My Latest Article for The Jewelry Book: Trends 2014: It's Eclectic!

May 09, 2014 by allyson riccardi in jewelry, retailers, fashion

I consume so much information on a daily basis about trends, including meeting with clients and colleagues to see their latest collections, so it's nice to step back and outline the movers and shakers. This piece was written especially for retailers who will be at Market Week in Las Vegas the end of this month, to serve as a guide for what their customers will be asking for in the coming months. Click here to view the full article, pp 35-37.

Event Recap: "Top Takeaways @ SXSW," a Fashion's Collective Workshop Hosted by Google, Part I

April 07, 2014 by allyson riccardi in behavior trends, events, fashion, retailers, technology

I've yet to make it down to the annual SXSW festival, as it always seems to coincide with a vacation or a period when I have too much work. So I was psyched when Elizabeth Canon, founder of Fashion's Collective, organized a recap event, as I knew she'd be focusing on the highlights that were most relevant to what I do and am interested in. Here's an even more concise recap of the recap, from my perspective:

My Latest Article for Fashion's Collective: Finding the Balance Between Custom, Crowd-Sourced & On-Brand Product Offerings

July 17, 2013 by allyson riccardi in technology, behavior trends, retailers

In the mad dash to capture market share and keep website visitors engaged and returning on a regular basis, e-retailers have lately been drawing on the “crowd” and individual customer preferences to help shape their offerings. A contradiction to the conventional wisdom that the fashion world should control all aspects of creative direction and production, this trend is an interesting bellwether of the evolution of the relationships between customers and the companies they are most loyal to.