Celebrating the launch of his new brand in China, Theo Fennell made a pit stop in Shanghai on Friday. The designer is known for his artisan crafted jewelry, catering to the higher class indulgers.
Ready to take on China, Fennell partnered with Connoisseur Group, who is based in Shanghai and joins boutique luxury brands at their gallery and boutique, in downtown Shanghai. The designers says, “I’ve been waiting to find someone I felt like I could work with over here where the private and bespoke nature of what we do would be appreciated.”
Fennell’s collection of silver jewelry is priced from $200, while his one-of-a-kind pieces can rack up to $500,000 in retail! It seems more than anything, however, that Fennell is smitten with the Chinese appreciation for his pieces more than anything. He is excited by the fact that they enjoy his designs because of the craft, rather than the luxury. According to Fennell Chinese consumers’ “appreciation of unusual stones is actually better than European consumers, to be honest. The detail that is lost on less sophisticated markets is really picked up on in China. The market here is really impressed by great craftsmanship.”
Theo Fennell is truly an artist who loves his work. Ultimately, it says a lot about a designer loving their consumers. It’s also very telling when consumers have an appreciation for the work of the designer, as opposed to a desire for simply wanting a label’s piece because of its popularity.