Whatever happened to style?

I have a thing for American Made products. I make nearly all of our jewelry in a factory in Rhode Island, and our offices and studio are in New York City. Does this cost more, sure. But we're worth it! Our collection is critically acclaimed, and folks write me all the time about the quality and the value, even though similar foreign made stuff is 'almost' as good.

American style is what they want. Just check out the Today Show, which features our jewelry as key looks for 2011. Ask the editors who want high quality photos of the elegant, classy jewelry that we make for stories or fashion layouts. Our La Strada Bib Necklace (above) is incredibly sophisticated but cool and elegant, now it's on sale and we've got a promo code and you'll get free shipping. Whew.


I love the commercial above, it was made just for the Golden Globes show. There's a feeling about it that makes you feel cool and classy, they use footage from my parents era, when (according to our family photos) people walked around dressed like this all day long, and they drove these huge chromed and jeweled sculptures around, even to the supermarket.

My dad had a fondness for Chryslers, I took my road test in one of the largest cars I've ever driven in my life, a Chrysler New Yorker (natch!) and passed. There is something to be said for elegance, for getting your look just right, with the perfect accessories, even if you're only going to work or to get some shopping done. I don't remember what I wore in the Chrysler on road test day, but it had to be stylish if I was going to drive a car like that! I never post 'other people's products' but hey, it's a car. My mom and my brother Joe Chiarella (whos office is in the Chrysler Building, those gargoyles are right outside his window) both always had Cadillacs, and this commercial brought back memories!

The desire or need for style is not lost on some of our most famous Americans; take a look at the First Lady, Martha Stewart and Oprah, it's hard to picture them 'casual'. Oprah is always on the lookout for fashion trends that are affordable, she picked our social stretch bracelet for her magazine this month, we were delighted!

When you look good, you feel good, even if it's just a good pair of shoes or a super-sparkly earring. We've got plenty of those at robertachiarella.com and I'm sure there are lots of Chrysler stores that'll have today's version of a stylish car if you're so inclined. It's hard to believe that so many people have never owned or even ridden in an american car, but there are so many good ones out there these days and well done commercials like this one might entice you into a store. However, remember that our jewelry is much more affordable! Ciao.

Only in AMERICA!

Artist's booth

It's holiday time and I am happy!

Soon, we'll get a few days to celebrate with our families and friends, to enjoy some good company, good food and catch up on all those things we were 'too busy' to talk about during the year. I did a bit of shopping today in Bryant Park, where they cover the park with an ice skating rink and a wonderful christmas 'village' filled with little booths.

Each vendor stays there for these few weeks to sell their goods to New Yorkers for christmas gifts. Some of the booths are little one-person operations, but Kate Spade has a whole igloo!

Staffed by college kids, or sometimes the artist, these booths are such an inspiration to me. They remind me what makes life in our country so great- anybody (yes ANYBODY) can start their own business, make a product, a food or provide a service and you can get customers.

Bryant Park Ice Rink

These customers buy your stuff, which makes you smile. The customers give you the cash to pay your workers, pay yourself, feed your family and pay your taxes (ugh!), and they give you feedback and tell you if they like your product or if they hate it. When they do so, you go home and work harder to make sure they love it, so more people will buy your jewelry and you will smile even more.

I was told by our factory in Providence, Rhode Island that all the workers are working one extra day per week this season in order to make enough Roberta Chiarella jewelry for us to meet all of the orders. Can you imagine, you guys are buying enough to enable all these workers to get a nice extra paycheck this holiday season. Isn't that totally wonderful!

Bob, who owns the factory was smiling when he told me this today. The workers themselves are smiling as they work, knowing they will be able to buy more gifts and toys for their kids and make their families more proud of them. This is so much better than a 'government stimulus', it is the way the country should be, every day. Thanks to free enterprise and competition, we do our best so that you buy our stuff. This year, you are buying- and I sincerely thank you. Our staff thanks you. The hard-working folks at our factory in Rhode Island thank you, too! Ciao!

Where's the FASHION, where's the STYLE?

It's right here in the big apple! When you're designing and producing jewelry, you've got to know who is wearing what, and there is no better way to see what is in style all around the world than to stroll the streets of Manhattan.

The city is never prettier than it is on a friday evening, the weather just right, and people are all in a relaxed mood. New York City is an amazing tourist destination, and it really inspires me. There's no need to journey to Paris or Berlin, just walk the streets that the tourists tend to visit. Want to see what's popular in Brazil- head over to "little brazil" on 46th street in Manhattan and see what the women of brazil are wearing right in your own back yard.
See my Greenwich Village Slideshow

I had to run some errands and decided to pick up some food for dinner. Yes, in a city with a million restaurants I do cook dinner at home, at least once in a while. In Greenwich Village, you'll find plenty of "old italian stores" that still make suasage in the back, and import cheese from Italy you can't get in a supermarket anywhere. I love Faicco's and remember when we had a latticini on our own block in Queens. This storefront might look familiar, it's been in lots of movies and TV shows, but I go for the sausage and the rice balls. On the way back, you can buy some pickles right on the sidewalk, now tell me where else you'll see this?

I took my little camera and had my iphone too, so I could snap discrete photos of women on the street who were wearing jewelry that I thought was interesting. It's so nice to see a group of french women on the street, waiting for their tour bus, and check out what they've got on. Of course, not everybody likes being photographed, so I have to be careful. The New Yorkers don't mind, and unlike the people in some foreign lands who ask for money after you've taken their picture, our people smile and pose for you!

