DY Ay!

Friday's here and with it comes a(nother) typo on DavidYurman.com to add some levity, you know, just for good measure. Yes, our culture has already assimilated a "McSteamy" and Boeing's Dreamliner and so why not Streamiline? Take a look:

It's unclear at this point what the neologism "Streamiline" means. A line made or consisting of streams? Possibly. A cable design capable of supporting streaming video content? It's possible. A case of hurried typing being prematurely published? Likely. All the same, don't you think a call to David Yurman for clarification is in order? Yes, I think I'll reach out. "Hello, ma'am or sir. Connect me to the manager of your Streamiline Collection, please. ...Yes, that's right: I said 'Stream-ee-line.' Yes, I'll hold."

:) DYguy out.

Not Just for Justin Timberlake Anymore: Yurman Releases Lightning Men's Pieces to Public

Did you know David Yurman outfitted Justin Timberlake in all those haut accessories he donned on his 20/20 Experience World Tour last year? It's true, and I now enter this now-forty-three-week-old Instagram post as evidence:

Whoever snapped this clearly needs 
a lesson in visual staging.

The good news is, a mere ten months later, modified versions of the pieces designed exclusively for JT are now available to the public. Already in boutiques and slowly coming online are lightning bolt pieces from what appears to be a newly-christened Symbols Collection. 

Stay tuned for details on this collection--I'll have them as they emerge--but for now, take a gander at these two beauts presently being advertised on DavidYurman.com.

Exclusive: David Yurman's Limited-Edition Honeycomb Meteorite Men's Rings Rocket into Boutiques

I am not a hand model. I do not profess to being a hand model.

It brings me great pleasure to report that David Yurman's Meteorite Titanium Honeycomb Mini-Collection, first previewed back in November 2014, has finally fully launched; the rings bearing this signature motif are available as limited-edition boutique exclusives. Here's what you need to know:

- There are two styles of Meteorite Titanium Honeycomb ring now available--one is the signet piece posted here, the other is of a band shape.

- The rings are of extreme limited edition with only 26 signet style produced and 36 band style. Each comes numbered and bearing a "limited edition" engraving.

- The rings are available in sizes 9, 10, 11, and 12 and retail in the $1,000-2,000 range.

- The pieces feature a sterling silver shank with meteorite overlay and black titanium shell.

- These limited-edition designs can only be purchased at David Yurman boutiques.

- A design executive has exclusively confirmed to DYMANia that these are the exact, "as-intended" designs originally previewed back in November 2014. Apparently a modified, easier-to-manufacture signet-style Meteorite Titanium Honeycomb ring was developed and quietly released over the winter but then shortly thereafter recalled due to "the compromised aesthetic."

- The tag pendant from the collection, which was originally released in fall of '14, has been pulled from DavidYurman.com and appears, for now, only available through boutique purchase or special order. It retails for $1200 (chain sold separately). It is unclear if additional product will be produced as part of a limited-edition set.

Focused on Gaining a Foothold Abroad, David Yurman Names Gabriella Forte as CEO

Ms. Gabriella Forte (left) with Sybil Yurman

Image Credit: fashionweekdaily.com

JCK and the Daily Front Row reported this weekend that David Yurman has formally tapped Ms. Gabriella Forte to become its next chief executive officer, replacing Yurman himself who acted as interim CEO following the departure of Glen Senk fourteen months ago. Having deep ties to DY, Forte, who has longtime served on the company's board, was sought for her experience helping brands flourish aboard, insiders assert. (See my recent reporting done on David Yurman's failed foray into Asian market expansion.)

David Yurman to WWD on Forte's new role in the company:

We have long wanted Gabriella in this role. She has a deep understanding of our brand and has provided valuable insights and sage counsel through her advisory board position for many years. Her extensive luxury retail experience in the U.S. and internationally is unmatched in the industry, making her the ideal partner to help us continue to grow our global footprint.

Forte started and grew her career at Giorgio Armani before taking leadership positions at Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabanna. 

Where David Yurman Failed: On the Hong Kong Experiment

This banner still exists. (See "Heritage" on DavidYurman.com.)
The pictured boutique does not.

