Post by Ace on Mar 2, 2006 18:54:03 GMT -5
Hey, dude, nice earrings: Music and movies have turned guys on to jewellery
ROBERTO ROCHA, THE GAZETTE
Published: Saturday, February 25, 2006
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but they're quickly warming up to the fellas.
Blame it on the rise of hip hop urban culture, blame it on the changing face of modern men that has marketers scrambling to coin the next catchy label.
But guys are no longer shying from shining.
"One day I just thought it would be cool to wear them," said twentysomething Jasmin Tremblay, who sports two cubic zirconium-encrusted earrings and a long zirconium necklace with a gold and silver pendant featuring Versace's famous Medusa cameo.
He's worn that look for three years, he said, partly influenced by music icons in magazines and videos.
Even high-end jewellery store Birks is noticing the shift.
"Men are more comfortable wearing and buying jewellery for themselves," said Donna Battista, public relations manager for Birks. "We can thank hip hop and movie stars for that, and some sports stars, too."
No slender gold pendant chains for today's men. Big and chunky give the glitter a shot of virility whether it be bracelets, necklace chains or rings. But more gold means more pricey, so men are opting for sterling silver and stainless steel.
"It gives a big look at a fraction of the price," said Gord Hayward, general merchandise manager of jewellery for The Bay. But big must also be sleek, which is the idea behind the stainless steel collection, often mixed with silver, gold, leather and rubber.
"It's a harder look, more biker- friendly, more techno-inspired. All those things give it a fresh new look," Hayward said.
Birks has jumped in with its Biker Chic line, which features bracelets and rings with the stark contrast of black on steel.
"The focus is on texture and new materials for a more masculine look," Battista said.
"We see a bit of an influence of world cultures with the popularity of leather and wood as well," added Birks store manager Caroline Gauthier. "Which is perfect for a city like Montreal."
It's undeniable that the trendsetting celebrity echelons have had a hand in popularizing men's jewels. When Pierce Brosnan appeared in the Italian Vogue wearing a single green Tahitian pearl on a leather necklace, European men flocked to the stores to get one, Gauthier said.
Tiffany jewellers in the U.S. reported a spike in the sales of a certain bracelet after Brad Pitt wore one in the film Ocean's Twelve.
"Hollywood men are really the ones giving directions to the rest of the world," Hayward said.
The proof is in the dog tag. Another hot-selling item in stores like Birks and urban hip hop emporiums is the military ID pendant, jazzed up with patterns, engravings, stones, and flag designs for patriotic types.
It can all be traced to the hip hop world, where the size of a man's gem sets him apart. At Angelica Jewels on Ste. Catherine St., which caters to the urban client, one of their better sellers is a gold, puck-size image of Jesus's face with a white gold beard and headband.
Intricate crosses sheathed in diamonds, rings with multiple levels of diamonds and watches circled with the stones are prominently displayed.
"The hottest things are these checkered earrings," said manager Steve Abehsera, pointing to stamp-sized pieces with alternating diamonds and onyx squares, similar to what Jasmin Tremblay wears.
"Rappers like 50 Cent and Lil' John, they're the ones who start these trends," Abehsera said.
But from ghetto to boardroom is a long trickle up. Until we see Fortune 500 faces with diamonds on their incisors, the cufflink will remain the most popular jewel in men's dressers.
In fact, it's making a comeback as male fashion becomes more formal and French cuffs are once again in vogue.
The variety of styles is staggering. "Bright colours are the big thing in cufflinks," said Scott Rivard, regional director of men's fashion authority Harry Rosen. "It's a way for men to stand out."
The era of casual wear, Rivard explained, is thankfully coming to an end. "Casual is too complicated," he said. Matching shirts, sweaters and khakis proved to be more headache than relief.
"But it's easy to look good in a suit."
Yet men don't want to return to the uniformity of the pre-casual era, where the charcoal suit, white shirt and blue tie turned offices into drone gatherings. Cufflinks, he said, are a way for men to inject their personal poetry into their clothes.
Big sellers are mother-of-pearl and fused fibre optic, which produces a cat's eye-like sheen. Or men can buy according to designer. Boss, Valentino and Burberry cufflinks have their own signature looks, and allow customers to identify with a brand.
"You can see the Boss and Valentino links are more modern, while Burberry is more sartorial." Rivard said. "It can suit the man's personality."
At the Vasco gift shop on Ste. Catherine St. near Crescent, Alfred Dunhill cufflinks with their famous bulldog face in silver are one of the best sellers. They're beside a shelf with rows of unique cufflink designs, from hot and cold faucet knobs to salt and pepper shakers to billiard balls.
"It's an emerging market," said sales clerk Adam Florian. "It's flashy but formal. It's not for black tie, but to wear with a blazer and jeans."
The man who has a scholarship named after him may prefer Mont Blanc cufflinks in pinstripe silver with a gold finish, or an oval onyx wrapped in a gold ribbon. They start at $300.
While The Bay has always carried men's jewellery, its collection over the last five years has grown enough to merit its own showcase.
Today it counts for nearly 6 per cent of sales of fine jewellery. While the men's collection only represents 2.5 per cent of sales for Birks, it has increased about 20 per cent over the last few years. And it can only get bigger.
"There's no more stigma in men wearing jewellery," Abehsera said. "If women can wear (it), so can men."
rrocha@thegazette.canwest.com
============================
I want one too.
