Trend forecaster Paola De Luca, pictured, presented “Wonderland: Co-Creating the Future of Luxury and Jewelry” on Sept. 7 at the Vicenzaoro show in Vicenza, Italy. (Photo courtesy of the Italian Exhibition Group)
Vicenza, Italy—When consumers come into a store today, many of them are seeking more than just the merchandise you sell. They are looking for connection, and they are looking to escape from reality, even if just for a little bit.
They also are, according to a presentation at the recently concluded Vicenzaoro show, looking for joy, something jewelers are uniquely poised to provide.
“Going forward, people will want more of what you offer … precious things that make them feel good about the world,” said Carlo Pignataro, a Dubai-based author and consultant who specializes in luxury businesses.
Pignataro was one of three speakers who joined trend forecaster Paola De Luca on stage at the show in Vicenza, Italy, on Sept. 7 for a presentation titled “Wonderland: Co-Creating the Future of Luxury and Jewelry.”
Much of what the speakers said that Saturday afternoon is not new information for retailers who deal in luxury goods, but it’s worth repeating in an age when people worldwide feel stretched thin emotionally as they grapple with severe weather and geopolitical tensions.
“Today we are seeking joy,” De Luca said. “We are not just purchasing a talisman. We want to bring with us joy.”
Consumers, particularly those buying fine jewelry, base decisions more on emotions than on logic, Pignataro said.
In what he described as the “joy economy,” the “most dangerous” enemy for retailers is not sadness or depression, but apathy and irrelevance, becoming that store, designer, or brand that leaves consumers feeling nothing.
Jewelers need to emphasize joy, happiness, and optimism in order to connect with people on a deeper level and build long-lasting relationships.
Pignataro emphasized the importance of creating an environment of escapism—taking customers to a place where they feel safe and excited again.
He pointed to the immersive exhibition Cartier is currently hosting in Singapore to celebrate 100 years of its “Trinity” design, and the VR experience Italian brand Gucci created to mark its centenary in 2021.
Pignataro also noted the importance of social responsibility—he said younger generations believe, “if we stop taking care of our planet, it will stop taking care of us”—and of authenticity and personalization, both themes touched on by another speaker that afternoon, Lorraine West.
The Brooklyn, New York-based jewelry designer spoke about the influence hip-hop, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary, has had on style, fashion, and luxury, including fine jewelry.
“Hip-hop is not a monolith,” West said. “It’s an amalgamation of the African diaspora, the Caribbean diaspora.
“It’s about power, it’s about swag, it’s about beauty. It’s about staying in your truth, staying in your power.”
West started in jewelry 27 years ago, selling wire, bead, and leather pieces on the street in SoHo. Her business since has grown, evolved, and thrived into fine jewelry, thanks in part to music legends such as Beyoncé, Erykah Badu, and Mary J. Blige publicly sporting her pieces.
Her jewels function as storytelling tools, ways for the wearer to feel beautiful, powerful, and make a statement without saying a word (or by wearing one).
In the 1980s, West said, bold rappers were anxious to step out into the world, “and they wanted people to know who they are,” a desire that gave rise to the modern-day popularity of the nameplate necklace.
While she was too young to own a piece of nameplate jewelry back then, the self-taught bench jeweler has paid homage in her own way with pieces like her “Truth” ring or “Major” necklace.
Lorraine West “Nipple” hoop earrings in 14-karat yellow gold
West’s shapes also tell stories and foster emotion, as seen in the “Nipple Collection” launched last year.
The tongue-in-cheek variation on one of the most basic forms in jewelry, the hoop, the design is meant to express the need for women to nurture themselves and their dreams, and to draw attention to the strength of breast cancer survivors.
New York City’s Greenwich St. Jewelers, which carries the collection, continuously donates 20 percent of proceeds from the sale of Nipple Collection pieces to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a nonprofit that provides resources, empowerment, and connection for women affected by breast cancer, particularly those in marginalized communities.
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De Luca’s panel on Vicenzaoro on Saturday served as a preview of the presentation she gave the following day to introduce the new Trendbook, an annual publication that serves as a near-future jewelry trend forecasting tool.
The theme of “Trendbook 2026+” is the same as the talk presented Saturday, “Wonderland,” taking its inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s classic tale of escapism from 1865, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”
The macro-trends outlined in the book include: “Sleek Elegance,” a desire for clean, organic shapes; its opposite “Opulent Extravaganza;” “Street Coolness,” which reflects the growing influence urban environments and their inhabitants have on fashion; and “Digital Nouveau,” which blends the aesthetics of early 1900s Art Nouveau jewelry with digital era advancements.
The September 2024 edition of Vicenzaoro took place from Sept. 6-10.
The show will return early next year, with the January edition scheduled for Jan. 17-21, 2025.
