(lia sophia)
January 30, 2011|By Melissa Magsaysay |
Los Angeles Times Celebrities headed for the Golden Globes or Oscars may drape themselves in "loaner" diamonds from Harry Winston or Cartier, but less formal occasions call for a different kind of jewelry — perhaps even costume jewelry.
The choices seem endless, but a line called lia sophia has made an impression in Hollywood (Jennifer Aniston and Gwen Stefani are among those who have been photographed wearing pieces from the collection). What's surprising is that the pieces can't be purchased from celebrity spots such as Kitson, Fred Segal or Barneys New York. The acquisition of lia sophia has more to do with a display on someone's dining room table than the counter of a high-end store.
Lia sophia was started in 1986, a jewelry division of what was then personal-care product empire Lady Remington, the company that famously hawked items such as women's electric shavers and men's moustache trimmers. When Lady Remington owner Victor Kiam died in 2001, his son, Tory, took the reigns of the jewelry business, revamping the brand's image and relaunching in 2004 with a new name (his daughters are named Lia and Sophia) and a more modern feel. Tory Kiam and his wife, Elena, run the Chicago-based company (its lis sophia collection includes more than 200 piece) as a direct-sales operation that aims to appeal to Hollywood as much as America's heartland.
The company issues two catalogs each year with price tags that range from $20 to more than $100. The Kiams also created a separate, higher-priced line called the Red Carpet Collection, which includes the more fashion-forward and expensive pieces often worn by celebrities and a younger generation of women whose mothers may have bought Mary Kay cosmetics in the same way their daughters buy these trendy jewels.
The Red Carpet Collection, with items priced from $125 to $1,000, is designed by Dani Stahl, style director for Nylon magazine, a publication devoted to street fashion. Although the items vary each season, they generally have a Cleopatra-meets-'80s-hip-hop aesthetic. The company showcases the Red Carpet Collection at celebrity-heavy events such as the Sundance Film Festival and parties in West Hollywood or Malibu, where celebrities such as the Kardashians and Cameron Diaz are invited to accept gifts of items from the more fashion-forward line. The hope is that they will wear the pieces on red carpets or shopping and get photographed, and that those photos will appear in magazines that will list the source of the jewelry.
