Summer fun (in a TV studio)

Well, this is a weekend to catch up on business and also try to recuperate from my trip to Florida where I showed my newest Roberta Chiarella for HSN Collection. They are a lot of fun to work with, Bill Green was the host for this show, and some of the jewelry sold out while we were presenting it! It's such a cool experience, the scene reminds me of the control room at NASA when the rocket is about to launch; everyone is glued to their monitors, the counter is clicking 498, 499, 500 -- SOLD OUT!

This particular show was my one-year anniversary on HSN, and we've come a long way. The collection I have on the network is exclusively for HSN, and are not sold on my website or in retail stores. The CZ's, the hoops, the colors and quality are all there, but when you have the quantity of a national network, obviously the price is more affordable.
It's a challenge to be able to present items that look like a million bucks for a lot less, but we did a remarkably good job this time around. One item, the "best dressed earring" is similar to a piece we make in the studio, and the customers sure loved it.

It was interesting being on television during the day, as opposed to nighttime shows. There is a different group of people who watch during the day versus nighttime, and I got some emails from people I haven't heard from in years, they were at home and saw me. Of course, HSN is using all the HDTV technology, and one thing that is required for these HDTV cameras is special makeup. You won't believe what goes on in the makeup chair- it is really an art, and the techniques are much different from what a girl might do in her own home, for sure. I can't imagine ever walking outside with the makeup you wear to be on an HDTV set, but it looks great when they are done, and my friends and family thought I looked pretty good, airbrushed from head to toe! When you come out of makeup at the HSN studios, you really look and feel glamorous. You have a glow and everything looks just perfect. I had a great time, and was so happy that daytime customers found the jewelry attractive and well priced.

If you go to the HSN website, they have clips of some of the show, and they have a section where customers have rated their purchases, and I am so happy to see that people love what they get delivered to their homes.

People like the quality, the stones, the styles, and that is rewarding to hear. You can't please everyone, and I see that for some, the pieces were not the right size, or were heavy, or didn't hang the way they thought they would, but thankfully, HSN has a great return policy and people shop with confidence.

Now that my time under the lights is over for a while (I'll be back on HSN in a couple of months) it is time to work in the studio. We've been lucky enough to have a summer intern, Tatiana, from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She's an art history major, so if you want to know anything about art history, send us an email quick, before she goes back to school! It's always nice to have students in the studio, hopefully they learn from us and we always learn from them. I am sure that every art history major needs to know how to conduct an inventory, suppose she lands at the metropolitan museum or something, they have lots more shelves to inventory than we do, for sure.

Together, we've been working on the design, manufacture, and photography of some exciting new pieces for fall. The designs are still a secret, but you'll see them in magazine shoots and on our website in a couple of months.

In addition, we are planning some upcoming events for fall, and have picked and packed new merchandise for Henri Bendel, our favorite 5th Avenue fashion store. I've been one of the top designers at Bendel's for a long while now, and it generates some excitement when my new jewels appear on the sales floor. If you're in NYC, come over and take a look. If you time it right, you might even find me behind the counter- I spent a few hours there today.

It is so much fun to meet customers, help people decide what to buy, and check out the crowds that stroll up 5th avenue on a beautiful summer day. Ciao.

a beautiful day in new york, time to leave !

Well, we've finally had some decent weather here in the big apple. I can't say it is actually summer, as the evening temperatures are cool enough to require a jacket, and we have not used the air-conditioning much, but it is sunny and bright, after a month of cold, dreary rain. The 4th of July was perfect; a family barbecue, strolling along the water with the dogs at sunset, and having time to relax.

Of course, we spent some time looking at some new jewelry design samples that have come in from the factory, and I think we are going to have some hot new items on sale soon.

Generally, I design the pieces by drawing the basic look on paper, and we can make some mock-ups in the studio to get a feel for the pieces. Then, the factory will make prototypes and we will make modifications, pick the perfect color stones and fine-tune the pieces. Sometimes, we'll show the designs with beauty editors or some friends in the fashion industry, to get some feedback.

I had some great prototypes to show off at the barbecue, if our family's positive feedback means anything, there will be some knock-outs available in the upcoming season.

One hot trend this summer is the earring and necklace set, we featured this on the website and the sales are brisk. Women love light and simple pieces for summertime, and when the colors are bright and the price is really affordable, you might buy two or three at a time. Another hot seller is the grand super nova, it shows off beautifully when you are wearing just the right top.

And, if you want to see our newest collection for HSN, be sure to tune in July 14th at 2:00 eastern time. It's my "first anniversary on HSN" appearance, we've got a whole hour and I am really proud of the collection I am going to show on the network.

Bill Green will be the host, and he knows a thing or two about jewelry. I've never worked with him before, so it should be a fun experience.

To get ready, I went shopping for some clothes and accessories, and took a walk around the city to enjoy the weather. I love walking around manhattan, there is so much going on every minute of the day.

While walking down 42nd street, we felt a bit warm in the sun, so we ducked into the lobby of the Daily News building. Superman fans know this is really the Daily Planet, and as you can see, the place is still in it's 1930's glory. Across the street is the Ford Foundation, which has the largest indoor garden you'll ever see. It is truly amazing this place is in midtown manhattan, and it is both free and open to the public. When you are in the city, it is a must-see.

So, I'm off to Florida to get ready for HSN, they are the nicest people to work with and the trip is always fun, although TV appearances are not nearly as easy as they look. But try to see for yourself, we have some jewelry on this show that I made exclusively for HSN, and you will love it. The show is Tuesday July 14th at 2:00 PM. Ciao!