“Life’s too short to be mousy”
A jewelry designer with a flair for the dramatic tells us how to select a standout signature piece. (Hint: You may already own it.)Vicente Agor designs rings so commanding that you might be inclined to kiss them—or at least genuflect. That’s not surprising when you consider his inspirational life story. Agor had been in finance for 20 years when kidney failure and an eventual transplant caused him to rethink what he wanted to do with his time. In the ’80s, before he got sick, his love of colored gemstones led him to launch a short-lived jewelry line, but he couldn’t manage to juggle it with his day job. This time, he decided to focus entirely on baubles, embracing his passion for 18-karat gold, diamonds, and precious stones—and this time, he succeeded. His eponymous fine-jewelry company, which sells at such venues as Saks Fifth Avenue and Manika, on Maiden Lane, celebrates its fifth anniversary this month. Agor also just launched a new silver line, Seventynine47, with his customers’ reduced budgets in mind. Both collections reflect the designer’s go-all-the-way approach and his belief that, yes, “life’s too short to be mousy.” Here, Agor tells us how to use accessories—and attitude—to make a statement. vicenteagor.com
What is the “it” piece of jewelry right now? An 18-inch necklace that lies right under the collarbone. It can have a pendant or not.
I thought necklace style was determined by necklines. It’s more about the pendulum of fashion. Necklaces had been long; now it’s time for short. Because we had so much attention on the wrist for a while—first it was the bangle, then the big cuff—now the spotlight is on the neck.
What about earrings? They are very big, but they’re more solid than the tiered chandeliers from the late ’90s and early 2000s. We need to come up with a name for them.
What’s in a name? Does it really matter? Names have connotations. Take zircon. It’s a beautiful natural stone. But people hear the name and think “cubic zirconium.” If we came out with zircon chandelier earrings, no one would wear them.
Stylish women like Diana Vreeland, who was skinny, could pile on large pieces and pull it off. If I tried that, I’d look ridiculous. Any tips for wearing multiple pieces of jewelry? One on the face and one on the hand. If you are going to wear a big earring, don’t wear a big necklace and a big bracelet—that’s too much.
You’ve watched thousands of women try on jewelry—any insights? If they’re attracted to something but say, “It’s not me,” I’ll tell them to just try it on. A good salesperson will not push you into a sale, but she will try to get you to consider things that are outside your comfort zone.
What are the most popular pieces in your line? Solid fine-silver bangles that have the same look as the gold but are not $5,000. They’re $465, so there’s still a little bit of splurge factor involved.
You mentioned fine silver. How is it different from sterling? It has no copper, and copper is what makes things tarnish faster.
What’s the best way to keep silver from tarnishing? Wear it. Otherwise, I keep it in Ziploc bags.
I had an aunt who always wore a gold ring—very ’60s, big and geometric, with ribbing. It was her signature. All the style mavens had a signature accessory. For Diana Vreeland, it was the horn necklace. Apart from your everyday stuff (wedding band, etc.), you should also add a great piece of jewelry to your daily ensemble to set you apart.
How do you select a signature accessory? Wouldn’t nice hands or décolletage have something to do with it? Sometimes it selects you—it may be a childhood gift or an heirloom. Sometimes the signature is not one piece but a category, like bangles or bold rings. And yes, perhaps the woman will want to accentuate a part of her body; a woman who gestures with her hands might choose a ring.
How have fine jewelry–buying habits changed in this economy? Women are looking for value, exclusivity, and an individualized experience. It’s not just about the $6,000 status bag anymore; it has to have a story behind it.
What a story your life is! You could have your own chapter in Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow. What made you finally decide to leave finance? After I went on dialysis, I said, there is no way I’m going to go back into investment consulting. I wanted to do what I wanted to do.
Just starting a business is daunting. How did you do that and survive your serious medical problems simultaneously? I’m a strong believer in positive thinking. You need a bit of both denial and affirmation. When I was in the hospital, I didn’t want anyone saying how bad I looked. I didn’t want to hear, “Oh, you poor thing.” I didn’t want to hear negativity.
Did it pay off? The normal recovery time from my type of transplant is 15 days. I got out in eight.
So, are you thinking of this recession as just a tiny blip on the radar screen of life? I’ll get over this. I’m good at denial! It is not what happens to you that is important—it’s what you do with what happens to you.
What is the “it” piece of jewelry right now? An 18-inch necklace that lies right under the collarbone. It can have a pendant or not.
I thought necklace style was determined by necklines. It’s more about the pendulum of fashion. Necklaces had been long; now it’s time for short. Because we had so much attention on the wrist for a while—first it was the bangle, then the big cuff—now the spotlight is on the neck.
What about earrings? They are very big, but they’re more solid than the tiered chandeliers from the late ’90s and early 2000s. We need to come up with a name for them.
What’s in a name? Does it really matter? Names have connotations. Take zircon. It’s a beautiful natural stone. But people hear the name and think “cubic zirconium.” If we came out with zircon chandelier earrings, no one would wear them.
Stylish women like Diana Vreeland, who was skinny, could pile on large pieces and pull it off. If I tried that, I’d look ridiculous. Any tips for wearing multiple pieces of jewelry? One on the face and one on the hand. If you are going to wear a big earring, don’t wear a big necklace and a big bracelet—that’s too much.
You’ve watched thousands of women try on jewelry—any insights? If they’re attracted to something but say, “It’s not me,” I’ll tell them to just try it on. A good salesperson will not push you into a sale, but she will try to get you to consider things that are outside your comfort zone.
What are the most popular pieces in your line? Solid fine-silver bangles that have the same look as the gold but are not $5,000. They’re $465, so there’s still a little bit of splurge factor involved.
You mentioned fine silver. How is it different from sterling? It has no copper, and copper is what makes things tarnish faster.
What’s the best way to keep silver from tarnishing? Wear it. Otherwise, I keep it in Ziploc bags.
I had an aunt who always wore a gold ring—very ’60s, big and geometric, with ribbing. It was her signature. All the style mavens had a signature accessory. For Diana Vreeland, it was the horn necklace. Apart from your everyday stuff (wedding band, etc.), you should also add a great piece of jewelry to your daily ensemble to set you apart.
How do you select a signature accessory? Wouldn’t nice hands or décolletage have something to do with it? Sometimes it selects you—it may be a childhood gift or an heirloom. Sometimes the signature is not one piece but a category, like bangles or bold rings. And yes, perhaps the woman will want to accentuate a part of her body; a woman who gestures with her hands might choose a ring.
How have fine jewelry–buying habits changed in this economy? Women are looking for value, exclusivity, and an individualized experience. It’s not just about the $6,000 status bag anymore; it has to have a story behind it.
What a story your life is! You could have your own chapter in Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow. What made you finally decide to leave finance? After I went on dialysis, I said, there is no way I’m going to go back into investment consulting. I wanted to do what I wanted to do.
Just starting a business is daunting. How did you do that and survive your serious medical problems simultaneously? I’m a strong believer in positive thinking. You need a bit of both denial and affirmation. When I was in the hospital, I didn’t want anyone saying how bad I looked. I didn’t want to hear, “Oh, you poor thing.” I didn’t want to hear negativity.
Did it pay off? The normal recovery time from my type of transplant is 15 days. I got out in eight.
So, are you thinking of this recession as just a tiny blip on the radar screen of life? I’ll get over this. I’m good at denial! It is not what happens to you that is important—it’s what you do with what happens to you.
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