accessories-award

Votes have been cast for Best Jewelry Line, Best Watch Line, Best Leathergoods Line, Best Department Store/boutique and Best Clothing Designer. The Luxist Readers' Choice Award Winners are all leaders in their respective fields.

Harry Winston is the Readers' Choice Award Winner for Best Jewelry Line. Ever since Harry Winston draped actress Jennifer Jones in diamonds at the Oscars more than half a century ago, the jewelry company has been synonymous with glamour and fame. From the legacy of Hope Diamond to the sparkle of the red carpet, Winston diamonds have become an icon of international glamour.

The Readers' Choice Award Winner for the Best Watch Line is IWC. With a deep connection to functionally themed luxury sport watches, IWC rejects an approach to watch making that focuses on form over function. In recent years according to one poll, IWC, has risen to be considered the top luxury watch brand among wealthy Americans. Frequently sighted on the wrists of athletes to actors and bankers, the wide adoption of IWC watches proves that watch lovers want timepieces with utilitarian roots.

The Readers' Choice Award Winner for the Best Leathergoods Line is Hermes. Paris-based Hermes, which was founded nearly two centuries ago, is one of the world's most sought-after luxury brands. Known for its hand-crafted leathergoods, Hermes sells its goods through boutiques sprinkled throughout posh enclaves throughout the world.

Harrods is the Readers' Choice Winner in the Best Department Store/Boutique category. With over one million square feet of selling space and more than 330 departments, Harrods is one of the largest stores in the world. On busy days, some 300,000 shoppers visit the London-based store, serviced by a staff of 5,000 people from 50 different countries. Harrods was also a finalist for in our Best Gourmet Grocer/Food Hall category.

Chanel is the Readers' Choice Winner in the Best Clothing Designer category. Known for its sumptuous handbags, elegant dresses, and, of course, the interlocking "C" logo, Chanel has been one of the first names in fashion for nearly 100 years.

IWC is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Watch Line.

With a deep connection to functionally themed luxury sport watches, IWC rejects an approach to watch making that focuses on form over function. In recent years according to one poll, IWC, has risen to be considered the top luxury watch brand among wealthy Americans. Frequently sighted on the wrists of athletes to actors and bankers, the wide adoption of IWC watches proves that watch lovers want timepieces with utilitarian roots.

IWC watches are split between two major styles, with activity themed offerings such as Pilot or Aquatimer diving watches, and classic "thinking person" styles such as the mega popular Portuguese or Ingeniuer timepieces. Equally proficient in steel or gold, IWC is also known to offers excellently finished movements of in-house design and manufacture. IWC is also known for offering luxury watches for a wide array of budgets from mid level luxury to the ultra high-end.

While a name like "International Watch Company" might sound universal, the brand is totally Swiss in design and quality. IWC watches have little trouble being recognized in most circles and benefit from a distinct lack of pretentiousness in their brand image. Owning an IWC luxury watch typically communicates that you buy nice watches for your own enjoyment, not merely for others to see.

Harry Winston is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Jewelry Line.

Ever since Harry Winston draped actress Jennifer Jones in diamonds at the Oscars more than half a century ago, the jewelry company has been synonymous with glamour and fame. From the legacy of Hope Diamond to the sparkle of the red carpet, Winston diamonds have become an icon of international glamour.

The son of turn-of-the-century Ukrainian immigrants, Winston was a savvy gem-hunter from an early age. As legend has it, a 12-year-old Winston recognized a two-carat emerald in a New York pawnshop, bought it for 25 cents, and sold it two days later for $800. In 1932, he opened his own store, focusing on buying stodgy collections to re-cut, re-set and re-sell.

In 1949, Winston purchased the Hope Diamond from the estate of socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean, who had acquired the gem from Pierre Cartier nearly forty years earlier. Over the next decade, Winston highlighted the stone in his "Court of Jewels," exhibited to audiences across the country -- but not before daringly re-cutting it to increase its brilliance. Winston donated the stone to the Smithsonian in 1958, reportedly sending it in a plain brown paper bag via U.S. Mail.

Winston passed away in 1978 and the company is now publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (HWD). Today, the company's gems adorn stars from Halle Berry to Madonna. They're also available to the public through Harry Winston Jewelers' two-dozen stores across the world. Just be sure to pack a hefty checkbook before shopping -- Winston rings usually start at around $10,000.

