That Gold Feeling

All this jewellery comes from Net-a-Porter and normally I would put up the prices, but realistically I’m just looking at these pieces and wishing I could own them, rather than having the income to afford them, so I am just taking note for now and hopefully will be able to buy some kind of copy on the high street.

These earrings come from Yves Saint Laurent. I don’t think they look super expensive but I love all the changes in texture: the ball at the top on the ear being different from the ones below, the smoothness of the slice of agate, the greyness of the gem stone with the gleam from the nugget of gold. I like the idea of a grey t-shirt with these and messy Carine Roitfeld make up and hair to give them an edge and take away from the slightly too bright gold.

This necklace is Aurelie Bidermann and although it is ‘spikey’ it has a really elegant look. I love the blue against the gold and although it is quite tight on the throat, whereas I normally like a slightly looser chain, the length of the prongs makes it seem less constricted. It has a cool flora feel of tropical leaves or cacti thorns.

These earrings are Lulu Frost and I love how Art Deco they are. The splash of turquoise looks so fresh and eye catching and  the different sizes and shapes of the diamonds make them interesting.

This perfect necklace is by Herve Van Der Straeten. It’s got great length and multi strands which is always a massive draw to my magpie eyes and I love how it looks like ivy and weeping willow and seed pods.

Another Lulu Frost earrings pick. I like the mix of cold diamonds and warm gold. The knotting and interlinking adds a rugged quality to offset the wreaths of sparkle.

This necklace is a Miu Miu special. It looks very much like fun costume jewellery especially with the Egyptian/Roman brooch. The mix of red and black make it seem both tribal and urban. This is definitely a hair up necklace as there is nothing worse than hair getting caught in the claws of individual stones.

These pair of earrings are another from Yves Saint Laurent. I like how these evoke animal markings, footprints in mud and children’s party biscuits. The flat texture versus the ragged edge makes these very pleasing on the eye but hopefully not to heavy on the ear,

This necklace is also Herve Van Der Straeten. I love how this frames the neckline and the way the curves and planes reflect the light differently.  It manages to be dramatic and yet not too intimidating.

These earrings from Bounkit are such a great mix of earthy stone and delicate gold work. They are clip ons which is a non starter for me as they give me a major headache but they’d be worth putting up with quite a bit of pain.  You see glamorous women in old Hollywood films pulling off their clip earrings without even a wince – how do they do that?!

Another piece from Lulu Frost but this time a necklace. Neon is all over the high street now and I think the best way to work this trend is to wear it as an accessory. I like the sharp colours and the plastic mixed with stones and metal.

And Aurelie Bidermann makes a final appearance with these earrings.  They are a bit Dynasty but I love that. Day outfits rarely need anything more than a great pair of earrings to turn them from a boring look to something great. I love how these could be golden bricks and at the same time slivers of bark.

#

Art Nailed

I have been obssessed with nail varnish for longer than I can remember, mainly born of not being allowed to wear it in school. I used to try and sneak nude colours, palest pinks and glitter past my teachers but when caught was sent straight to the nurse who had nail varnish remover in her first aid kit beside the usual paracetomol, bandages etc. I have done holly for Christmas, flags for England (before it became cool) and home made stencils. I then reverted back to plain colours as I found the art work just took me too long and my right hand was never up to the standard of my left. But nail art is back, made prominent by the Olympians, Wah nails and NailsInc magnets to name just a few. I just love all these nails below and I’ve definitely been re- inspired to get back into nail design; I think the fade is my favourite but maybe only on the left hand!

Source: Pinterest

To Brighten Monday Morning

If you’ve been anywhere near a radio recently you will have heard Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe, so the generous people of Abercombie & Fitch have decided to get some of their buff boys from cities around the world to serenade us with their own special version. My own  London shop on Savile Row is included (although I’ve never been in it) and I’m not sure the gentlemen’s tailors there will have seen anything quite like it before! I love how some of the boys are so into it. Obviously if you’re in the office listen to it on mute but I don’t think that really takes away from the enjoyment of the video……

Source:TelegraphFashion

Ear Envy

I’m always on the look out for new earrings, they are without a doubt the accessory I buy most, even if it’s just another pair of simple hoops. But mainly it’s all about statement earrings, ones that are conversation starters, that induce envy, and several which will probably require surgery on my ears later in life. Obviously on a stylist’s salary I don’t buy the kinds of earrings shown here but with the speed the high street reproduces runway looks it’s always nice to get an idea of what to look out for!

