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SCOTT JONES for TIME |
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| MASTER OF HIS DESTINY: Bruce Hoeksema
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It takes a brave man to launch a jewelry business today. Not only is the economy in the dumps, but the competition is attacking on all fronts. There's Cartier and Bulgari and Tiffany & Co., of course. And this fall marks the debut of new collections by houses in the midst of a revamp, like Boucheron and Garrard. Houses that, not incidentally, have big backing from the likes of Gucci Group and the team behind Tommy Hilfiger — Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou — who are getting even more money from Seagram's former ceo Edgar Bronfman Jr. There are also new lines coming from yet more big spenders like the De Beers and LVMH joint venture, De Beers LV. And fashion houses like Christian Dior, Gucci and Escada
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SPIKES: black-diamond brooch, worth some $65,000
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continue to make news with creations that bear subtly hidden logos.
Bruce Hoeksema is a brave man. He has just launched a new jewelry collection. The designs are gothic, dark and more fashion-forward than anything from the competition. He has also put his own money behind a store on New York City's Upper East Side, another store in Rome and a Florence factory to produce leather accessories that will complement the jewelery. "I'm doing everything myself right now," says Hoeksema. "I don't exclude anything in the future. But until you have something to show, what you can ask from a backer is limited." There aren't many limits on the New York store. The 1,000-sq-m space has been designed by architect Peter Marino (author of other Madison Avenue palaces, like Giorgio Armani's) and is set to open this fall. The merchandise is just as daring. Hoeksema makes ample use of expensive and unexpected stones — imagine 600 to 700 pavé-set black diamonds in a single ring. Hoeksema spent some 15 years working for the house of Valentino, helping with the design of accessories and acting as a liaison between the business and creative sides of the company. This brave man must know what he's doing.
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