarist Carlos Pavan.

Van Cleef & Arpels, meanwhile, will be launching its newest collection, "Perlee," and Tiffany & Co. will debut its new "Tiffany Yellow Diamonds Collection" at its Fifth Avenue flagship. Brazilian jeweler H. Stern is also using the event as an opportunity to bring attention to new pieces, namely designs from its exclusive "Oscar Niemeyer Collection" (such as these earrings above), slated to officially launch in October.

                  
     
Gold and platinum designs won't be the only ones to get a spotlight during FNO. At the downtown Bloomingdale's outpost in SoHo, Jewelry designer Janet Setter will host a trunk show and unveil her new fall collection of sterling silver pieces intermixed with base metals and semi-precious stones. One-of-a-kind pieces designed with an organic bent, the fall collection is comprised of intertwined silver, curved shapes and free-form links (see her asymmetrical baroque pearl necklace, above right, featuring silver links accented by a recycled silver slab). Also taking place in SoHo, designer Robert Lee Morris will be on hand to meet and greet with shoppers as the brand launches its fall 2010 collection, comprised of sculptural sterling silver pieces and silver accentuated with gemstones (such as this sterling necklace above left with labradorite, moonstone and smoky quartz).

Limited-edition pieces will receive a special platform on Sept. 10 as well, as designers such as Melissa Joy Manning will reveal pieces limited in number. Manning, who is collaborating with fashion designer Doo Ri on a Spring 2011 jewelry collection, will unveil the pieces to the public through jewelry retailer and jewelry wholesaler Fragments, just minutes after the Doo Ri runway show at New York Fashion Week.

For other jewelers, FNO marks an occasion to do some good beyond attempting to stimulate the economy. Downtown independent retailer Greenwich Jewelers will host a silent auction featuring items from designers such as Anne Sportun, Jamie Joseph, Melissa Joy Manning and Shaesby, with proceeds to benefit breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Mikimoto will support God's Love We Deliver—an organization that delivers meals to those with life-altering illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer—by donating 20 percent of purchases in its Fifth Avenue boutique on the evening of Sept. 10, and Links of London will donate 20 percent of the proceeds from a new red "Friendship Bracelet" to the New York City AIDS Fund.

Shoppers at Donna Distefano and at Jeffrey New York will be contributing to protecting the earth, as a percentage of sales at Donna Distefano will be donated to the Environmental Defense Fund, and each piece of Monique Pean jewelry sold at Jeffrey's will help to provide clean drinking water to developing communities.

Also of note for jewelry aficionados, Canturi Jewels on 66th Street will unveil the "World's Rarest Barbie," a Barbie bedecked with a diamond ring set in 18-karat gold, plus a necklace featuring a 1-carat registered tender pink diamond from the Australian Arglyle mines and 3 carats of white baguette- and carre-cut diamonds. Designed by Stefano Canturi, the Barbie will be sold at Christie's "Magnificant Jewels" auction on Oct 20 in New York, with 100 percent of the proceeds to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

At many of the events mentioned above, cocktails, appetizers and DJs will help contribute to the evening's festive spirit, and so too will special guests. At David Yurman's new Madison Ave. flagship, actress Camilla Belle will meet with shoppers and style Yurman fans in pieces from the brand's new Fall 2010 collection. Meanwhile, guests at Bulgari will get a chance to listen to live music from rock and roll musician Patty Smyth, former lead singer of the band Scandal and an Oscar- and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter. A Bulgari customer herself, Smyth recently signed on as a supporter of Bulgari's Save the Children project, Rewrite the Future, a campaign devoted to providing quality education to children all over the world. Bulgari has created a new sterling silver and enamel ring to raise funds for the cause, and shoppers during FNO will have an exclusive chance to purchase the design before its official October launch. Each ring is priced at $370, and $75 will be donated to Save the Children.

All FNO events are free and open to the public. For more information and a complete listing of events, visit the FNO Web site, FashionsNightOut.com.