Gallery: More from Harry Winston

Hermes is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Leathergoods Line.

The company has come a long way since its inception nearly two centuries ago. Hermes was founded by a Frenchman named Thierry Hermes in 1837 as a maker of harnesses and bridles. Since then, it has grown into one of the world's most sought-after luxury brands; customers have ranged from Humphrey Bogart to Paris Hilton.

Hermes is known for leather goods like the Kelly bag and Constance bag, favored by actress Grace Kelly and former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Like all Hermes products, these bags are made by hand without assembly lines; only one craftsman may work on a bag at a time.

The Birkin bag, which takes its name from actress Jane Birkin, is perhaps the most coveted of them all. Made from exotic animal skins and adorned with hardware hewn from precious metals, these bags boast waiting lists in excess of two years and price tags starting at $5000. A one-of-a-kind pink crocodile Birkin fetched $140,000 in 2007.

Hermes peddles its goods through boutiques sprinkled throughout posh U.S. enclaves like New York, East Hampton, Palm Beach and Beverly Hills. Based in Paris, the company continues to expand abroad into lucrative developing markets such as China. In a nod to its heritage, Hermes still offers equestrian paraphernalia.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Gallery: More from Hermes

Chanel is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Clothing Line.

Known for its sumptuous handbags, elegant dresses, and, of course, the interlocking "C" logo, Chanel has been one of the first names in fashion for nearly 100 years.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, who is one of the most recognized couturiers of the 20th century, started out in 1909 with a single store in Paris store. By 1913, she had opened boutiques in the resort towns of Deauville and Biarritz, France. With the onset of World War I, materials and finances were scarce; it was then that Chanel began to focus on using functional fabrics, especially jersey, in her designs.

In 1924, Chanel went into business with brothers Pierre and Paul Wertheimer. Though they funded the expansion of her company, tensions occasionally flared as Coco Chanel often felt that her efforts left here relatively unrewarded compared to the brothers. Still, she led a luxurious life, socializing with aristrocrats and political figures, and was the creative force behind Chanel until her death in 1971. Chanel's groundbreaking designs include a jersey dress and cardigan coat during the 1920's. She was a modernist who's designs was always ahead of the time in which she lived. The company is credited with creating many other fashion-firsts, from the quilted handbag and the two-tone pump shoe to the gilt chain belt.

In the wake of Coco's death, Chanel's fortunes fell briefly. Despite the staying power of classics like the perfume Chanel No. 5, Chanel was largely considered a moribund brand among Europe's elite fashionistas by the late 1970s. So in 1983, Pierre Wertheimer's son, Alain, brought in Karl Lagerfeld to revitalize the spirit and identity of Chanel. The flamboyant designer did exactly that, scrapping the brand's traditional restrain in favor of a flashy, splashy aesthetic that made Chanel a gaudy, bad-boy alternative to more demure designs of Prada.

Today, Lagerfeld remains the creative force behind Chanel and the Wertheimers are billionaires. After hiring Nicole Kidman to shill Chanel in the early 2000s, the company replaced her with French actress Audrey Tautou for latter end of the decade. In 2005, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art held an exhibition featuring many of Chanel's designs and accessories. Today, Chanel operates over 200 boutiques in posh enclaves throughout the world. Somewhere, Coco is smiling.

Best Jewelry Line
Each of the Readers' Choice nominees for Best Jewelry Line is a leader in the industry. One is not only known for its signature jewelry, but also for the blue box that it comes in. Another is known for its handcrafted pieces, but it is also known for its many innovations. Another nominee is a newer designer on the scene who is inspired by Florentine jewelry-making, but also astronomy, celestial, mythological and astrological influences. Another nominee is synonymous with glamour and fame and has ties to some of the world's most famous jewels. Finally, there's a nominee known for the panache of its founder, as well as its vast collection of the world's finest diamonds.
Graff Diamonds
Harry Winston
Temple St. Clair
Tiffany & Co.
Van Cleef & Arpels

Best Watch Line
The Readers' Choice for the Best Watch Line nominees include a perennially favored brand among the watch-loving elite that is known for making the most complex wrist watch in the world. Another nominee is known for its functionally-themed luxury sport watches. The third nominee, while an historic brand with almost 200 years of heritage, is known for being a forward focused luxury watch maker of the future. A fourth nominee is perhaps the best-known luxury watch brand in the world, with a stellar reputation to match. Lastly, there's a watchmaker that epitomizes Swiss haute horology with its modern classics and technical innovation.
Audemars Piguet
IWC
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Patek Philippe
Rolex

