#BlingsisTalks: all that glitters at the Vicenzaoro fair this September
Before a sparkling piece of jewelry ends up on your finger or neck, it passes through the loving hands of jewelers, goldsmiths, sales and promotion specialists, buyers, marketers, and influencers. These members of the “golden community,” as we like to call them, get together twice a year in the beautiful Italian city Vicenza for one of the trade’s most prestigious fairs – Vicenzaoro. With showcases of new collections, displays of vintage treasures in the VO Vintage section, and engaging discussions on recent jewelry trends and technologies, it truly is an industry event professionals and afficionados cannot miss.
As the September edition of the event approaches, we thought it would be a good excuse (as if we need one 😉) to catch-up with our ever-busy Magpie-in-Chief, Agata, to get some deets on the upcoming Italian fair. And so, dear fellow jewelry freaks, we invite you to read our first #BlingsisTalks interview in which our editorial team discusses the hottest topics of the jewelry business and, well, just everything that sparkles!
Marta Kabsch: Agata, we regularly post about Vicenzaoro being one of the most important trade fairs in the jewelry industry; however, for those magpies (that is, jewelry lovers) who have only just joined us, perhaps we could once again go over the basics i.e., “what, where, and what for”?
Agata Jankowiak: Of course! Take a look, dear magpie, at your favorite jewelry piece. Now imagine how many people were involved in this e.g., ring’s or bracelet’s journey before it made its way to you. Let me give you a hint: the founder of the brand, designers, logistics specialists, buyers, salespeople, and even influencers, thanks to whom maybe you wanted the ornament in the first place … And the list goes on! Vicenzaoro is a fair dedicated to all these representatives of the jewelry trade. It is one of the biggest events of its kind in Europe, among the backdrop of the romantic scenery of the Italian town of Vicenza. The next fair will take place between the 9th and 13th of September, and we are certain we’ll come back with a ton of inspirations as well as gigabytes of photos and videos!
Marta Kabsch: That’s right – you and Katarzyna are Vicenzaoro regulars! Could you tell us a bit more about what your typical fair day looks like?
Agata Jankowiak: These three days are incredibly intense for us, jampacked with activities from dawn till well after dusk. Our alarms go off at 7 am. At that point we only have one goal in mind: coffeeeee! So, we throw some sweatpants over our PJs and head down to the hotel breakfast. After the Italian flat white has worked its magic, we are ready to start our day. After getting dressed, putting on make-up, and making sure our phones, cameras and power banks are fully charged, we grab our ID cards and run to catch the media reps’ bus to the fair. The rest of the day pretty much depends on the press program. There are activities which we simply cannot miss, such as the opening of the fair, the award ceremony of a jewelry contest, a visit to the Design Room (where all the latest collections of top brands like Alessio Boschi, Lydia Courtel, Roberto Coin or Tomasz Donocik are showcased), and visiting the stands of the various brands gathered at the fair. Since the fair cooperates closely with the town of Vicenza, the two promote one another. And hence every year we visit the Museo del Gioiello, the first museum of jewelry in Europe. The whole città participates in the “golden event” by, for instance, motivating the fair goers to count their daily steps in exchange for various attractions. We’re not kidding, at Vicenzaoro we beat our monthly steps record and then some! All the while we take pictures and videos which we upload to our blingsis social media channels so that all our followers can feel as if they were there along with us. The day ends with a glass of wine at the Vicenzaoro Happy Hours, where we are busy networking while chillout music plays in the background. Later, together with our industry friends and colleagues – both “old” and newly met – we go to an event or dinner. By that time, we try to be offline and spend some quality time with the organizers and friends from press. Being part of the “golden community” can sometimes feel like being part of a secret society or VIP club, haha!
Marta Kabsch: You attend Vicenzaoro as part of the “media” – the only Polish media present there! Undeniably, this speaks volumes how Blingsis is seen by the industry – both in Poland and aboard – as a highly professional jewelry business service. So, it’s time to boast a little to our followers: this September Agata and Katarzyna have been asked to take over the fair’s Instagram stories (@vicenzaoro) for a day! The whole jewelry world will see the fair through your eyes (or lens 😉). It certainly is a great distinction and, let’s be honest, you’ve worked hard for it!
