Fashion runways are an interesting phenomenon, and I’ve been privileged to be “in the tents” in NYC for the shows. For the fall 2014 shows, various designers had models sauntering down the runway in one earring, from Louis Vuitton to Celine.
Louis Vuitton
Celine
And now that the pre-fall issues of all the fashion mags are hitting the stands (I know, while you are just breaking out your bikini and hitting the beach), it seems that the editorial staff is really promoting this look. While reading the July issue of Vogue, here are some of the images that were in their spread. (Definitely admire the quality of these photos that I took of the magazine pages–ha ha!)
So here’s the thing…just because we see something on the runway and in a fashion mag, does it mean that it’ll translate to the general public? And if so, will it be in such a dramatic fashion, or will the interpretation be more of a watered-down version, with a minimal earring worn on its own? I’d love to hear your opinions on the matter. Would you wear it? Do you see it as a viable trend this fall? And if so, will it be just a flash-in-the-pan? Spill.
Did you receive your August J.Crew catalogue in the mail today? I did, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they’ve launched a fine jewelry collection! While I’ve been a long-time fan of their costume statement pieces, I think they’re very fashion-savvy to bring some fine jewelry into the mix. I mean let’s face it — that’s how most people dress, right? Mixing up the high and low?
I think they’ve done an excellent job curating a nice selection of 14K gold and precious gem jewelry which includes some of their own designs, as well as capsule collections by some pretty big names in the world of jewelry. Their own designs are very clean and classic, such as this rectangular signet ring and gold hinged bangle. Most of the items are perfect for engraving as well.
I think the ring I’d find most useful as an addition to my own collection is this slim gold and black diamond band by Gabriela Artigas. Can you believe that I don’t own any black diamonds at all? (yet!)
Catbird, one of the Brooklyn-based jewelry stores on my bucket list to visit, has some great items available. I think these “ballerina” earrings would be a cool look to wear in lieu of studs or small hoops.
From the look of things, it appears these baubles are only available online, but I can envision that changing if it becomes really popular. I wouldn’t be surprised, as just while writing this article, the signet ring sold out in sizes 6 & 7! Please let me know if you decide to made an addition to your jewelry box — would love to see what you choose!
Right now my mind is drifting to the beach (as it often does), and I’m picturing Jane Bohan out in the waves on Fire Island. I think this talented designer loves the beach as much as I do, and she often finds her inspiration there. In fact, a surfboard was the thought in the back of her mind when she designed this turquoise necklace!
These necklaces are part of her Barcelona collection, with inspiration coming from the famous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi. Here’s an example of his architectural style.
Jane has done a fabulous job interpreting the line and design of his work into her jewelry.
I tried on one of her bracelets from this collection, which features three stations with green quartz and mixed metals.
Jane started her hand-fabricated line back in 1983, when she was working with mostly brass and sterling. She has now transitioned to gold and precious stones. She thrives on creativity, and ideas come to her when she’s out and about in her daily life. Clearly her time by the sea was inspiration for her opalescent waters collection. The depth of the labradorite in this ring summons a feeling of diving down into the sea.
Pearls are most definitely one of Jane’s signatures. While speaking with her at the Couture show, I was admiring this new bracelet, made of south sea pearls, and oxidized silver fishbone chain with 18K gold accents. Delicious!!
Jane described her line as, “…sensual, sophisticated, and feminine,” and I couldn’t agree more. There were so many soft blush-colored tones in her pieces, which would flatter a wide variety of skin tones. You’ll notice the texture on these rose gold and diamond earrings. Texture, is in fact, extremely important to her.
The junipers in her back yard were the impetus for the texture on these rings I tried on.
It was an absolute pleasure meeting Jane and trying on all her goodies! Her line is sold at various high-end retailers around the country, so you can go try on for yourself. (Click here for a complete list of stores.)
I knew that title would get your attention! So the other day I found myself with a little time to kill between appointments in Union Square. So what’s a jewelry blogger to do with this time? Well… I decided to visit Neiman’s and take myself on a virtual shopping spree, where I could pick out the top five pieces I’d like to own, and with an open-ended budget — the sky is the limit! (It’s a great fantasy, right?!) I was so happy that Lea Kushnir, my go-to sales associate, had some time open as well, and she loved my idea! So off we went, and here’s what I picked out. (in no particular order of preference, by the way)
Chocolate and black diamond ring by Bessa, $13,750
Diamond and sapphire earrings by Loree Rodkin, $12,900
Now, if I only had the $42,750 (plus tax) to make it a reality…well, a girl can dream, can’t she?! Thanks so much, Lea, for going along with my fantasy! xo
I was at the jewelry counter at Neiman’s the other day working on a story, and up walked this lovely woman, clearly on a mission. And given that she was holding a necklace, I knew it was one of my favorite types of missions — finding earrings to coordinate with her necklace. Lucky for me, she was open for my assistance in process. Here’s the necklace she brought, with beautiful beads accented by a large polki diamond bead.