Image Credit: DavidYurman.com

2008 was a good year for David Yurman. In addition to running another highly-publicized ad campaign starring super model Kate Moss, the company embarked on a two-year global expansion, opening not one but two boutiques in the Hong Kong area. By 2010 the brand had established four shops in Asia. Today none stands.

So what happened, what went wrong, and whose fault is it?

Why Working Luxury Retail Is Hard... But Not: A Reflection on Customer Experience at David Yurman

If store experience were
limited to presentation and display,
DY would be flying high.

Author's Note: I have worked in food service for six years, retail for seven, and luxury retail for three. Though I now work in the non-profit sector and tend to write from a customer perspective, I feel my experience in the industry balances my point of view and allows for credible, fair journalism on my part.

I've had some really just terrible customer service experiences at David Yurman (like at their Chicago boutique on Oak St., which I used to hold in high regard). I've also had some day- and memory-making experiences at DY, interactions so fulfilling that they approached transcendence.

Neither variety of experience should altogether surprise me, really. Having made so very many visits to so many boutiques over the years, I should expect encounters that run the gamut, right? But here's the problem: For reasons I'll soon detail, I don't expect nor excuse, for that matter, the approaching-poor service experiences that crop up all too often throughout the year at certain retail locations (problem stores, I call them) and at nigh-all brick-and-mortars during certain times of the year (cue the sleigh bells).

At problem David Yurman stores and at Christmastime, subpar customer experience tends to be the rule rather than the exception, for reasons that are too often unacceptable in their needlessness, stemming from poor shopper impression and negative employee service dispositions.

SHOPPER IMPRESSIONS ARE MADE FAST BUT WITH LASTING EFFECT.

According to Roberts (2004), product impressions tend to be made in under three seconds. The same likely can also be said of store impressions. A positive David Yurman boutique impression starts with a doorman's welcome that is followed quickly by a salesperson's warm greeting. A negative DY boutique impression starts with an unresponsive doorman and finishes with salesperson neglect. Sure, ambiance and sensory touches have an effect, but it tends to be instant and predictably good. (DY's merchandising is seldom anything but masterful.) 

And so, as is so often the case, the make-or-break aspect is an altogether human one, hinging on two basic questions: One, was there a doorman, and did he open the door? And two, are sales associates floor aware and willing offer acknowledgement, full or casual, to new shoppers? Yes, from my experience, it all comes down to that--quick and warm personnel interaction--which, really, makes lapses in impression-making all the more egregious (because, really, how hard is a 'Hi, and welcome'?).

NEGATIVE IMPRESSIONS HARDEN INTO SERVICE INCIDENTS WHEN THE SALESFLOOR REMAINS COLD AND INDIFFERENT OR, WORSE, BECOMES SUPERIOR.

When I worked in luxury retail, I endeavored every day to remind myself I was an agent of one of the world's most prestigious, aspirational brands, which meant, like it or not, I would be held to a very high standard. Simultaneously I would call to mind that beneath all of the affectations and posturing people are people, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, presence, and  respect.

The service representative who consistently fails to deliver service is an individual who should be nudged, perhaps forcibly, into another line of work. The boutique whose collective staff consistently fails to deliver service is a boutique whose management practices are in need of an audit.

Incredulity creeps up anytime I have a poor customer experience in a high-end boutique (be the brand DY, Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta--whatever) as really, even on an individual or team's worst day, smiles can be feigned and egos kept in check. Too often, though, at problem stores and Christmastime, poor service professional behavior prevails as staff seem to forget that while they cannot control sales goals, customer demands, and corporate mandates, they can control their reactions, authentically or, if need be, artificially. At the end of the day, it is employee perspective that drives customer perspective. To my friends, acquaintances, and, yes, antagonists in luxury retail, I issue a plea. Be mindful of the fact that work is work, expectations are high--it's the nature of the upscale beast--and providing service is not just a key occupational duty and hazard but a brand- and livelihood-sustaining imperative.

So David Yurman Chicago (and all other problem stores or Yuletide-weary sales professionals), say it with me: 'Hello and welcome. We're happy that you're here. You matter.'

It's OK some days not to mean it. It's not OK not to say it all the same.

With hard love,
DYguy