Every now and then, I'll see an earring from robertachiarella.com, and that always is a treat! There was an elegant lady on the corner of Bleeker Street today who seemed to be wearing my Brava Bib Statement Necklace, but the traffic light changed and she disappeared before I could cross the street.

Then I saw this artist, and he was quite involved in his work to see me and my camera. He might be the last of the Greenwich Village street artists. When we were kids, there were summer weekends devoted to art festivals on these streets, with countless artists showing their stuff. My father, who was a painter and sculptor, would take us and walk the streets till we were exhausted.

He'd always buy a painting or two, and if it was an amateur artist, he'd put it on HIS easel when we got home and set about 'improving' the painting.  We've got a couple hanging on the walls to this day, dad was never satisfied with the improvements, and was constantly re-painting a shadow or the color of the sky on his acquisitions. They don't have these festivals any more, and it's too bad. I guess if they had one for digital pics I could enter the shots I've posted here, so tourists could take home a bit of Roberta's Manhattan. Ciao!

Excel-lent !

I can't believe it- I just finished checking the website to see how the contest is doing, and I am really amazed. The summer of luxury contest is attracting people from all over. It is fun to have a contest, I always enter ones whenever I want the prize. Thomas Nguy has provided the designs associated with the contest (chicklet talked him into it), he is one interactive designer who is a great art director, too. I've also got a new camera setup to take better photos of all our jewelry.

But, really- we are thrilled people are entering the contest, the number of people entering is just amazing. During the day, and now, late at night, my favorite activity has become checking the Excel entry database, seeing how many entries have come in each day. The web department gave us a link so we can see the number of entries on an Excel spreadsheet.

It's amazing to see what hard work will do. Unfortunately, here in New York, the state government has gone nuts. Check any newspaper, things are not right in the Capitol.

So, you guys- many of you are there for years, you should end this embarrasing chapter and finish your work. The rest of us are working, whether or not we all get along so you guys should get back to work and stop this silly fighting. Most senators should know what does and doesn't work, get focused and figure it out. Do the right thing and get back to work. My brother goes to Albany, he could tell you a few things!
If you senators get together to finish the legislative session, maybe I'll reward you with a chickie girl or a sweet pear. It might help to break the tension if you put on an earring or bracelet. I don't think we care if you like each other or not, you ran for the job as our representative- so represent us already! I know that one of you pictured here (with the sweet pear earring on) has useful experience, represents his district well (and he really does live here, I've met him). We feel he has a reputation as a really hard-working guy, a leader. I hope you are doing all that you can to get this sad chapter over and done with.

I guess while you are not governing, you can check out our site and order some stuff, our buy 2 get one free sale is still going on till the end of the month. It's hard to believe that while everyone knows things are expensive, income down, taxes up, etc. you can still find some jewelry, made in america, that tickles your fancy.

It's summertime, and there are so many bright new jewels on the site. And, if you look at the magazines, like Family Circle, OK, inTouch, People style watch, and more, you will find beautiful and affordable things you must have. Don't you love this headline? And don't froget to enter the contest while you are there. Ciao!

Happy Holidays! Market week draws to a close. . .

New York Accessories Market week has come to a close. This week fashion editors and store buyers converged on New York City to attend all the shows to find the items that will define our “holiday 2008” retail experience. I though it would be fun to share the process, what happens during this week and the next steps involved. Designers and fashion houses work in the future; today the 2008 holiday season has come to a close for me. It is just starting now for the fashion editors. They spent this week running all over town, from show to show to showroom, reviewing all the “holiday” merchandise on display. They will note their favorites, and the designs and colors they are interested in. Once they get back to their offices they will “call in” samples from the designers whose work they want to feature. Once the samples are in their hands, they will plan their layouts for articles featuring the holiday merchandise. Then, it’s time for the art directors and photographers to get involved; to plan photo shoots that will feature the looks they think will be hot for the holidays.

Time is short; most magazines need a couple of months lead time for their holiday issues. Because the shoots will happen pretty soon, if you look carefully, the autumn leaves and snow on the ground for these holiday stories and ads are fake!! What we see in the fall and winter issues of our favorite fashion magazines is generally shot out of season. Thankfully, for earrings, jewelry and accessories, close-ups can be shot so as not to require too many wintry props.

Fashion journalists and editors will also work with the designers when the features are being planned. They will call me and ask for the specific items they viewed at market. The editors are knowledgeable and skilled at putting all of the pieces together from different shows and different designer showrooms to create the look that gets us running to the stores or websites to check out what will be the “look” for the holidays. The best editors are unbelievably skilled at this stuff, they can see the finished pages in their head before the photo is taken or a sketch is drawn.
It's amazing how it all comes together.

I shot the above picture of a merchandise pull based on a request from an editor of a major magazine -the fashion will be influenced by the runway shows from Gucci. I keep a library of finished pieces in our showroom. The items are carefully filed by style, sizes and colors. Most items going out for editorial review and maybe to a photo shoot will be modified to meet the editor’s specifications. Then, I will send the samples over and the styling and shooting begins.

It won’t be till 4 months later and many hours of hard work
that the photos will appear in a magazine. It is this exciting process that keeps me going, from one season to the next. Now, in the middle of summer, we’ve just finished with next winters fashion! Next steps: the spring line for 2009. I’m off to figure out the colors, choose the crystals and start sketching the looks that will be made into prototypes for next spring’s jewelry. I’ll keep you posted and I welcome comments and feedback.