A trend to remember |
| By: Jen Smordin-Goldman |
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Every once in a while some great accessory designers pop up on the fashion scene, today we share with you our favorite four pics of the season! |
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Let’s talk designers and lets talk accessories, I love them-both!!!!! I can’t get enough. A good accessory designer is hard to find and a GREAT accessory is even harder if you ask me. I am that women that wears the same jeans for 10 years but has a new purse or funky new set of bangles and rings for every season. Every once in a while I go on a mission to find those few special accessory designers who have the vision only few artists do and to my luck this time, I have found FOUR supreme designers that I must share with you. Ok so they are not new new, truthfully some are quite well known in their own right but they are new to me and they definitely have a fashion forward vision to be admired.
Jewelry by Alex and Ani is first on my list of fabulous finds. I have had my eye on this line for quite some time. The pieces are GORGEOUS and so unique that no matter what your taste in jewelry, you WILL find a piece that screams your name. Major celebs from Oprah to Miley Cyrus have been seen dawning this beautiful eco friendly jewelry and the word on the street is “keep an eye out”, The Alex and Ani line have just begun. Made solely in the United States from eco-friendly recycled metals, Alex and Ani's pieces use Russian Silver and Russian gold plated finish for the final touch with of course many added embellishments being entirely dependent on the specific piece you choose. A few favorites of mine are their Joie De Vivre Expandable Wire Bangles, Peace Expandable Wire Bangle, Moonlit Mile Feather Necklace with Horn.WOW.
Next up is Hand bag designer Claire Gaultier. Being a Paris born Londoner glam is in her blood so it was not surprise to me when I discovered she has some great “out of the box” ideas and creations for handbags. Claire has made her namesake quite popular with a collection of tennis handbags, known as “Wimblebags”. Quite simply, they are in her won words, ‘sporty lady” purses made from new tennis racquets and nets; an added embellishment is a flashy tennis ball clutch fastener. Gaultier has also created an additional handbag line called “Urban lady”. These bags are more chic than “Wimblebag” sporty although just as eye catching and again a great quality bag. Let’s just say, you can’t wear this handbag and not get noticed! Her innovative mind is really at work with this particular bag creating an everyday funky look using another inanimate object, this time a gorgeous thick high heel incorporated into the handbag. From the back of the purse you will do a double take, is it a high heel or is that a purse?!? Whether you go the “Wimblebag” way OR the “Urban Lady” bag route you will stand out, look chic in your own right and who knows maybe even have a tennis ball thrown your way!
Third in the lineup (in no particular order) is another great artist who is a South African born jewelry designer that lives and works in London and Johannesburg, Duncan Stevens. His creations are so regal and no I am not just saying that because his work is favored by the Princess Lephoi Mokgatle, HRH Tamara Borbon-Chartoriski AND cousin to the King Juan Carlos I of Spain, I am saying it because Duncan clearly has tapped into an Elite market of design that many other artists aspire to be.
His work is too strong to take a quick glance at and merely pass by; his creations need to be examined like fine pieces of artwork, don’t let the word “Elite” scare you though; a lot of his pieces are very affordable and still carry the same quality as his most expensive works. At Arise Africa-09 fashion week, Stevens launched a bespoke capsule range of jewelry, closely preceded by his first fine jewelry range called Opulence. One of the best qualities that his line carries are limited editions and one offs creating the feeling that the piece you are wearing is special to you and the chances of catching another person sporting YOUR gorgeous ring is next to impossible. When it comes to Duncan Stevens creations, fine craftsmanship and his eye catching unique designs make this line affordable yet elite.
Last and certainly not least is handbag designer Annie Diamantidis, with her luxurious line “Annie Handbags”. Expressing a classy functional style, Annie uses fine quality artisanship and skins such as Ostrich, Python, Crocodile and Calfskin to create her super chic day to night handbags. Living and visiting Greece through the years, Annie herself takes inspiration from her own time spent there to find her inspirations that brings her designs to life. Appropriately Diamantidis has used inspiration from Greek goddesses naming her bags after mythical beauties such as Athena, Clio, Selene and Eris to tap into her inner goddess creating pieces that are beautiful, classy and useable both at work and play.
Annie’s Handbags are lined in suede and accented with a pretty circular embellishment made from white or yellow 14 karat gold for that extra Mediterranean touch. Some personal favorites include the Selene small black tote (actually I LOVE this one) her Athena brown Crocodile clutch and another beauty is the Eris Shoulder bag that turns into a clutch with a simple tuck of the handle…like I was saying, day to night, work or play. When it comes to her creations, Annie’s got it in the bag!
I hope you enjoyed reading about theses geniuses as much as I did sharing them. Give these guys a whirl and check out their creations, you will not be disappointed- promise! |
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