I inquired about the necklace’s designer, and she explained that friends of her daughter, Lauren, had made the necklace. Once I explained that I was an image consultant and jewelry blogger, she quickly picked up the phone to ask Lauren the designer’s name. NO surprise to me, it was made by The Woods, who I l-o-v-e, and who I interviewed a while back. (Click here to read that story.)
Vicki, the woman-on-a-mission, was going to wear this with a natural linen-colored outfit to an event up in Napa.
“So I think that a simple diamond hoop would be great with this, don’t you think?”
“I’ve got those, and they just don’t work…”
“Are they too refined for the style of the necklace?”
“That’s exactly right! Too refined!”
She was going for a coordinating, yet not overly-polished look for the earrings. Some oxidized silver with diamonds hit the perfect note, and we certainly knew the right designer’s case to find them in, that of Irit Design, another over my total faves! (Click here to read my interview with her.) And there they were, just waiting to be tried on.
The mix was perfect. The earrings were a compliment to the necklace, but they didn’t overpower it, so the focus is still on the necklace. Since the hoops were a modified shape, they really add some interest, and it’s not a shape she currently had in her jewelry box. In addition, these will be a great choice for her everyday options, as they’re great on their own when just running around the city. This gives them great cost-per-wear. If they were some big, fancy earring that could only be worn for special occasions, they wouldn’t have been nearly as cost-effective.
So not only did this encounter involve two of my most loved jewelry lines, but it was great to meet Vicki, and I have a feeling that I may be lunching with her and her daughter sometime soon! Hope that she had a great time at her event!
It’s amazing to me how some people have a gift of knowing something is hot, even before the rest of the world is in on the secret. This is one of the many talents that jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche possesses. Back in 2009, Jacquie made her first finger bracelet, with a singular diamond. 5 years later, this is a full-fledged trend here in the US, and Jacquie was most definitely ahead of the curve. She now has multiple versions, such as this one with 13 diamonds.
This bohemian goddess is the mother of two, and began designing on the side about 15 years ago. She knew she was on to something when business just flowed in, and pretty soon her entire garage turned into her jewelry studio.
She was showing some stunning knuckle rings which span a few fingers. I tried on a labradorite one — amaze-balls!
Here’s a display from her case at the Couture show, which has one in shades of green.
It’s really hard to describe the instant bond I felt with Jacquie, but it was as if I’d known her for ages. She is one of those people who glows with happiness from the inside, and I truly believe she sees the beauty in everything, from each and every stone she hand-selects for her pieces to the flowers in her garden. Life just makes her happy!
Body chains are another of Jacquie’s specialties, and she described them to me as, “..modern day lingerie. They can be worn under your bra, just for you, your boyfriend, husband, whatever..”
No longer a solo operation in her garage, Jacquie is now so grateful to have 12 people on her team, and each piece is still made right in Los Angeles. One of the items she spent quite a bit of time introducing me to are her Blesslev amulets. When she met with a spiritual mystic 5 years ago, they were inspired by the concept, “When you concentrate on the core of who you are, and the true blessings you’ve been given, finding your inner joy and peace comes easy.” So these special amulets house a gratitude list and a Kabbalistic mantra in a beautiful shagreen pouch.
While also famous for her ear jackets, where part of the earring is suspended below your earlobe, she’s also now focusing on adorning the feet. If you want to see more, you can find some of her line, many items at lower price points, on Shopbop, in addition to the retail portion of her website.
Basically, when I left Jacquie’s booth, I felt like I had just taken a trip to a bejeweled, inner realm of happiness and optimism. While I don’t necessarily look like the woman in the photo below, it’s how I felt in my heart. Many thanks for the time you spent with me, Jacquie.
Sometimes the universe is just brilliant — how you can cross paths with someone at just the right time, without any planning or forethought. That’s just what happened yesterday. I was checking out the latest and greatest at Gallery of Jewels in Union Square (I know…shocker!) and once again eyeing this particular ring by Sakura Haru. I’ve tried it on more than once, and I love everything about it, from the mixed metals, to the weight and comfortable fit on my finger, to the sparkle of the diamonds.
Well wouldn’t you know it, but in walked Sakura to the boutique!