Best Leathergoods Line
The Readers' Choice for the Best Leathergoods Line for a Luxist Award include award-winning brands from France, Italy and London. One started out making equestrian equipment in 1837, and still makes its goods by hand; some of its handbags are so coveted, there's a two-year long wait list to buy one. Another was started in London by a former fashion editor who partnered with a couture shoe maker to create a company now synonymous with the "red carpet". The third nominee is known for its clean lines and simple classic color palettes while the fourth is a global force of tradition and innovation. And finally, the last nominee epitomizes luxury with its delectable designer bags and vaunted luggage--some of which command five figure prices.
Bottega Veneta
Gucci
Hermes
Jimmy Choo
Louis Vuitton

Best Department Store/Boutique
Nominees for Readers' Choice for Best Department Store/Boutique include one based in London that has no fewer than 330 different departments, a staff of 5,000 from 50 different countries and is visited by as many as 300,000 people on a single day. Another, with roots in Texas, is known for its superior customer service, in addition to its luxury merchandise, including some of the world's most extravagant items. One New York-based store has a shoe department that is so large, it was given its own zip code. Another Manhattan-based store specializes in hard-to-find international designers, many of which it will help launch into fame. Lastly, there's an upstart from London that is so cutting-edge and up-to-date, it launches 300 new styles on a weekly basis.
Barneys New York
Harrods
Neiman Marcus
Saks Fifth Avenue
Top Shop

Best Clothing Designer
Readers' Choice nominees for Best Clothing Designer are award-winning fashion designers from Italy, England, France and the United States. One was started by a wunderkind who was named chief designer of one of the most respected fashion houses when he was still in his 20's. Another has been one of the leading names in fashion for nearly 100 years. A third nominee, known for its timeless style, has outfitted First Ladies on both sides of the aisle for decades while the fourth is famed for its understated elegance. The final nominee is synonymous with high fashion though its roots are in luggage and leather goods.
Alexander McQueen
Chanel
Gucci
Oscar de la Renta
Prada

Nominations have been received and vetted for the best-of-breed in jewelry, watches, leathergoods, department stores and clothing lines. The Luxist Readers' Choice Accessories Awards will be awarded based on your voting.

Each of finalists for the Readers' Choice for the Best Jewelry Line is a leader in the industry. One is not only known for its signature jewelry, but also for the blue box that it comes in. Another is known for its handcrafted pieces, but it is also known for its many innovations. Another nominee is a newer designer on the scene (relative to the others, that is) who is inspired by Florentine jewelry-making, but also astronomy, celestial, mythological and astrological influences. Another nominee is synonymous with glamour and fame and has ties to some of the world's most famous jewels. Finally, there's a nominee known for the panache of its founder, as well as its vast collection of the world's finest diamonds.

The Readers' Choice for the Best Watch Line nominees include a perennially favored brand among the watch-loving elite that is known for making the most complex wrist watch in the world. Another nominee is known for its functionally-themed luxury sport watches. The third nominee, while an historic brand with almost 200 years of heritage, is known for being a forward focused luxury watch maker of the future. A fourth nominee is perhaps the best-known luxury watch brand in the world, with a stellar reputation to match. Lastly, there's a watchmaker that epitomizes Swiss haute horology with its modern classics and technical innovation.

The Readers' Choice for the Best Leathergoods Line for a Luxist Award include award-winning brands from France, Italy and London. One started out making equestrian equipment in 1837, and still makes its goods by hand; some of its handbags are so coveted, there's a two-year long wait list to buy one. Another was started in London by a former fashion editor who partnered with a couture shoe maker to create a company now synonymous with the "red carpet". The third nominee is known for its clean lines and simple classic color palettes while the fourth is a global force of tradition and innovation. And finally, the last nominee epitomizes luxury with its delectable designer bags and vaunted luggage--some pf which command five figure prices.

Nominees for Readers' Choice for Best Department Store include one based in London that has no fewer than 330 different departments, a staff of 5,000 from 50 different countries and is visited by as many as 300,000 people on a single day. Another, with roots in Texas, is known for its superior customer service, in addition to its luxury merchandise, including some of the world's most extravagant items. One New York-based store has a shoe department that is so large, it was given its own zip code. Another Manhattan-based store specializes in hard-to-find international designers, many of which it will help launch into fame. Lastly, there's an upstart from London that is so cutting-edge and up-to-date, it launches 300 new styles on a weekly basis.

