What a lovely way to celebrate a 10th anniversary... with a party designed to thank and honor those who helped you reach that milestone -- like your first customer, and your IT consultant, and your lawyer and the editor who gave you your first magazine feature. That's just what Fiona Tilley and Gurhan Orhan -- owners of GURHAN -- did this evening.
It was a swanky cocktail party for 100+ where nearly everyone was the guest of honor -- or at least made to feel that way by the gracious couple who have created one of the most successful designer businesses of our time.
Due to their accumulated genius -- in both business and design --- they've grown from a two-person entrepreneurship in NYC to a multinational corporation with nearly 100 people going full steam... Read More
Archive for 2007
I admit it. I'm a joiner.
I like being a part of of groups and communities. I contribute to online discussion groups; serve on the board of the Women's Jewelry Association; work on committees of Jeweler's For Children and other industry org's... and in my spare time I lead my daughter's Girl Scout troop, head a PTA committee and even make most monthly meetings of a wine-fueled book club. I find the cameraderie and brainstorming a great way to offset the sometimes limited socializing that comes from running a small business with my husband.
But even if you're not naturally a joiner, you need to get out. We can all benefit from a little help from our friends. In my workshop, "Tips from the Trenches: How to Grow a Successful Designer Business" I'm... Read More
In the past few weeks I've had more designers mention their new e-commerce website than ever before. And I've had a chat with a few retailers -- one in particular who has a fantastic online presence, too -- who are considering dropping vendors who launch e-commerce sites.
I find this a very interesting trend and dilemma -- but it's one who's time has come. When you've got wholesale accounts it's a very tricky line to walk. On one hand, you're competing with your own customers, on the other you're growing your brand and serving more consumers (hopefully) than ever before. [TIP: Surf the net for a while and visit sites for designers you admire. See who's retailing and how it's done. Check prices to make sure you're not underpricing your work nor your customers' normal... Read More
Last night I attended a lovely soiree at the Waldorf Hotel in Manhattan to learn more about the World Jewelry Center -- an amazingly ambitious new project in Las Vegas.
The World Jewelry Center is a 50+ story tower planned in a new area of Vegas called Union Park. Most of the building will be business-to-business office condo's offering jewelry companies from around the world state-of-the-art office space. Internationl firms as well as domestic businesses are expected to fill the building with companies of all sectors from gems to manufacturers to designers and more. They've gotten more than 100 signed letters of intent to buy office space.
A retail center is planned too -- giving some of the manufacturers in the tower the chance to have retail of their own. An... Read More
According to a post on the ACC Policy Discussion Forum the American Craft Council has added a new section in their show for New Wave Crafters. One "old wave" master, James Aarons, questioned this and wanted an explaination of "New Wave."
I found the reply interesting and in line with some research I did two years ago when putting together a talk on "Trends in Craft" and I thought about all the 20-somethings who make "stuff" and sell it. Yet don't relate to the traditional "craft" world. I found a host of cool websites that were fresh, young and "crafty" in a a new way. Guess the movement is growing.Mary Fichter of the ACC replied: The Council has identified several exceptional self-proclaimed "new... Read More
