THERE WAS A TIME when the name Swarovski was associated with small crystal figurines collected by elderly aunts and always marginally on the wrong side of cheesy. Today, Swarovski is associated with all that is glittering, expensive and glamorous.
Spotted frequently on the rich and famous at the Oscars and the Cannes Film Festival opening parties, the name that conjured up images of crystal teddy bears has taken centre stage with the likes of Dolce & Gabbana. And all in a matter of a year.
Take the crystal mesh cuff, laced with leather, under the label's couture line Daniel Swarovski Paris. About 1,000 of these were sold in Hong Kong alone for $950 a pop. And growing awareness of this line has done for the company what the Baguette bag did for Fendi.
The biggest and most enduring craze of the past couple of years - the body tattoo - is also a Swarovski product, and has been seen on supermodels, the Spice Girls and Britney Spears.
Swarovski is finally in the limelight - more than a century after it first opened for business. And the huge demand for certain pieces in Hong Kong's stores has even taken Allison Pyrah, general manager of the brand's consumer goods division, by surprise.
'Someone recently asked me: 'Did you ever think you'd be working for such a trendy brand?' ' Pyrah quips. In fact, the top five Swarovski stores with the highest turnover in the world are all in Hong Kong - the top seller being the Fashion Island outlet in Causeway Bay.