These geometric darlings are from Oscar de la Renta. They are undoubtedly statement earrings but because of the space between each square they are much more subtle. I think they’d look great in the summer with hair in a loose ponytail, black t-shirt and the floral/jungle/sea-themed skirts that will be everywhere this summer.

Other earrings from this Dolce & Gabbana collection include bow pasta shapes and red onions so this is the safest version for me. I love the mix of dark blue, gold and pale pink and although it is a bit costume jewellery, I think with a great casual shirt dress these could be worn for day.

These earrings are from Sophia Kokosalaki. A gold theme is emerging here but I do wear a lot of gold at the moment so I guess that’s why I’m attracted to them. I love how casually feminine these are; yes, it’s a flower, and a wilting one, but the angular twist in the hoop contrasts well with a wistful brush stroke quality, and even though they are quite long they have a lightness to them. I’m not sure they look like their £500 plus price tag though.

This is the second pair from Oscar de la Renta and these seem really vintage to me, like architectural Art Deco details. The beaten gold is beautifully muted and the mix of blue and almost grey stones really work for me and would be a flash of colour in loose hair. These earrings against a khaki look would be amazing.

And finally another crystal style earring, this time from Bijoux Heart. I love that these look like crabs crawling towards your ear. The black and pale stone mix looks great and I love the idea of these catching the light at sunset on a beach, when you’ve showered and changed for the evening. What a romantic life I live in my head!

Source: net-a-porter

Necklace Dreams

It has been a very busy run up to Christmas for me with a lot of work and some incredibly early call times. But in between my lust for jewellery has found time to look through net-a-porter’s necklace section and come up with some very un recession priced jewellery. These pieces can go on my perpetual Christmas Wish List and hopefully, when I’ve made my millions in the fashion business, I can pick up some of these lovely things.

I love this statement piece from Erickson Beamon, the swarovski crystals are beautifully folded onto the gunmetal chain. I like the irregularity of the three shapes, almost as if they are scrumpled. £785

I always like multi chain necklaces, this one from Lanvin is £765. It is a little bit ghetto and I think you would have to be careful what you wear with it so that it looks theatrical rather than tacky, but I think on a simple t-shirt this does look great.

I love this short Giambattista Valli geometric piece, £550. The mix of gold and mirrored silver looks great, it’s satisfyingly chunky with a setting of big jagged teeth, making it almost  like armour.

As I said before multi-strand necklaces are always something that draw my eye and this one from Oscar de la Renta, for a mere £1,405, is lovely. The bronzey amber stones would go so well with a multitude of colours and I like that it looks like a vintage piece of jewellery, some family heirloom that could be passed down from mother to daughter to mother to daughter….to me.

I have featured this design in the earring form on my ‘Wish List’ before, but this dramatically long pendant reminds me of all those reasons I loved it before. Roberto Cavalli’s crystal piece is sharp and dangerous looking. I love the flash of blue, almost like the irridescence of a beetle’s casing. £550

And finally not only a ridiculously priced piece of jewellery, but also a pretty insane shape as well. Aurélie Bidermann’s 18karat gold collar is quite a statement and potentially a health hazard too, but I love it. It looks powerful and has a hint of S&M to it. It’s crazy, but you know you’d want to go talk to the girl that had it on! As I said, crazy price though. £9,750

Source: net-a-porter

Hold on Tight

I was sent this earlier today and I think it looks so much fun. Having done quite a few Rodelbahns in Austria (I used to live there) I cannot recommend them too highly; this looks pretty fast, specially brake-free. This is going on my To Do wish list, perhaps in some Westwood with Miu Miu shoes. Now that would be some video!

Calling All Jewellery Lovers….

As you will know if you read my blog, I am a massive Mawi fan. They are having one of their sample sales on Friday 25th November, from 9AM -8PM with discounts up to 80% off. It will be taking place at their studios, 2 Nimrod Passage, London, N1 4BU.  I’ll see you there!

These are a few examples of the kind of bargain you can expect. A sunray bangle, original price £405, sale price £150.

