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“Being chosen as one of WJA’s Emerging Designers for London Jewelers was serendipitous,” explains Gina Ferranti of GiGi Ferranti. “I’m so blessed to have been chosen, and I’m excited to see what this year will bring!”
Gina was one of three designers selected by London Jewelers for their inaugural launch of their WJA Emerging Designer Collaboration. Gina, along with Fern Freeman and Lindsey Scoggins, had a capsule collection placed in the Oculus location of the venerable retailer.
“I’ve had multiple conversations with London Jewelers prior to this. In fact, Scott Saunders came by my booth at the JA New York show and was very complimentary about my collection, but it never went further than exchanging pleasantries and business cards.”
Shortly after meeting Scott and his team during the JA New York Spring show, Gina received an email from a friend of hers at the Colorado chapter of WJA, encouraging her to fill out an application for London Jewelers’ emerging designer collaboration. She went for it thinking “You’ve gotta be in it to win it!” A few weeks later, she was called in for an interview, so she packed up her collection and went to Manhasset. “I met with Camille, the merchandise manager, Carla, the buyer, and Scott and Randy [Udell] also stopped in to say hello. I think they were all drawn to the quality of my craftsmanship and of course, the quality of the gemstones I select…as a GG, I only work with the best gemstones! I think they also appreciated the fact that my collection is made here in New York.” After the meeting, Gina sent a thank you note by way of a care package from Landi’s in Brooklyn. “Camille is originally from Brooklyn, and she mentioned how much she missed Landi’s, so I sent a thank you note along with a smorgasborg of Italian treats for the entire store to enjoy!”
In July, Gina received an email from the London Jewelers team, “Congratulations!” the email read, “You’re in!”
“The collaboration has been an amazing opportunity for exposure,” Gina enthused. “At the press event, I saw editors from Bride’s, Vogue, InStyle and many more! We were also included in London’s Accent Magazine for the holiday season. And just being in London Jewelers has allowed other stores to hear about me and become familiar with my collection, which has been great.”
“It’s really been a positive experience,” Fern Freeman agreed. “The three of us designers all clicked, and I feel like I’ve made two new friends; I know I’ll stay in touch with Gina and Lindsey. The exposure has also been fantastic—both in the media, and among other stores who keep an eye on what London Jewelers is doing.”
The collections are all on display thru January, and the hope is that the three designers can continue to showcase their collections within the esteemed doors of London Jewelers.
You can see both Gina and Fern’s collections at the upcoming JA New York Spring Show, March 11-13 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Register here now!
