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One of the hottest trends for 2015 is wearable technology. Fitness trackers such as the Nike Fuel Band, FitBit, and others can be found on the wrists of countless fitness enthusiasts. While the trackers do an excellent job recording your sleep, number of steps you take, calories burned and other metrics, most are lacking in one area – they are not very fashionable.

Every year Accessories Magazine and The NPD Group issue a Census Report on the accessories segment of the fashion industry. It is no secret how much we love our accessories, especially when they are crystallized or beaded. So, we wanted to share the highlights of the 2014 Census Report and, more importantly, the anticipated trends for 2015. We hope this brief summary will serve to spark your imagination and that you think of new, creative ways to incorporate beads, rhinestones and other Swarovski crystal products into your designs.

HarMan Importing began in 1948 by Julius Mandel (the grandfather of current CEO Alisa Mandel Nogen). Like many of his contemporaries, he left Germany in the 1930s because of the war, and settled in New York with his wife Susie and son Jack. In 1948 he traveled to Germany for personal business – prior to leaving, a friend, who was a clothing manufacturer, asked him to bring back some rhinestones. His reply was, “What’s a rhinestone?”