Though I clearly must have been keeping her from the mission that brought her into the store in the first place, she had a sense of ease and happiness as she let me barrage her with questions about her and her line. It turns out that she’s from Japan’s southernmost island, Okinawa, where the climate resembles Miami. (Who knew?!) And for Sakura, her line is inspired by this tropical island and “fun in the sun.”
I tried on a couple more pair of earrings…
The texture in this last pair of earrings is SO unique — part of her Paleo collection. That’s when I found out why she was actually there (drum roll…) to bring in her new body chain from this collection. How fun! You can wear it over a dress, under a tank, with just a hint showing… just use your imagination!
Designing the line for 8 years now, this San Francisco-based designer makes each and every piece herself. Her work is ethically made with recycled metals, conflict-free stones, and low-waste studio practices. She was fortunate to have an amazing art teacher in high school back in Japan who introduced her to jewelry making. Clearly, she was an effective and inspirational teacher, as Sakura’s line is just beautiful. As she says, her jewelry “appeals to women who embrace beauty in natural forms.”
Here’s a shot from her website, to give you more of a feel for her work. Definitely go check it out in person if this gets your jewelry heart pumping!
I’m just thrilled to have Brenda Kinsel, one of the top image consultants in the country, as a guest blogger today! Brenda is the best-selling author of many books (You’ve got to check them out.), has been on national radio and TV shows (she rocked it on the Oprah Winfrey show!), and has been featured in countless magazines. During a recent interview on the nationally syndicated Richard Stevens Show (where she appears weekly), callers wanted to know how to look stylish once the weather starts warming up. Of course, Brenda has great solutions, ALL of which involve jewelry. Read on to enjoy her expert answers.
1. “I miss how my wintery jackets, blazers or cardigans always made me feel put together. Now when I’m just wearing a blouse and a pant or a tee shirt and a skirt, I feel underdressed. What should I do?”
One thing I’m wearing a lot of this summer are leggings or skinny rolled up jeans with tunics, which are just two pieces as well. To add a finishing touch, I’m adding long necklaces. Long necklaces or layered chains add so much interest to the top part of your body. And don’t forget about hats! Wearing a hat that works with your outfit can go a long way toward having a put together look. Hats are great for protecting your face and they’re great for your outfit too!
A simple, long pendant adds interest to a summer top
Wearing my heart pendant and my hat and dining outside at Cornerstone in Sonoma
2. “Necklaces can be hot in the summer. Are there alternatives?”
When it’s super hot out I want everything to be lightweight. A bulky, heavy necklace that felt great over a long cashmere tunic in the winter feels too heavy right now. I’m all for lightweight necklaces in the summer. Leather cords with something interesting coming off of them is a way to adorn while still being very lightweight. So are certain chains. The large-scaled link necklace in medium gray mesh in the picture collage (below left) is actually super lightweight. Heat shouldn’t make you shy away from adding a necklace to your outfit!
All these necklaces are lightweight
3. “I used to wear scarves around my neck all winter and that always added interest to my outfits while keeping my neck warm too. Function and fashion- I liked it! Now I don’t want anything around my neck! What options do I have?”
In the middle of a Sonoma heat wave, I find collars on summer dresses or tops to be just too hot. I try to wear clothes with no collars so my neck doesn’t contact fabric at all. And of course, scarves around the neck will feel warm most days too although a linen scarf can be a good option. However, if you want a no-scarf zone, you can still adorn the space between your ear and your shoulder line. Bigger earrings are a great choice. I have an earring I wear more in the summer than the winter because it’s larger and needs to be able to float without running into a scarf or a high collar. You can easily wear a long chandelier type earring and pair it with a crew neck linen top or sweater. The earrings make a great focal point, as it’s so close to your face.
My moonstone earrings love to be worn in the summertime!
4. “Lots of people are wearing cute sleeveless dresses but that’s not going to be me. I’m more comfortable wearing a summer print in a top with a ¾ length sleeve. What can make my outfit look more interesting?”
If you’re wearing shorter sleeves in the summer, it’s a great time to pile on the bangles. While one petite bracelet may look too dainty with all that open space, a cluster of metallic thin bangles mixed with pearl bracelets could be fabulous. Or wear one or two bulkier bangles. Especially good for summer are ones in lighter or brighter colors, or in lighter colored-metals or try some in Lucite. It’s such a simple way to add some interest to your outfit. In fact, your bangles could be a whole conversation starter. Have fun picking some out!
Bangles are a great summer adornment!
5. I have a hard time mixing jewelry together-like my earrings and bracelets and necklaces. I’m never quite sure what I should put with what or if I’m doing it right. Can you help?”