ROBERTO ROCHA, THE GAZETTE
Published: Saturday, February 25, 2006
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but they're quickly warming up to the fellas.
Blame it on the rise of hip hop urban culture, blame it on the changing face of modern men that has marketers scrambling to coin the next catchy label.
But guys are no longer shying from shining.
"One day I just thought it would be cool to wear them," said twentysomething Jasmin Tremblay, who sports two cubic zirconium-encrusted earrings and a long zirconium necklace with a gold and silver pendant featuring Versace's famous Medusa cameo.
He's worn that look for three years, he said, partly influenced by music icons in magazines and videos.
Even high-end jewellery store Birks is noticing the shift.
"Men are more comfortable wearing and buying jewellery for themselves," said Donna Battista, public relations manager for Birks. "We can thank hip hop and movie stars for that, and some sports stars, too."
No slender gold pendant chains for today's men. Big and chunky give the glitter a shot of virility whether it be bracelets, necklace chains or rings. But more gold means more pricey, so men are opting for sterling silver and stainless steel.
"It gives a big look at a fraction of the price," said Gord Hayward, general merchandise manager of jewellery for The Bay. But big must also be sleek, which is the idea behind the stainless steel collection, often mixed with silver, gold, leather and rubber.
"It's a harder look, more biker- friendly, more techno-inspired. All those things give it a fresh new look," Hayward said.
Birks has jumped in with its Biker Chic line, which features bracelets and rings with the stark contrast of black on steel.
"The focus is on texture and new materials for a more masculine look," Battista said.
"We see a bit of an influence of world cultures with the popularity of leather and wood as well," added Birks store manager Caroline Gauthier. "Which is perfect for a city like Montreal."
It's undeniable that the trendsetting celebrity echelons have had a hand in popularizing men's jewels. When Pierce Brosnan appeared in the Italian Vogue wearing a single green Tahitian pearl on a leather necklace, European men flocked to the stores to get one, Gauthier said.
Tiffany jewellers in the U.S. reported a spike in the sales of a certain bracelet after Brad Pitt wore one in the film Ocean's Twelve.
"Hollywood men are really the ones giving directions to the rest of the world," Hayward said.
The proof is in the dog tag. Another hot-selling item in stores like Birks and urban hip hop emporiums is the military ID pendant, jazzed up with patterns, engravings, stones, and flag designs for patriotic types.
It can all be traced to the hip hop world, where the size of a man's gem sets him apart. At Angelica Jewels on Ste. Catherine St., which caters to the urban client, one of their better sellers is a gold, puck-size image of Jesus's face with a white gold beard and headband.
Intricate crosses sheathed in diamonds, rings with multiple levels of diamonds and watches circled with the stones are prominently displayed.
"The hottest things are these checkered earrings," said manager Steve Abehsera, pointing to stamp-sized pieces with alternating diamonds and onyx squares, similar to what Jasmin Tremblay wears.
"Rappers like 50 Cent and Lil' John, they're the ones who start these trends," Abehsera said.
But from ghetto to boardroom is a long trickle up. Until we see Fortune 500 faces with diamonds on their incisors, the cufflink will remain the most popular jewel in men's dressers.
In fact, it's making a comeback as male fashion becomes more formal and French cuffs are once again in vogue.
The variety of styles is staggering. "Bright colours are the big thing in cufflinks," said Scott Rivard, regional director of men's fashion authority Harry Rosen. "It's a way for men to stand out."
The era of casual wear, Rivard explained, is thankfully coming to an end. "Casual is too complicated," he said. Matching shirts, sweaters and khakis proved to be more headache than relief.
"But it's easy to look good in a suit."
Yet men don't want to return to the uniformity of the pre-casual era, where the charcoal suit, white shirt and blue tie turned offices into drone gatherings. Cufflinks, he said, are a way for men to inject their personal poetry into their clothes.
Big sellers are mother-of-pearl and fused fibre optic, which produces a cat's eye-like sheen. Or men can buy according to designer. Boss, Valentino and Burberry cufflinks have their own signature looks, and allow customers to identify with a brand.
"You can see the Boss and Valentino links are more modern, while Burberry is more sartorial." Rivard said. "It can suit the man's personality."
At the Vasco gift shop on Ste. Catherine St. near Crescent, Alfred Dunhill cufflinks with their famous bulldog face in silver are one of the best sellers. They're beside a shelf with rows of unique cufflink designs, from hot and cold faucet knobs to salt and pepper shakers to billiard balls.
"It's an emerging market," said sales clerk Adam Florian. "It's flashy but formal. It's not for black tie, but to wear with a blazer and jeans."
The man who has a scholarship named after him may prefer Mont Blanc cufflinks in pinstripe silver with a gold finish, or an oval onyx wrapped in a gold ribbon. They start at $300.
While The Bay has always carried men's jewellery, its collection over the last five years has grown enough to merit its own showcase.
Today it counts for nearly 6 per cent of sales of fine jewellery. While the men's collection only represents 2.5 per cent of sales for Birks, it has increased about 20 per cent over the last few years. And it can only get bigger.
"There's no more stigma in men wearing jewellery," Abehsera said. "If women can wear (it), so can men."
rrocha@thegazette.canwest.com
============================
I want one too.
