AUSTRIA. Viennese enamel jewellery maker Frey Wille was in Cannes last week to celebrate its latest store openings in Eastern Europe and its diversification into new accessories lines.
Last week a new instore area opened in Moscow Duty Free for Frey Wille, following on from other openings this year in the Freeport Designer Outlet Centre on the Austrian-Czech border a month ago and a new Munich airport store in July. Other openings are scheduled for a Frey Wille flagship store in downtown Moscow before the end of the year, as the company reinforces its popularity with Russian consumers, and another in downtown Ljubljana in Slovenia.
In another landmark for the company, new roller pens and classic fountain pens were on show at the TFWA World Exhibition for the first time. They are available in sterling silver or gold plated with black lacquer using the company’s famous enamel technique, as an extension of each designer collection such as the Gustav Klimdt Collection, Claude Monet Collection, Homage to Venice, Egypt, Greco-Roman, Mogul Art, Contemporary Art and Austrian Tradition Collection.
The writing instruments are priced at approximately €700 and are currently being tested in two domestic market stores before a full-roll out in time for Christmas.
Also on show were new designs in the tie collection including fresh colours such as orange stripes. The company announced it will be launching a new Friedensreich Hundertwasser Collection before the Christmas market 2003, based on the famous Austrian modern artist. More details will be available soon.
“This collection is based on the buildings, fabrics, bright colours and forms of the famous artist,” Frey Wille corporate communications manager Andrea Riegler told The Moodie Report, adding that the first sales results of the new textured relief enamel technique have also been very good.
Frey Wille has shown itself to be adept at listening to its customers, both in taking inspiration for its new collections and in specific new products. In the Greco-Roman series launched this year (The Moodie Report, 20 August 2003) based on Aphrodite where the three Dolphins of Poseidon are shown, the company has since created a new line with two dolphins – where the two lovers are not disturbed by a third – which has been successful in the Middle East market.
“The dolphins have been very successful, as a symbol of cleverness, freedom and messengers of love,” said Riegler. “The Aphrodite collection is very popular in the UK and the Egyptian collection is popular in the Middle East.”
“Our research of sales data in our worldwide stores showed that Russians and Americans love our pieces,” said Riegler. “In each store, managers track all sales and track them by estimated age, gender and nationality. This supported our decision to invest in the growing luxury goods market in Moscow.”
Travel retail enquiries to Frey Wille corporate communications manager Andrea Riegler at email: andrea.riegler@m.frey-wille.com
