VicenzaOro Charm 2011: Rise in children's jewellery
By Coleby Nicholson
Children’s jewellery was front and centre at Vicenza charm – the May edition of Italy’s thrice-yearly jewellery fair. Coleby Nicholson reports from the show.
With the gold price at record levels, and the current state of the Italian jewellery industry, exhibitors at VicenzaOro Charm showcased more cost-effective products to buyers. And while the regular high-end, and stunning, Italian craftsmanship was still on display – something the fair organisers are always proud to promote – this year children’s jewellery was more prominent.The product category has always been offered at Vicenza but there was no doubt that it was more ‘front and centre’ than in previous years. Not only were there a few new exhibitors with specialist children’s ranges, some of whom had prominent locations in the major aisles, there was also no doubt that exhibitors with existing children’s jewellery ranges were pushing them more.
One children’s jewellery specialist said he had noticed more kid’s jewellery being displayed and believed it was most likely because suppliers were wanting to present inexpensive options that buyers could pick up to broaden their offers in difficult times.
From the time the event opened on May 21, Vicenza fair president Roberto Ditri was on the front foot dealing with some of the difficulties the Italian jewellery industry is facing. He explained that Italy was now firmly focused on the Asian market. “Markets change continually and at different speeds, they shift from West to East, towards China, India, and Eastern Europe,” he said in his opening address.
Children's jewellery at VicenzaOro Charm 2011
Providing hope for a revitalised Italian industry concentrating on an “Italian DNA” of design, he added, “Chinese consumers are increasingly informed and sophisticated; they are beginning to shun fake and counterfeit products that they now recognise, paying more attention to luxury goods, involving not only the upper classes of the population, but the middle classes as well.”
Even in the face of the dramatic shifts towards the East and some of the challenges Italy faces in competing with Asian manufacturers – Italian-made jewellery attracts import duties into China – Ditri confirmed that Vicenza will continue to host three jewellery events a year, although he could not confirm the format will remain the same. “We believe we will have one fair in January and one in September. The May exhibition will be changed in accordance to the way the market demands,” Ditri told Jeweller.
Asked if that meant the May Vicenza fair might stop operating, Ditri was adamant there would be still three events every year. “I will not say there will [always] be three fairs but we will always have three events,” he explained.
Over 9,000 visitors attended the five-day event, which hosted 1,400 exhibitors – 900 Italian and 500 international – but many people question whether Vicenza can continue to host three international fairs annually in the face of the economic challenges facing Italy and parts of the European Union, and the growing importance of the Asian markets.
VicenzaOro Charm 2011
At the VicenzaOro First fair in January this year, Ditri announced a five-year growth and revitalisation plan for the Italian jewellery shows. Dubbed the FDV 2011/15 Project, it calls for a facelift of the fair grounds, including the addition of a 15,000 sq m, open-floor-plan pavilion (covering the site of the former Motel Agip, in the vicinity of the existing grounds) to accommodate more exhibitors.
As well as these changes next year, which will see the May fair begin offering more cost-effective booth space to lesser-known designers and manufacturers, the shows will also begin promoting young Italian designers with a new competition.
Coleby Nicholson attended VicenzaOro courtesy of the fair organiser. VicenzaOro Choice will be held September 10-14, 2011.
Posted July 01, 2011