Look Book

24 | The Jewelr y Book Winter 2025 | 43 AN E Y E FO R ARTI STRY In the late 1970s, Joe met the famed fashion and society photographer Victor Skrebneski, who was to play a pivotal role in Joe's career. Skrebneski's massive portfolio included many celebrity images including Diana Ross, Bette Davis, Andy Warhol, and helped launch supermodel Cindy Crawford's career. A natural friendship with Joe began, who had turned his focus to jewelry. Using dramatic lighting and cropping, they created sophisticated art photography for the ne jewelry market with a level of magic previously unseen in the industry. "Skimming ads in a magazine … you can tell the di erence when an ad has been produced by Joe," enthuses Nicole Bromstad, publisher of e Jewelry Book. " at came from Joe choosing only the best to partner with and produce his work." With a sense of experimentation and discovery, Joe's teams created images that were arresting to the eye … a visual "gut punch" as Alison Goudreault describes it. TH E PAD U LO J E W E L RY G RO U P — AN I N D U STRY FI RST In the mid 80s, Joe established e Padulo Jewelry Group, a co-op program that brought together the nest boutique luxury brands such as Picchiotti and Oscar Heyman with important independent retailers like Cellini Jewelers (NYC), Dorfman Jewelers (Boston), Molina Fine Jewelers (Phoenix) and Eiseman Jewels (Dallas), to name a few. e program enabled each retailer to a ord exclusivity within their state of the most magni cent designer jewelry in the world photographed by the renowned Victor Skrebneski. Ads of this caliber were only seen in previously una ordable national luxury magazines such as Town & Country, Architectural Digest and W. is instantly elevated the retailer and designer brands participating in the program which drew new ultra-high net worth buyers to the stores. e Padulo Jewelry Group program was an instant success and lasted for 35 consecutive years until its shut-down due to Covid. " is was made possible because of Joe's way of connecting people," Alison shares. "He was the mortar between the bricks," forging relationships with publications and jewelers and raising the bar on quality with his taste level. Jewelers trusted and believed in him because he successfully provided them with some of the best imagery they'd ever gotten. We shine the spotlight on industry icon Joe Padulo. Read about it on page 42! K A R A A DA NALIA N CREATIVE DIRECTOR As owner of Acme Graphics and a veteran of the Bay Area graphics scene, Kara craves tackling projects that are a feast to the eyes ... from her hands-on experience in the culinary arts to the visual appeal of jewelry. Her clean style and passion for typography are recognizable in designs that communicate, entice and inspire. DA NIELLE BA RBER Danielle's first job out of col- lege was in the art department of Krementz & Co., a large fine jewelry manufacturer, doing ads, catalogs, copywriting, and large format photography. Flash forward 25 years, she was fully immersed in our glittering industry, and had a childhood fascination for gemstones. She found a second home at Suna Bros. doing the same thing: all things creative and sparkling. HEIDI COOK Heidi's first career spanned 10-years as a tennis teaching professional, finding the transition from beautiful tennis venues to beautiful jewelry stores was fairly simple, as she found the clientele to be one in the same. She brings 20 years of industry experience in both time pieces and jewelry to the table. She has an extensive background in business development, account management, merchandising and sales training KYLIE A DA NALIA N SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR What appeals to Kylie when it comes to jewelry is simply… everything. When she's not leading the marketing of specialty foods and coffees, she is teaming up with her aunt Kara, snapping photos that highlight her love of distinctive jewelry for social media. A rising star in the industry, Kylie secretly dreams of designing her own jewelry line. GAIL MELIKIA N SENIOR WRITER & EDITOR Finding the perfect words to market luxury goods is second nature to Gail. As an LA-based creative executive, her career has spanned the floral and beauty industries, giving her a unique insight that blends knowledge with emotion. As TJB's newest writer/ marketing pro, she's thrilled to work for a publication that defines beauty on every page. CONTRIBUTORS & STAFF PETER SMITH Peter Smith teaches Sales Training Masterclasses and Hiring Workshops in retail stores, and consults jewelry suppliers, brands, and retailers. He is the author of three books (Hiring Squirrels, Sell Something, and The Sales Minute) and a columnist for The Jewelry Book and National Jeweler. He has more than 40-years in leadership positions in the industry including companies such as Memoire, Hearts On Fire, VIBHOR, and Tiffany & Co.

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