(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — The Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) announces six emerging designers that will participate in its inaugural showcase at JCK Vegas.
Isabel Dennis of Kima Jewelry, Soojin Kim of Suu Atelier, Patty Lauritzen of Rosey Skye, Rachel Weld Newton of Rachel Weld Fine Jewelry, Alexis Pavlantos of Alexis Pavlantos, and Constance Polamalu of Birthright Foundry will present their collections inside WJA’s booth (booth #10043) in the Design Collective at JCK Vegas.
“WJA is thrilled to launch its first Design Collective booth at JCK Vegas for our Jewelry Loupe Project graduates. The opportunity to showcase their collections and meet buyers is the next evolution of our mentorship program. This arrangement is made possible with generous support from De Beers and JCK, and we can’t wait to invite members of the trade to visit and learn more about these talented women,” shares WJA Executive Director Jennifer Markas.
WJA’s Jewelry Loupe Project program is a free, six-month business development program for emerging designers within their first five years of business. The program, which was developed in 2019 by former San Francisco WJA chapter leader Marie McCarthy of Fiat Lux, is heading into its fifth year. To date, WJA has trained and mentored nearly 50 emerging designers. Each designer is paired one-on-one with a mentor for the length of the program. Designers attend virtual sessions hosted by experts in design, marketing, sourcing, manufacturing, retail, packaging and pricing. The program culminates with a critique in the fall and mentors provide constructive feedback to prepare the designers to launch their collections.
“At De Beers, we deeply value the contributions that women make to our businesses, the diamond and jewelry industry, and all of society. We are committed to accelerating economic inclusion and uplifting diverse voices to help shape the future through various programs which support and provide opportunities for women as part of our ‘Building Forever’ ambitions. We are proud to support WJA in the 2023 Jewelry Loupe Project as we are aligned in our core values,” shares Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark.
WJA will support the emerging designer participants with tradeshow preparation and guidance, and press and marketing opportunities leading up to the show and beyond. WJA encourages retailers and buyers to visit WJA’S booth #10043 to view the collections and speak with these promising designers. To schedule an appointment, please contact Jennifer Markas, WJA Executive Director, at jennifer@womensjewelryassociation.com.