Local jewelry designer calls Oscar trip a success
Canada.com, Canada
Trevor Newell, Leader-Post
Published:Â Monday, February 25, 2008
At least one Canadian walked away from the Academy Awards a winner.
Rachel Mielke, founder of the Regina company Hillberg & Berk, spent several days in Los Angeles, where she showed her jewelry designs to Hollywood celebrities prior to Sunday’s ceremony. In a phone interview on Monday, she said the trip was well worth it.
“It was even better than I had hoped for,” she said. “I didn’t get to check out much of the Oscar party scene, but I was down here to accomplish a goal.”
Mielke was able to generate a lot of interest in
her designs during her time in California. NBC correspondent Jinah Kim, who interviewed the stars as they arrived for the ceremony, wore Hillberg & Berk earrings and a bracelet on the red carpet.
“It really did surpass my expectations. I was trying not to expect too much,” Mielke said.
According to Mielke, she was able to meet with a number of actors who were interested in her designs.
“(They) liked the jewelry so much they were hoping that their (television) characters could wear it,” she said.
Celebrities including Deidre Hall of Days of Our Lives, Mario Lopez from Saved by the Bell and Dancing with the Stars and filmmaker Spike Lee all took home some of Mielke’s designs. Katie Couric’s stylist also picked up some jewelry for the CBS News anchor.
Mielke hopes that this won’t be the last time her work appears at a Hollywood gala.
“I talked to (celebrities) about making red-carpet pieces for future events,” she said.
The group that hosted Mielke in Los Angeles last week also talked with her about attending the next Sundance Film Festival in Utah, she said.
“There’s definitely going to be future opportunities that come out of it,” she added.
But it wasn’t just celebrities who showed an interest in Mielke’s work. She said she spoke to a buyer for a high-end retailer that has stores in New York and Los Angeles who appeared interested in carrying Hillberg & Berk. Mielke expects that the exposure generated by her trip will help sales at home, too.
“(The trip) has really been awesome for our brand in terms of elevating it,” she said.
As she prepared to return to Regina, she was able to put her Oscar experience into perspective.
“(It was about) getting to meet some really cool celebrities and having great feedback from the collection and getting lots of promotion,” she said. “That was my trip in a nutshell.”
tnewell@leaderpost.canwest.com
