In March 2014, HSBC Global Research released a report called ‘Rise of the Yummy’ (‘yummy’ stands for young urban males). According to the report, these new consumers are able to invest their income on themselves in categories such as grooming, health products and accessories, as they marry at a later age. There is no doubt men’s jewellery offers huge potential for those who are ready to unlock it. Robert Tateossian, founder of British brand Tateossian and Paola De Luca, creative director and forecaster from Trendvision Jewellery & Forecasting, Fiera di Vicenza, offered insights into men’s jewellery business and trends.
One of the factors behind the rise of male jewellery is the increase in men’s consciousness in fashion. Men’s jewellery is becoming extremely popular in the main stream market, thanks to the millennial and the metrosexual consumers who are fashion-driven and socially ambitious, said De Luca. Tateossian commented that “the men’s market for jewellery has changed quite dramatically since 1990 when we started”. While in the past the world of cufflinks was limited to bankers wearing double-ended cufflinks, now a much wider variety of cufflinks are available.
Regarding the style of men’s fine jewellery for 2015-16, De Luca predicts that technology and high performance jewellery such as wearble tech will be a strong trend. Men’s jewellery with diamond, in precious metals including titanium will be more frequently seen. Aesthetically, blending of hardcore and sophisticated styles is on-trend. Hybrid jewellery (such as leather paired with gold, silver, titanium and other metals) is also growing in men’s jewellery – an example of which is the brand’s ‘Mechanimal’ series, which is a series of gunmetal-plated animal cufflinks embedded with Swarovski crystals. Fancy-coloured diamonds ranging from brown to champagne will also increase their presence in future. Tateossian observes that cabochon styles are increasingly popular though black diamond is probably the most commonly accepted precious stone in men’s jewellery. To achieve a masculine touch in his jewellery, Tateossian likes to combine precious materials or sterling silver with black diamond or gemstones of darker colours such as black spinel and onyx. Besides, masculine design details such as timepiece, compass and globe are added to create fun jewellery that appeals to men.
Markets
Tateossian products are available in 1,000 points of sales in 71 countries. Apart from the UK and Europe where it has the biggest market presence, in North America, the United States and Canada are especially important markets. In Asia, Japan is their leading market. In Middle East, particularly in Dubai and Qatar, the consumption of men’s accessories is strong as people love wearing cufflinks with traditional outfits. Their best-selling lines are none but cufflinks and bracelets. “We have established a niche for creating unusual cufflinks since we started and many customers return season after season. Items such as ‘Globe’, ‘Watch’ and ‘Gear’ remain the brand’s iconic products even after 10 to 15 years since launched,” said Tateossian. In the bracelet category, their signature product is the Scoudibdou bracelet, which is a braided leather bracelet paired with a sterling silver clasp. While the product stays the same, new design elements are constantly added to the collection for consumers’ delight. On top of that they are offering other accessories such as anklets and pens. Complimentary product lines they are considering include leather goods, sunglasses or fragrance.
Tips for designers
“Jewellery is a sign of self-expression and personality; there is a big gap in the men’s jewellery market now. I would recommend designers to start dedicating their efforts to create iconic collections for the rising of sophisticated and fashionable men.” De Luca said. Men are becoming more confident about their image and fashion. Important aspects for designers to consider include technical details, simplicity and quality, high performance materials such as titanium and coloured metals and finishes and strong, sophisticated contrasts. “Trends are always part of social-cultural changes larger than fashion. Social changes affect ultimately the market and consumers attitudes,” she added. This link between society and fashion could be illustrated by Tateossian’s collaboration with Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) this year to launch the ‘PILL XXV’ collection to help eliminate AIDS by donating 30 percent of the retail price to EJAF. Available in the brand’s website as well as MR PORTER, the collection was well received and the bracelets were sold out within the first six hours.
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