Agata Jankowiak: (laughter) Thank you! You’re really encouraging me to brag a little and I might take you up on it! We are incredibly proud to receive the official media room invitations from Vicenzaoro. It’s the result of years of hard work and effort we put together with Katarzyna into developing our business. I think we first began to understand that we’re gaining recognition when over three years ago we were presented with an award for 2nd best jewelry blog in the world during the London jewelry fair IJL (International Jewellery London). And now we’ve been entrusted with Vicenzaoro’s Instagram channel for a day – what an honor! Although we have a lot of work ahead of us, we are grateful for the opportunity and feel up to the challenge – after all, we have seven years of industry experience and probably more photos and videos under our belt than Elon Musk (haha)! We believe in our business and our ideals; and the industry appreciates our style, aesthetic, passion, charisma, and creativity. Now, we can reap the rewards of our dedication and hard work. However, I’d like to assure our dear followers that we will not neglect our Blingsis flock! On @blingsiscom we will tirelessly share with you the shiniest bits and pieces from this fall’s fair!
Marta Kabsch: Speaking of this fall’s edition of Vicenzaoro, which event is to you, Agata, a “must see”?
Agata Jankowiak: I’m happy as a lark (or should I say, magpie 😉) that I’ll be able to visit the Vicenzaoro Vintage section. I believe the past can be a source of great inspiration for modern designers – how can you create something new without being familiar with the work of the past masters, the styles and trends of previous decades? You’d be hard-pressed for a better lesson in jewelry history than a visit to the vintage showcase during Vicenzaoro. Personally, I have a soft spot for antique jewelry, particularly pieces from the Victorian and Gregorian periods, or the modern designs in the spirit of these old treasures. Perhaps, it is their air of romanticism that I’m so taken with, much like when gazing at the paintings of old masters hanging in art galleries. And if on top of that they’re from brands like Cartier, Van Cleef, Bulgari, Mauboussin or Boucheron – that just makes my gemmaphile heart flutter! Just check out this year’s Met Gala’s red carpet looks to understand what I’m talking about: Billie Eilish in a choker from the Fred Leighton archives, youtuber Emma Chamberlain in a Cartier tiara from 1911, Kate Moss in vintage La Vielle Russie diamond jewelry, model Paloma Elsesser wearing a pearl necklace-choker designed in 1997 by John Galliano for a Dior Haute Couture show. Stars love vintage, antique jewelry being synonymous with “glamour.” In the press materials for this edition of Vicenzaoro I read that currently the best-selling pieces are from the 40s, 70s, and 80s. Another hot trend right now are designs inspired by astrology: constellations and the signs of the zodiac. While these types of creations disappeared from the market 20 years ago, now they’ve become a popular demand. Interesting, right? These are the sort of gems I expect to find at VO Vintage.
Marta Kabsch: The fair’s motto is: All at once – moreover, the organizers have stressed the social nature of the event. How do you interpret this, Agata?
Agata Jankowiak: Vicenzaoro is a very dynamic platform led by a brilliant team of professionals. The fair has many purposes and goals: the sale of jewelry, gems, new technologies, packaging as well as the optimization of purchasing trails, education, and finally – networking. Professionals from all around the world come here for business purposes and to network. After a couple visits to Vicenza, plus other business trips, Katarzyna and I have made numerous industry friends. Now, wherever we look at the fair we find a familiar face and our phones keep buzzing in our pockets as we receive WhatsApp messages from people who’ve just seen on InstaStories that we’re at Vicenzaoro and want to meet up for coffee. It’s also hard not to notice the international community of well-known jewelry bloggers and influencers among the crowd, running from showcase to showcase with their phones and cameras at the ready: Laura Inghirami aka Donna Jewel from Italy, Katarina Perez from France, Renu Choudhary vel TheDiamondTalk from India, Tracey “TheDiamondGirl” Ellison from the States … and of course, yours truly! But in the evenings, during Happy Hours, no one asks for selfies with the VIPs. We forget about likes and followers, focusing instead on the glamorous people and gorgeous view around us (with a glass of prosecco in hand). To me, this is the magic of Vicenzaoro and the power of All at once. Vicenzaoro sets industry trends as well as brings together professionals and jewelry lovers from all around the world, all in one place. In a nutshell: it’s a jewelry addicts heaven.
