Local manager takes trip to Asia

Imagine a piece of jewelry so intricately and carefully made that a company would take its retail employees halfway around the world just so they could watch skilled artisans assemble it.

The company is Brighton Collectibles, and it recently sent nearly 100 of its store managers all the way to Asia so they could see firsthand the intricate process required for the production of Brighton's one-of-a-kind handbags, jewelry, sunglasses, timepieces and small leather accessories.

Tracey Bowen, store managing partner of Brighton Collectibles at The Lakes in Thousand Oaks, was among the employees who went on the weeklong trip to Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan, where they followed the manufacturing process from the designer's pencil sketch all the way to completion.

The trip was aimed at raising employees' awareness about the artisanship that goes into making Brighton products.