Jeweler brings trends from the runway inside

Little Rock, Ark.--Retailer Roberson’s Fine Jewelry found a way to bring the latest trends from the runway to its customers with an exclusive event held Thursday at its Little Rock store.

“Runway to Roberson’s” included small group discussions about trends featuring Nancy Robey of The Robey Partnership and Jen Cullen Williams, managing director of Luxury Brand Group.

Arriving at scheduled times throughout the day, customers learned how trends originate, become embedded in culture and then appear in the apparel, accessories, and home décor markets.

Clients also were taught how both the baby boomer and millennial generations interpret trends to fit their own personal style and were given the chance to ask questions.

Roberson’s used visual props, photography, and the Trendbook produced by Trendvision + Forecasting to display four major trends: Airy Perspective-The Essentialist; Dramatic Poetry-The Romantic; Global Delights-The Exotic; and Digital East-The Digitalist.

A curated collection of jewelry from designers including Armenta, Roberto Coin, Erica Courtney, Monica Rich Kosann, John Hardy, Steven Webster, Penny Preville, Gumuchian and A. Link were used as examples of these four trends. A number of these designers even presented exclusives just for the event, Roberson’s said.

The retailer topped it off by offering customers the chance to feel like a celebrity themselves with a stroll down a red carpet placed outside the store, as well as the chance to pose for photos on the step and repeat or photograph the jewelry tried on with the Jewel-Cam, which is similar to the mani-cam--a small camera fixed on a miniature red carpet designed to photograph hands only--used at some Hollywood awards shows.

“Roberson’s niche is confident women who buy for themselves,” owner and President Trish Roberson said. “Our goal for this event was to show our women customers how we are working in advance of the trends, so they can be at the forefront before these trends hit. This is how we buy for our customers to keep them not only au courant, but ahead of the curve.”