ORATZ PLAZA
Oratz Plaza: the Story of Success
“Fashion is just an illusion, style is everything” –
proclaimed Clarisse Oratz, the founder of Oratz Plaza empire. All the Oratz
jewelry, which has won international recognition for its inimitable
elegance and ultimately high quality, is evidence of this statement.
Unique and gorgeous, Oratz Plaza jewelry laid the foundation of a new
era in the world of fashion and beauty – the era of refined taste
and noble chic, as today both these definitions are closely associated
with Oratz products.
Oratz History
The history of the best-known network of jewelry stores on the globe
dates back to the 20s of the past century. In 1921 a young girl
dreaming of a brilliant career on the stage came to Paris and settled
in a small room at the basement. Every day she attended castings at
music halls and cabarets and every evening worked as a waitress in a cafe
to earn her living. However, this job wouldn't bring much and very soon
she ran out of all her savings. The situation implied several
solutions: the young girl could reject the idea of making a brilliant
career and return to the outskirts where her old aunt lived, or she
could also keep going hungry and attacking music halls, in hope
that one day she would have a stroke of good fortune. She could also
marry her rich admirer who promised to help her to become an actress.
All these ways had their own advantages, however, upon a closer
examination, they weren't really reasonable, as the young girl was
distinguished by rare sensibility. So, as her deceased father had been
a jeweler, and she had some experience and skills, the young girl
started working at a jewelry store. First she was just a seller, then
she was engaged in evaluating gems and metals, and half a year later the
jeweler suggested her to become his apprentice. Thus, Clarisse Oratz,
the queen of the jewelry kingdom, appeared.
On gaining experience and saving some money, Clarisse started her own
business. The first years were truly hard, as she had to work literally
day and night to develop her company. In the morning Clarisse went to
her small Oratz Plaza shop, balanced the accounts and gave instructions
to shop assistants; then, in the afternoon, she had several business
meetings with her clients and suppliers, in the evening she worked on
new designs of Oratz jewelry, and at night she had to visit various
fashionable events – not so mush to have a rest as to see the
latest tendencies in style, to find new clients or business partners
and to promote her company.
Paris Boutique
By 1930 Clarisse's jewelry shop – Oratz Plaza – had become
one of the most prestigious boutiques in Paris, and among her clientele
there were many famous people and widely recognized trend-setters. In
1932 Clarisse opened two Oratz plaza shops in other French cities,
Marseilles and Lyon, and five years later she
could already boast six
company branches in other countries – Great Britain, Denmark, Italy,
Germany, Austria and Spain. In 1939 she established two stores in the
USA and Canada, focusing on the western market. As for the East, the
first Oratz Plaza was opened in Japan only in 1976 – fours years
later after the death of Clarisse.
The Oratz Plaza company is a family business. Thus, Clarisse's children
Gina and Michael were brought up as future jewelers and businessmen to
develop the Oratz empire. With his unsurpassed business acumen Michael
took after his mother, while Gina concentrated on creative work,
designing new stylish Oratz collections.
Nowadays the company is run by Clarisse's grandchildren –
Veronika, Timothy and Lionel Oratz who invest much in Oratz Plaza
development. Thus, Oratz Plaza production can be found in 360 jewelry
shops all over the world, and recently the company has been awarded for
its contribution into the world fashion.
Despite its elite status, Oratz Plaza jewelry is available not only to
cinema stars and rich men, but also to ordinary people who seek quality
and uniqueness. Thus, last year Oratz launched a new collection of
inexpensive engagement rings, called “Grandma's casket”.
The series is represented by versions of antique engagement rings. As
authentic pieces, genuine antique rings are sold at unbelievable
prices, that is why Oratz Plaza started launching bands designed
according to the existing antique models, adding reasonable price-tags.
The collection comes in three styles – Edwardian, Art Deco
and Art Nouveau – featuring exquisite designs and affordable
materials, like white gold and silver.
The latest Oratz Plaza collection – “Inspiration”
– completely designed by Timothy Oratz, embodies old oriental
traditions. Each gemstone, precious metal and ornamental pattern has
its own symbolism, with the help of which a jeweler can create a unique
and meaningful piece of work. Using this idea, Timothy Oratz designed
200 models, yet most of them are beyond the pocket of ordinary clerks.
However, the inheritor of the Oratz Plaza empire, Timothy promises that
next year they will launch a cheaper version of the
“Inspiration” series, coming in semiprecious gems and
inexpensive metals, like palladium.
Apart from the exciting jewelry series, Oratz Plaza offers a great number of
professional services. One of the most popular offers is “Design It by
Yourself” which features ever-growing demand. Clarisse Oratz told
repeatedly that a free creative genius lives within each person, so,
everyone is able to create a masterpiece – in his/her field, of
course. That is why Clarisse's descendants decided to give everyone an
opportunity to find hidden talents by designing jewelry items. This
option is especially popular among future grooms, as many men want to
design an engagement ring for their beloved girl by themselves. And,
what is the most amazing, some men show impressive talents, producing
real pieces of art. Thus, one of the most successful Oratz Creative
Managers, Peter Dowlek, is a former lawyer who came to Oratz Plaza to
design a band for his wife, but turned out to be so gifted, that the
company's authorities persuaded him to start a career of jeweler.
If you liked the article and want to know more about the top jewelry
producer in the world, visit Oratz Plaza official website at http://www.OratzPlaza.com.