boutique trunk shows – Jewelry Fashion Tips

Stacy King of Lulu Designs

I always love to check out the latest in style (I’m sure you’re shocked to hear!) at one of my favorite boutiques, Crimson Mim. (now with locations in Los Altos and Palo Alto, CA) It’s a double bonus when my visit coincides with a jewelry trunk show! I was very pleased to meet Bay Area local Stacy King, the designer of Lulu Designs.

Stacy, in her thirteenth year of business (and come to find out next door neighbors with one of my clients!), studied art history and ceramics. Eventually she evolved into jewelry making as a hobby, which then became a bonafide business. Her inspiration for the lovely line comes from nature, architecture and textiles. She has a talented group of trained metal smiths here in the Bay Area that cast her jewelry in silver, and then use 24K vermeil.

One of the things I like best about her pieces are her unique materials, which include ancient Thai silver trade beads, hand-cut deer leather and Baroque pearls. Many of her necklaces have a delicate quality that are just itching to be layered within her line or with other necklaces you may already have.

Lulu0711_141 — Can you picture layering these?

There are numerous stores who carry this versatile line, so I’m sure you can find a retailer near you. Enjoy!

Meredith Marks: Designer

I’m like a kid in a candy store when I attend jewelry trunk shows. When I have the opportunity to see a designer’s line that I never have seen before AND it’s tremendous, it’s like Christmas morning. That’s exactly how I felt last week when I went to see the Meredith Marks show at Angela in Menlo Park. WOW!

Meeting designer Meredith Marcks — Meeting designer Meredith Marks

The first thing that struck me about her line was it’s diversity. Some pieces had a more exotic flair, while others were polished to the nines. I also appreciate how she uses gold (in various colors), silver, and both precious and semi-precious stones, which gives her collection a wide range in price points. It is accessible jewelry to be loved and worn.

Another wonderful feature is the multi-functionality of many of her pieces. For example, she showed me a pair of larger earrings (the elongated pointed ovals on the left side of the picture below) where the dangling part comes off and can be used as a pendant on a necklace. Another necklace she showed me is the perfect length to be used as a wrap bracelet as well. With jewelry that can be used in a variety of ways, it really makes your jewelry dollar go farther.

meredith marks jewelry — A selection of Meredith Marks jewelry

Meredith started her line a couple years ago, and her passion for it is palpable as she talks with you and shows you various pieces. You can’t currently find her jewelry in any US department stores–just specialty boutiques. In my mind, this makes her line all the more coveted, as it’s truly unique. If you’re interested in seeing her jewelry, you can contact her to find where it’s sold near you.

Trunk Shows

I think jewelry trunk shows are one of the most under-utilized events for jewelry lovers. When a jewelry line is brought to a department store or boutique, by either the designer themselves or a rep, that is considered a trunk show. Usually a store only shows a small portion of a designer’s line, so when a trunk show is scheduled, they bring all sorts of beautiful baubles that you normally wouldn’t get the opportunity to see or try on.

Whenever I attend one of these shows, I feel like I’m playing in the big jewelry box of the designer. You can try on whatever your heart desires with no obligation to buy. It’s also educational to try jewelry on with the expert from the company there, as they can often tell you things such as the inspiration for the piece, show you other ways to combine their jewelry, etc.

Shows are normally scheduled for a few hours, and typically no appointments are needed. I’ve noticed that on occasion, in the smaller boutiques, a discount is offered on the pieces during a trunk show. If this sounds like something up your alley, be sure to get on the mailing lists of your favorite local stores so you won’t miss out on any jewelry opportunities!