Keeping Up with Handmade Jewelry Trends
We all know how important it is to keep up with jewelry trends if you're in the handmade jewelry business. It certainly would not be in your best interest to be selling bright, colorful neon designs in a year when the trend screams black and white! Not that you want to completely alter your jewelry line based on trends since you have a unique voice of your own which is why people buy from you. If they wanted strictly trendy, mass market jewelry, they would buy it at their local department store. BUT, it is important to be aware of jewelry trends so that you can make subtle changes to your line based on demand.
One of the best ways to keep up with handmade jewelry trends is to follow the styles shown in magazines particularly the ones being worn by popular celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, and others. Celebrities that are currently starring in an important film are particularly important to watch for trends. The Oscars and other award ceremonies are also good sources of impending jewelry trends. Good excuse to take a little break and watch T.V, huh?
Today I thought I would give you a list of the magazines I read to follow jewelry trends. Many of the following can be found in your local bookstore while others may need to be ordered online. I've tried to include links (when available) for ones that may need to be ordered. Some of these magazines have actual beading projects while others have photos of finished jewelry to inspire you and give you an idea of what's being promoted to the public. Here we go:
1. Bead and Button Magazine
Includes lots of very sophisticated beading projects and patterns with a particular concentration on seed bead designs. If you make higher end, one-of-kind jewelry designs using seed beads, you'll want to subscribe to this magazine. Most of the designs are not for beginners and there aren't alot of jewelry trend or marketing articles. It's still a beautiful magazine that you may want to subscribe to and collect. I can't imagine throwing a single issue away!
2. Bead Style
In addition to some nice beading projects and patterns, this magazine has an excellent synopsis every month of jewelry trends. I buy it strictly for the jewelry trend section since it tends to be so helpful in regard to handmade jewelry trends. The projects and patterns tend to be simpler than Bead and Button with less emphasis on seed beads.
3. Step by Step Beading
This is another magazine with a variety of beading projects designed for beginner to intermediate beaders. Doesn't really have a regular trend analysis section like Bead Style. There's not much emphasis on how to market your work. I don't subscribe to this one, but I do look at it periodically in the book store.
4. Crafts Report
An excellent magazine that covers high end craft marketing. It gives you ideas and suggestions for marketing and selling handmade crafts of all types including jewelry. Also gives ideas for show displays, presentation as well as covering the business of crafts and how to maximize your profits.
5. Ornament Magazine
A gorgeous full-color magazine covering the world of high end, one of a kind wearable art. Covers jewelry and fabric artistry about equally. You won't find any projects or instruction here, just lots of inspiration from the beautiful full color photos of objects created by top designers in their fields.
6. Accessories Magazine
This magazine is designed for retail stores to keep abreast of trends in accessories. It covers accessories of all types including hats, gloves, scarves, belts, jewelry etc. It does do a fairly in depth look at jewelry trends several times of year. Nice color photos.
7. Jewelry Craft
Includes a variety of jewelry projects, most of which are geared toward beginning beaders. Includes some articles on jewelry marketing and highlights various jewelers who have been successful for their work. I wouldn't buy this magazine for the projects but more for the marketing articles and profiles of successful jewelry artisans.
8. Somerset Studio
This magazine is designed for collage artists, not for jewelers, but it's a fantastic source for inspiration with it's color photos of collages. It's sure to inspire you to create!
9. Art Jewelry
I adore this magazine! It's full of interesting jewelry making techniques. Included are articles on PMC, silversmithing, using patinas etc for more advanced jewelry artisans. Beautiful color photos. A great resource for new techniques and ideas. If you're a jewelry artisan who wants to expand your repertoire of techniques and get fresh new ideas, this magazine is for you. Not much emphasis on marketing.
10. Lapidary Journal
This magazine is a nice resource for handmade jewelry designers who use gemstones in their designs. Each issue includes several instructional projects for beginning to advanced jewelry makers. Most of the projects involve some soldering and metalsmithing knowledge. It's a good magazine for finding suppliers of semiprecious beads, gemstones.
11. In Style Magazine
This one is easy to find at your local bookstore or newstand. There are usually several pages of fresh, new jewelry designs and the featured celebrities are usually wearing interesting jewelry. Good for keeping up with trends. Nice photos.
12. Celebrity Magazines of all types.
It's always a good idea to peruse some of the popular celebrity magazines to see what's currently trendy. Good ones are People Magazine, In Touch, US, and Lifestyles. These are usually clustered together in one section in the bookstore. I wouldn't necessarily subscribe to any of these but would periodically monitor them for trends.
13. Fashion Magazines of all types
Fashion magazines are always good to find out what's up and coming. Some of the best are W Magazine (usually ahead of the curve relative to the more common fashion magazines), Vogue, and Bazaar Magazine. Again, you don't necessarily need to subscribe, but keep them on your radar.
There are lots more magazines I could recommend and will keep you abreast of them in the future. I don't want to give you information overload. :-) If you want to find some interesting magazines in the fashion, jewelry, and beading areas, try searching by keyword at the sites below:
Save on Jewelry Magazines!
Jewelry Magazines for Less!