Be sure your jewelry speaks the same language. If you’re doing earrings, bangles and a necklace, they need to relate to one another some way. Once you’ve created a group that works well together you have what I call a Beauty Bundle. That Beauty Bundle can be worn repeatedly whether it’s with casual outfits or dressier ones.
Here’s an example. I recently purchased this taupe-gray distressed leather cuff with a decorative studded pattern in gold by Calleen Cordero. I decided to make the color gold the common thread for tying it together with earrings and a necklace. Because I plan to wear this cuff in the summertime, I went for a crystal earring with gold edges and I found a multi-strand necklace with fine gold beads at another store. I’ve worn that bundle multiple times already.
Some things that can relate together are items with a similar color or texture or mood (like romantic, modern, or urban).
These accessories all have the color gold in them. It’s what makes them hang together and be a Beauty Bundle.
6. “In the wintertime I tend to wear just classic pearls or small silver hoops and darker colored clothes. In the summertime I like to wear white or more vibrant colors. My classic accessories look so wimpy with white or bright colors. I don’t want to look boring. What can I do?”
Save the classic jewelry pieces for the wintertime when your outfit has a lot more going on. This is the perfect time to team turquoise with coral, or turquoise with lapis. And if you have some vintage pieces, they are often more colorful. Don’t be afraid to bring on the bling and make yourself more colorful! You can tame down again when the temperatures head to the 30s and the skies get gray.
7. “In the summertime I like to wear simple sheath dresses. How do I keep them from looking boring?”
A simple, sheath summer dress can be transformed with a necklace that follows the line of the neck and creates the look of a collar. A statement necklace is like that: It makes a statement and is a great choice when your dress is more reserved. It can be done, but it takes a certain personality to be able to wear a statement necklace and a wildly colorful print dress without having them fight each other for attention. With a simpler dress and a more dynamic necklace, we all will know where the focal point is–right on your beautiful face!
Bring some bling to your sheath dress!
I hope these tips are helpful to you as you put your summer wardrobe together with ease and style! You can look great at any age when you focus on style.
Well clearly not everyone in the world read my article about 7 Jewelry Don’ts a couple months back. And not only that, but I guess I need to add a qualifier to “don’t #2,” about matchy-matchy jewelry. So here goes…not only is wearing totally matchy-matchy jewelry a “don’t,” but so is wearing jewelry that identically matches your outfit! Red striped t-shirt + red striped earrings = not so fashionable.
Now let me preface this by saying I have no problem whatsoever with the striped t-shirt or the striped earrings that this woman was wearing. What I do find boring, and quite frankly lacking originality, is wearing them together. How much more fun would it have been to wear the striped earrings with a polka-dot or floral shirt? The fact that she owns these items, and paints her nails blue shows me that she must be a fun, vibrant person. If she took the time to mix it up a little more, the result would have been much better.
What’s your opinion? Do you agree with the Jewelry Judge on this one? Don’t worry if your opinion differs from mine — I’d love to hear from you regardless!
One of the things I like best about the Couture show is that it’s like traveling the globe, right in Vegas. One minute you’re in Italy, and the next moment you find yourself in Germany. This post finds me in Brazil, at the booth of Carla Amorim. And first up, I had to try on this stunning “Brasilia” ring from her Black Label collection. (Brasilia is where the designer lives with her husband and two children.) The modern, sculptural design and the plethora of diamonds definitely creates a substantial look on my finger!
Twenty-two years ago, Carla designed and made her first ring, which had a textured gold pattern. She continues the theme to this day, as shown in this “chapel” ring in rose gold.
I learned that Carla has three main inspirations in her design. The first is her country of Brazil, including its culture, nature and lifestyle. The next is Brazilian architecture, most importantly the designs of Oscar Niemeyer. The third is the Catholic religion. It turns out that 96% of the country is Catholic (who knew?!) and she goes for a “liturgy chic” look — love that! Since I am not Catholic, and I’ve never had a rosary, I really enjoyed seeing her modern and not “in your face” religious interpretation of them. In particular, I thought her rosary ring was genius! It spins on your finger, with each gem representing a rosary bead, so you can say all your Hail Marys in a very subtle, yet sparkly way.
She also has these very cool layered necklaces that represent Jesus and Mary. Each year she adds pieces to her Sacred Collection. She really has a brilliant way of letting people express their religion in an on-trend way that isn’t ostentatious. I admire that.
But of course, there were two pair of earrings that were most definitely show-stoppers, in my opinion. Just the detail of the diamond-embellished onyx earrings is fabulous. And the fact that her pieces are produced in her country is an added bonus.
I was certainly not surprised to find out that Carla has 7 stores in Brazil, as well as having a major international presence. I’m so happy that I got to take this little jaunt to Brazil!
Louis Vuitton
