By Jacquie De Almeida
Mixologist Frankie Solarik is a watch aficionado, which is why he jumped at the chance to be a part of Gc’s Moment of Smart Luxury campaign.
Sporting a rose gold-accented timepiece, Solarik tells Jewellery Business he enjoys his bling in a subdued kind of way, quite the opposite of the high-glamour and posh soirée behind him at Malaparte. Located at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, the site played host to Canada’s contribution to the campaign and its 15-plus country participants. Media, fashion, and TV and film personalities enjoyed ambrosial cocktails and delectable hors d’oeuvre while viewing Gc’s latest offerings set up about the room.
In addition to Solarik, owner of Toronto’s Barchef, pastry artist Alexandria Pellegrino and industrial designer Jano Badovinac, are Canada’s representatives in the campaign, which was shot by New York City-based photographer, Pino Gomes.
The Swiss brand’s latest marketing initiative gathers creative personalities from around the world in a collection of photographs illustrating their own personal luxury.
“The idea of Smart Luxury is artistic composition and for me, that means innovation and continuously challenging perception,” Solarik says. “With what Gc is doing, I think it’s a perfect fit because they present luxurious metals and luxurious design in a new and innovative way and that’s exactly what I do with the components of the cocktails I create.”
Janet Nimmons, vice-president the Americas, for Gc Watches, says the two-year campaign is meant to stir consumers on an emotional level with representations of joy or personal moments of success. An international exhibition will bring all the images together to create a world view of Smart Luxury.
“Each of our artists is very passionate about their work,” Nimmons says. “Every one of them captures the idea of Smart Luxury.”
Leonard Isayev, Gc Watches’ national sales manager, says the campaign celebrates personal choices.
“It’s about fashion, uniqueness, Swiss-made product, which Gc represents,” Isayev says. “It’s about knowing something in your mind and feeling it in your heart. You know you’ve purchased a Swiss-made product that represents you and is fashion-forward. The artists we’ve selected represent not just Gc and Smart Luxury, but also Canada and the arts.”
Nimmons says Canada may welcome a Gc luxury boutique in the next 12 to 14 months. “The question is, Montreal or Toronto,” she explains. “With Gc being a Swiss brand, Montreal’s European [flavour] is putting it slightly ahead. We have found that when you launch a boutique or concept store, even if it’s in the same mall or street as a dealer, it enhances the brand identity and improves business.”