Rajah crown bangle, original price £378, sale price £140.

Triple cluster beetle necklace, orginal price £810, sale price £300.

Adorn my Neck

At a time when the gloomy economic mood in the country makes me spend too much time worrying about the state of the NHS, as well as the increase in the number of shark attacks worldwide and the way forward for English rugby and football, one reliable source of solace is  jewellery. The jewellery section of any shop, stall or online website is where you will find me whenever possible. These five pieces are my new wish list favourites:

Erickson Beamon’s 22-karat gold plated necklace (£735) is a statement piece if ever I saw one. I usually go for longer necklaces or chains and this length is a departure for me, although I have worked myself in with a couple of great Mawi collars.  I love the curved bars of rectangular diamonds here and the broken symmetry.

I love how starkly angular these Roberto Cavalli fishbone earrings (£740) are. They have an almost beetle-like quality, spiky and architectural, with the gold being almost like a shell with the legs protruding out. I am also generally loving grey stones at the moment,  it’s my new obsession because it works so well with both gold and silver. I would definitely wear these with a messy pony tail.

I’ve posted a similar Aurelie Bidermann wheatear necklace before (£1,290) because I love the whole idea of the wheat theme.  This one is a more fragile version and keeps with its inherent organic lightness. I love how natural this looks and it has the great quality of being good to wear by day with a white t-shirt and then used at night as a statement peice.

Oscar de la Renta’s £467 gold necklace is perhaps a little flowery but somehow it works. I like the length and the casual way it looks quite Indian or something you’d pick up whilst travelling, so perhaps it’s not quite justified at that price tag, but I think it would add just the right amount of nonchalant drama.

More Roberto Cavalli, these leaf earrings (£400) are in a great dark metal and tailor down to a point, again very flattering on a jaw line and providing just the right combination of feminine and fashion. These don’t look super expensive to me but I like the downward turn of them and think the flash of purply blue would look great with loose hair.

Source: Net-a-Porter.com

With these Shoes I thee Wed

These Alexander McQueen shoes are pretty ‘major’.  As always with most of the desirable things on net-a-porter they sure ain’t cheap at £2,095. One of my best friends is getting married this August and wow, wouldn’t these be some wedding shoes, and I wasn’t thinking primarily of the bride. They are very dramatic and would demand a definite talent for walking in heels. Made of sculpted resin and leather, these ‘sandals’ have the great virtue of being chunky yet highly feminine. A high concept shoe that would quite literally elevate any outfit.

Source: Net-a-Porter.com

SummerSparkle

I’ve been perusing the jewellery on net-a-porter – it’s probably one of my biggest weaknesses and I can’t tell you how tough I had to be on myself at the recent Mawi sample sale –  and here are some of my ‘wishlist’ picks and yes, they are ridiculously expensive and no, I can’t afford them either, but a girl should dream.

Tom Binns Ethno Teknik hand-painted Swarovski crystal earrings, £225. These have great visual impact and I love the vibrant colours and the splayed turquoise stones at the bottom. They would work with all hair because they would shine through if it was long  but also highlight the face if it was short or up.

l

Dannijo Mazati gold-plated Swarovksi crystal necklace, £380. I like how this is sparkly and chunky at the same time and the asymmetry of the links of each side is a great touch.  I love gold jewellery that looks vintage and theatrical and this could almost be a heritage piece from the French empire.  I hate the styling with the stripe t-shirt but anyway….

Mallarino Mercedes 24-karat gold-vermeil chandelier earrings, £175.  These are dramatic without being too flamboyant and I think they would be great to dress up a t-shirt dress as well as more obviously for a smarter occasion. I like the way the gold isn’t too bright and garish and the repeating circle shapes are very pleasing too.

Kenneth Jay Lane Swarovski crystal necklace, £175. I think this is my favourite on the list. I love how art deco it is, the length  is perfect and the splash of peachy-pink against the diamonds is a luxe touch but also summery and fresh. And in this case the styling is complementary to the necklace.

Lanvin Swarovski crystal-embellished leaf earrings, £530. Now I have to say I really don’t think these look like the money required and I think they are on some indefinable borderline between Lanvin and a Topshop best seller but I just love the shape and all that textural detailing with the diamond stem running through the dirty gold leaves.

Source: Net-a-Porter.com