Readers' Choice nominees for Best Clothing Designer are award-winning fashion designers from Italy, England, France and the United States. One was started by a wunderkind who was named chief designer of one of the most respected fashion houses when he was still in his 20's. Another has been one of the leading names in fashion for nearly 100 years. A third nominee, known for its timeless style, has outfitted First Ladies on both sides of the aisle for decades while the fourth is famed for its understated elegance. The final nominee is synonymous with high fashion though its roots are in luggage and leather goods.

Vote now for what you believe is the best of breed for each of these categories. Readers' Choice Awards for Accessories will be announced on December 31st.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards for Best Accessories at this link.

If high collectible value were the only criteria for the best luxury watch brand, the Patek Philippe, nominated for a Luxist Award, would beat the rest hands down. Even in recession stricken economies, Patek Philippe watches are able to achieve record values at auction. The brand almost epitomizes Swiss haute horology. All Swiss made and designed, Patek Philippe sits as a benchmark of modern classic watch style as well as technical innovation. Not afraid of progress, some of their most traditional looking timepieces contain space-age parts.

Patek Philippe is so well-regarded and trusted, that they even developed their own movement certification system, that they only use to rate their own watches. Such a degree of self governance would only be allowed from a brand such as Patek Philippe.

Their timepieces styles are conservative and timeless. Though unlike Rolex, Patek Philippe revels in the frequent release of highly complex, though always still useful mechanical wonders. Their manufacture is responsible for creating the most complex timepiece in the world, a pocket watch produced back in 1989 – which has yet to be trumped. Considered the best watches in the world by many, it would be hard to dispute this statement in a room full of fanatic (and wealthy) Patek Philippe fans and collectors.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Van Cleef & Arpels, nominated for a Luxist Award for Best Jewelry Line, is known for its handcrafted fine custom pieces. The company was founded in 1906 on the famed Place Vendôme in Paris by Alfred Van Cleef and his brother-in-law, Charles Arpels. The company first opened its doors at the New York flagship in 1939 and has continued to expand to the world's most exclusive locations. For more than a century, the company has fused inspiration and technical prowess into beautiful creations.

Van Cleef & Arpels has long been known for striving to capture nature at its most beautiful. This is evident with several collections, such as the classic Snowflake Collection, as well as "Birds of Paradise", the new creative jewelry collection comprised of whimsical and figurative birds in flight and fancy.

The company is known for its many innovations and technical creativity in its storied ateliers, one of which is the Mystery Setting. The Mystery Setting is an exclusive and patented technique in which prongs are concealed beneath the gems they hold. The technique allows the creation of voluptuous, gem-encrusted, three-dimensional shapes that shimmer with simplicity and grace that allow the precious stones to take center stage. The process was introduced by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1933 and is still used in many of the jeweler's finest unique pieces.

Another innovation by Van Cleef & Arpels was the Minaudiere. In the 1930's, when Charles Arpels caught Florence Jay Gould slipping her lipstick into a white tin box, he was astonished that such a fashionable woman had nothing in which to store and carry her cosmetics. As a result, he invented this ultra-sophisticated version of the vanity case that allows the cosmopolitan woman to tuck away her lipstick, handkerchief and powder puff without being encumbered.

The company's Zipper necklace, which was first commissioned by the Duchess of Windsor, took over a decade to realize in its workshops. The necklace is one of Van Cleef & Arpels most iconic, innovative pieces. The necklace zips, literally, just as a zipper does.

Van Cleef & Arpels launched its famed Alhambra Collection in the late 1960's, reflecting the pop culture of the time. The Alhambra is still one of the company's signature lines and has since grown into a larger collection featuring a variety of precious stones, charms and variations while staying true to the original meaning of the clover motif. The iconic quatrefoil is the time-honored symbol of health, wealth, true love and luck, at once an embodiment of simplistic elegance. The Alhambra has become a most-desired addition to the jewel boxes of legends of the screen and stage, members of the royal set, exquisite tastemakers and jewelry lovers throughout the world.

Annually, Van Cleef & Arpels produces one to two collections of high jewelry, which are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that are handmade in its workshops in either Paris or New York. These pieces, which are never to be replicated, are thematic, creative and romantic--always based on the idea of one of the founding blocks of the company: nature, fantasy, couture and the arts. Its most recent high jewelry collections include "California Rêverie", "Les Jardins", "Ballet Precieux", "L'Atlantide" and "Une journée à Paris".

