![Introducing Sundance Jewelry 2016 - The [Jewelry] Artist](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57e9db29b3db2be1c7d78ec3/1724182097944-VJXG8JQJXFC6EVVPRAOS/jewelrypresentation-30-copy.jpg)
Digital & Print Design Professional
This Fall Jewelry catalog was a special edition honoring Sundance's 20-year milestone of presenting and supporting jewelry artists and their work. For the 2016 fall season, we selected backgrounds and props that emphasized their craftsmanship and paid tribute to these jewelry creators. The theme was "The [Jewelry] Artist."
Here is the mood board, complete with tear sheets and inspiring images, designed to clearly communicate the theme to the executive team.
Anniversary icons and unique font styles were introduced to commemorate the 20-year “Art of Jewelry” milestone.
New layouts and designs encouraged merchants to break conventional boundaries. Despite strict guidelines, many innovative layouts performed well and were widely adopted in later projects.
A color palette was chosen—jewel tones, autumn leaves, and weathered wood—and the skilled stylists began creating the backgrounds.
The props selected were brand-appropriate, elegant, and rustic with a slightly worn, and loved look. The did not overshadow the small, delicate products. We used jewelry tools, gemstones, beads, leather, unique shapes, containers, and fabrics.
The covers set the tone for the project and inform the season, the mood, the spirit and the collection. They are meant to intrigue and inspire the customer to open the catalog and start shopping.
Each of Sundance Jewelry Catalog had a new story and theme. Each cover was uniquely Sundance. The photography for this book was filled with lovely autumn color, beautiful texture and interesting shapes.
Our goal was always to shoot 8 - 12 still life shots per day depending on the product(s). A 56-page catalog was generally shot in two weeks, including the on-figure photography. Like the set above, some shots were very complicated.
Above is an example of a finished catalog spread. Two separate shots that sit well together in color and styling and also play well with the remaining pages.
The on-figure studio photography followed the still life photography. Sets, props and backgrounds were designed to mirror the theme of the project. The hair and makeup stylist worked while the crew and prop stylist built the backgrounds and managed the model props. The set changed for each shot. Shoots included web product details, cover options and editorials to maximize the day.
Photos and text were added to the layouts and shared for review and approval.
Here are a few examples of how the theme and concepts transitioned to the final catalog pages. Concept on the left, final on the right.
”To us, Sundance is and always will be a dream…
What we offer in the form of art and culture,
spirit and service, is homegrown and available to all.”
– Robert Redford
Following the catalog shoot, we photographed each new product to show special details in an easy-to-shop fashion and introduced them on the website just as the catalog launched.
Examples of sundancecatalog.com directory page and product pages.
Each jewelry artist featured in the catalog was given a special profile landing page on the website.
All content was adapted and translated across various channels and platforms, from desktop to mobile, including homepages, landing pages, emails, social posts, ads, bind-in cards, and in-store retail messaging.
Below are more of the concept-to-final Sundance Jewelry books across seasons and years.
Spring 1 Jewelry - Valentine's Day and Beginning of Spring: The theme for this project was "Textured Clay". We purchased a few finished clay pieces but the stylists created and painted a lot of the pieces themselves.
Spring 2 Jewelry - Mother's Day and Late Spring: The theme for this project was "Drawing on Florals". We used live florals to finish different objects that were sketched out in watercolor.
Summer Jewelry - Summer Season: The theme for this project was "Sun Prints". The stylists gathered different plants and objects and created beautiful fabrics using the cyanotype process.
Fall Jewelry - Fall Season: The theme for this project was "The [Jewelry] Artist". We borrowed well-used tools from jewelers and sourced beads, stones, gems, leather, glass jars, jewel-tone fabrics, metal and other interesting objects that reflected items from a jeweler's studio.
Holiday Jewelry - The Holiday Gift Giving Season: The theme for this project was "All That Glitters". We used a lot of gold and gilded objects, ornaments, ribbons, velvet leaves and boxes and glittered objects. What we couldn't find in gold was painted gold or glittered in studio by the stylists.
Some shots made it as covers, others we felt should have been part of a "Lost Covers" coffee table book. They were so many beautiful shots and we used as many of them everywhere we possibly could throughout the seasonal projects.