As you may have read in my previous post, I had the privilege of attending January’s edition of the Vicenzaoro Boutique Jewellery Show in Vicenza, Italy. The show is the first major international jewelry trade fair of the year and is often the one that the industry looks to for the hottest jewelry trends coming out of Europe. It’s a show filled with beautiful baubles, magnificent gemstones, and some of the most recognizable names in jewelry, and this year was no exception.
One of the main differences between the September edition of the show and this January edition is a section called “The Design Room” which is located in the same area as big-name brands such as Roberto Coin, Pasquale Bruni, and Picchiotti. The Design Room is made up of several mini boutiques where internationally recognizable names such as Fernando Jorge, Federica Rettore, Kelly Xie, Aida Bergsen and others are able to intimately meet with buyers and press from all over the world. It is here that I sat down to view Fernando’s current collections and was able to discuss the future of his business in the United States. It’s also where I was able to meet Chinese designer Kelly Xie for the first time and take in the magic of her seasonal fairy works.
The exhibition itself is forged into separate dedicated halls numbered 1 through 8 which can make the show a little overwhelming for first-timers, but once you figure out the lay of the land, it’s relatively easy to navigate. For higher end luxury brands or finer diamond and gemstone pieces, Hall 7 is where buyers need to be. For affordable fashion brands, a visit to Hall 1 is necessary as is a sojourn to “The Glam Room” which showcases up-and-coming designers who use alternative materials to make their accessories and jewelry. And for that “end-of-the-day” aperitivo, courtesy of Santa Margherita wines, everyone – and I do mean everyone – gathers around in Hall 8 to sip the nectar of the Roman gods and listen to some of the most beautiful languages and accents in the world.
Unforgettable Moments in Vicenza
As a member of the press, I am also treated to some truly amazing experiences, one of which, this time, was a visit to the Basilica Palladiana in central Vicenza to take part in a private tour of the Van Gogh exhibit titled, “Between Wheat and Sky” along with my fellow international journalists. There, we were quietly walked through the stages of Van Gogh’s personal and professional lives and treated to a truly one-of-a-kind experience before being hosted at a press dinner at Vicenza’s El Coq, a Michelin Star restaurant on the first level of the Garibaldi complex.
For me, however, one of the things I love most about the fair and have started to love about the city after two visits in four months, is that it really just brings me closer to my heritage through my chosen career path. While I’m only 25% Italian by blood, it is my mindset, my outlook, and my zest for living life to the fullest that is all Italia – 100%. I believe that a human existence should be filled with great food, great art, great wine, and great design, and I also believe that family is defined not just by blood, but also by experience, moments, and memories. Being in Vicenza (the North) as a descendent of Naples (the South) both enlightens me as to the differences of my heritage while enveloping me in the glory and honesty of my homeland. When I leave Vicenza – or Italy in general – I am never so proud to be Italian. I exit this town, and this fair, knowing that the people of Italy appreciate craft, artistic talent, and jewelry design like no other country in the world. And I left this particular show both with a heavy heart and a full one for all of the reasons I mentioned above and more.
On my last night in Vicenza, I decided to go to the city center alone rather than join my colleagues for a final farewell dinner. I walked Vicenza’s renaissance-era streets, took in the beauty of the city’s architecture, and feasted on local fare at one of its lesser known restaurants. I felt quintessentially Italian (and not via any percentage) but rather in emotion, and in mindset, which I only discovered by experiencing it solo.
The people of this country, this city, and this show are now my family; mia famiglia. And I genuinely cannot wait for our next family reunion.