Las Vegas Weekly - THE CONSUMER: Luck Be A Lady

Alex Woo immortalizes Vegas with diamonds and gold By Jennifer Henry Luck is the four-letter word here. Just like Andrew Dice Clay's favorite expletive, it too has its ups and downs. Good luck led a lost Rafael Rivera to an undiscovered oasis on the meadows of the Las Vegas Valley back in 1829. Bad luck exposed the unflattering late-night snapshots of your favorite celebutante's drunken, quickie nuptials and post-party annulment. We're built on that unpredictable foundation and though everyone knows the house always wins in the end, adventure can be found in the thrill of risk and the possibility of reward for your wager. Lately, it seems everyone is trying their luck here. Vegas themes abound in every genre, film and TV have made the most of our colorful setting, the music industry has found its new Sodom and Gomorrah, and even high fashion is hot on Sin City references. Alex Woo, it-girl jeweler for the fashion-forward, placed her bets on Vegasmania with her newest collection of super-sleek and chic charms. Her Vegas collection uses playing-card suits, crafted in her signature style: simple, subtle and enticing. Vegas features clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades in silver, yellow gold, and best of all, white gold with diamonds. According to Woo, she crafts her designs to include "that exciting spark of what's hot" without sacrificing the timeless quality that has brought her brand acclaim. The 30-year-old designer bet her handcrafted charms would embody the spirit of Las Vegas. A native New Yorker and a world traveler, she says of our dazzling city: "I thought that it captured the excitement of Times Square, but was just so much glitzier." Her collection of mini-pendants has already proved promising, catching the eye of trendsetting starlets such as Drew Barrymore, who layers Woo's spade pendant with a "7" in diamonds from her famed Little Numbers collection. Dedicated to promoting personalized accessories, Woo delights in the intimate connection her collectors have with each piece. She cites the "great inspiration" she derives from knowing that she has "touched their lives in some small way" and hopes that "these lucky charms can make someone's life a little better, a little happier, and even a little luckier." Ice Accessories, in Caesars Forum Shops, will be the first to offer Vegas in Las Vegas. As for lucky charms, I'll take mine in diamonds.