In addition to its jewelry, the company has an extensive collection of timepieces and fragrances. Van Cleef & Arpels has two flagship boutiques: one in New York and the other in Paris. At 22, place Vendome, and since 1939 at 744 Fifth Avenue in New York in addition to select locations throughout the rest of the world.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Gallery: More from Van Cleef & Arpels

Neiman Marcus is a nominee for the Readers' Choice Award for Best Department Store. The Dallas, Texas-based luxury retailer was founded in 1907 by Herbert Marcus, Sr., his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman and her husband A.L. Neiman. Since then, the company has become known for its merchandise leadership and superior customer service. Its upscale assortment of apparel, accessories, jewelry, beauty and decorative home products cater to the affluent customer.

The company is credited with many firsts. In 1926, the company premiered the first weekly retail fashion show in the U.S. It began offering menswear in 1928, featuring items like French-made ties and English shirtings--items rarely found west of New York City. In 1934 the company started running national advertisements in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines--the first retail establishment outside New York City to do so. In 1984, the company established InCircle, the industry's first customer-loyalty program.

In 1939, the company launched its annual Christmas Book tradition with a wonderland of fur coats, fashion accessories, perfumes, toys and more. The book has since become famous for extravagent, over-the-top luxury items, such as a $25,000 customized and motorized cupcake car and a Jaguar XJL Supercharged Neiman Marcus edition sedan for $105,000, both offered in the 2009 book. The Christmas Book's "His and Hers" gift, which is an annual tradition, currently features a pair of ICON A5 Sports Aircrafts and pilot training for two for the princely sum of $250,000.

Now more than a century old, the company has 41 stores and a total of more than six million gross square feet around the country, from California to Massachusetts. In 1999, Neiman Marcus launched its website, neimanmarcus.com, making it possible for customers around the world to easily access its large selection of designer and luxury brands via the Internet. The Neiman Marcus Group is the parent company of two other esteemed companies: Bergdorf Goodman, the luxury department store based in New York and The Horchow Collection, a luxury mail-order catalog.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Gallery: More from Neiman Marcus

Famed for its highly-coveted luxury goods and immortalized in pop culture, it's no surprise that Prada has earned a Readers' Choice Award nomination for Best Clothing Designer. The Italian designer is a staple of the luxury lifestyle around the world.

Founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, the company started out as a leathergoods shop in Milan, specializing in handbags and trunks imported from England. Mario's daughter-in-law took over the company upon his death some 40 years later; her daughter, Miuccia Prada, is creative director of the company today.

Under Miuccia's direction, Prada continued to gain popularity in the 1980s, especially among fast-rising female executives in search of a clean, stylish look. Keeping with this trend, Miuccia referred to these outfits as "uniforms." Eschewing flamboyance in favor of understated elegance, Prada gained renown for pioneering the restrained luxury aesthetic still preferred by many high-end consumers.

Today, Prada remains one of the most desirable names in fashion. Its fame has spread to pop culture (the film The Devil Wears Prada) and even to experimental art -- in 2005, Scandinavian artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset built a replica Prada boutique on a lonely patch of sand in the middle of the West Texas desert. Entitled "Prada Marfa," it's probably the only Prada store where customers don't have to worry about crowds.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

With the higher-end watch lover in mind, Audemars Piguet, which is nominated for a Luxist Award, made independently owned luxury watch makers mainstream. An innovator in combining luxury with sport themed watches, Audemars Piguet stands equally as an historic brand with almost 200 years of heritage, as well as being a forward focused luxury watch maker of the future.

Back in the 1970s Audemars Piguet shocked the worlds with the Royal Oak, a sport themed watch that commanded a price never before seen on a steel timepiece. The classic timepiece remains one of their most popular lines of watch that come in a wealth of exotic materials, complications, colors, and limited editions.

Audemars Piguet has been closely aligned with pop culture icons and important figures for decades. They've made special edition watches for clients ranging to former US Presidents, to Hollywood mega stars, and top athletes. What attracts them all is the brand's dedication to matching the high quality and intrigue of the inside of the watch, with the outside. As such, Audemars Piguet has always been considered a trend setter, often copied even by competing haute luxury brands.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.