By the way, I'm going to give you an interesting assignment to do that relates to magazines tomorrow. Don't worry it'll be lots of fun! That's all for today, folks. Thanks again for reading. :-)
Kristie
We all know how important it is to keep up with jewelry trends if you're in the handmade jewelry business. It certainly would not be in your best interest to be selling bright, colorful neon designs in a year when the trend screams black and white! Not that you want to completely alter your jewelry line based on trends since you have a unique voice of your own which is why people buy from you. If they wanted strictly trendy, mass market jewelry, they would buy it at their local department store. BUT, it is important to be aware of jewelry trends so that you can make subtle changes to your line based on demand.
One of the best ways to keep up with handmade jewelry trends is to follow the styles shown in magazines particularly the ones being worn by popular celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, and others. Celebrities that are currently starring in an important film are particularly important to watch for trends. The Oscars and other award ceremonies are also good sources of impending jewelry trends. Good excuse to take a little break and watch T.V, huh?
Today I thought I would give you a list of the magazines I read to follow jewelry trends. Many of the following can be found in your local bookstore while others may need to be ordered online. I've tried to include links (when available) for ones that may need to be ordered. Some of these magazines have actual beading projects while others have photos of finished jewelry to inspire you and give you an idea of what's being promoted to the public. Here we go:
1. Bead and Button Magazine
Includes lots of very sophisticated beading projects and patterns with a particular concentration on seed bead designs. If you make higher end, one-of-kind jewelry designs using seed beads, you'll want to subscribe to this magazine. Most of the designs are not for beginners and there aren't alot of jewelry trend or marketing articles. It's still a beautiful magazine that you may want to subscribe to and collect. I can't imagine throwing a single issue away!
2. Bead Style
In addition to some nice beading projects and patterns, this magazine has an excellent synopsis every month of jewelry trends. I buy it strictly for the jewelry trend section since it tends to be so helpful in regard to handmade jewelry trends. The projects and patterns tend to be simpler than Bead and Button with less emphasis on seed beads.
3. Step by Step Beading
This is another magazine with a variety of beading projects designed for beginner to intermediate beaders. Doesn't really have a regular trend analysis section like Bead Style. There's not much emphasis on how to market your work. I don't subscribe to this one, but I do look at it periodically in the book store.
4. Crafts Report
An excellent magazine that covers high end craft marketing. It gives you ideas and suggestions for marketing and selling handmade crafts of all types including jewelry. Also gives ideas for show displays, presentation as well as covering the business of crafts and how to maximize your profits.
5. Ornament Magazine
A gorgeous full-color magazine covering the world of high end, one of a kind wearable art. Covers jewelry and fabric artistry about equally. You won't find any projects or instruction here, just lots of inspiration from the beautiful full color photos of objects created by top designers in their fields.
6. Accessories Magazine
This magazine is designed for retail stores to keep abreast of trends in accessories. It covers accessories of all types including hats, gloves, scarves, belts, jewelry etc. It does do a fairly in depth look at jewelry trends several times of year. Nice color photos.
7. Jewelry Craft
Includes a variety of jewelry projects, most of which are geared toward beginning beaders. Includes some articles on jewelry marketing and highlights various jewelers who have been successful for their work. I wouldn't buy this magazine for the projects but more for the marketing articles and profiles of successful jewelry artisans.
8. Somerset Studio
This magazine is designed for collage artists, not for jewelers, but it's a fantastic source for inspiration with it's color photos of collages. It's sure to inspire you to create!
9. Art Jewelry
I adore this magazine! It's full of interesting jewelry making techniques. Included are articles on PMC, silversmithing, using patinas etc for more advanced jewelry artisans. Beautiful color photos. A great resource for new techniques and ideas. If you're a jewelry artisan who wants to expand your repertoire of techniques and get fresh new ideas, this magazine is for you. Not much emphasis on marketing.
10. Lapidary Journal
This magazine is a nice resource for handmade jewelry designers who use gemstones in their designs. Each issue includes several instructional projects for beginning to advanced jewelry makers. Most of the projects involve some soldering and metalsmithing knowledge. It's a good magazine for finding suppliers of semiprecious beads, gemstones.
11. In Style Magazine
This one is easy to find at your local bookstore or newstand. There are usually several pages of fresh, new jewelry designs and the featured celebrities are usually wearing interesting jewelry. Good for keeping up with trends. Nice photos.
12. Celebrity Magazines of all types.
It's always a good idea to peruse some of the popular celebrity magazines to see what's currently trendy. Good ones are People Magazine, In Touch, US, and Lifestyles. These are usually clustered together in one section in the bookstore. I wouldn't necessarily subscribe to any of these but would periodically monitor them for trends.
13. Fashion Magazines of all types
Fashion magazines are always good to find out what's up and coming. Some of the best are W Magazine (usually ahead of the curve relative to the more common fashion magazines), Vogue, and Bazaar Magazine. Again, you don't necessarily need to subscribe, but keep them on your radar.
There are lots more magazines I could recommend and will keep you abreast of them in the future. I don't want to give you information overload. :-) If you want to find some interesting magazines in the fashion, jewelry, and beading areas, try searching by keyword at the sites below:
Save on Jewelry Magazines!
Jewelry Magazines for Less!
By the way, I'm going to give you an interesting assignment to do that relates to magazines tomorrow. Don't worry it'll be lots of fun! That's all for today, folks. Thanks again for reading. :-)
Kristie
posted by Your friends at Beads Indeed | 6:58 AM
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