Philips Unveils Swarovski-Designed Fashion CE Accessories

By John Laposky -- TWICE, 6/13/2007

New York — Philips yesterday offered its first look at a line of high-end fashion CE accessories designed with Swarovski, the Austrian crystal company, for women.

The Active Crystals line offers stainless steel ear buds, ear-hook style headphones and a pendant–style set of ear buds designed to be worn around the neck, all encrusted with Swarovski crystals. The rest of the line features four 1GB USB drives concealed in wearable lock- and heart-shaped crystal-encrusted cases.

The accessories are aimed at the gift market and are firmly at the high end of the margin spectrum, with suggested retails expected to range from $79 to $179.

The headphones line consists of two crystal-encrusted ear bud designs, the $79 Icon and the $99 Space; the over-the-ear hook-style headphones called Mirage, at $129; and the $149 Amazone crystal ear buds, worn around the neck on a stylized stainless steel pendant.

Swarovski crystals embellish the Heart Beat 1GB USB drive and Mirage portable headphones, part of Philips’ Active Crystal line.

The USB drives — all 1GB, $179 and embellished with Swarovski crystals — come in two lock-shaped designs, Lock In and Lock Out, that swivel to attach to a bag, belt loop or chain, and two heart-shaped wearable pendants, Heart Ware and Heart Beat.

The line will be carried in department stores, CE specialty chains and Swarovski stores beginning in August.