SICKA THAN AVERAGE

K2O by Karen Ko K2POP Collection — Rock Candy Chic

Remember the days when you twirled wooden rock candy sticks in your hand, running your tongue over the sweet, brightly colored sugar crystals encrusted along the stick’s surface, delighting in every bump and every crevice, which somehow made the experience feel way more adventurous than eating an ordinary lollipop? With its glistening, quartz-like appearance and its bright colors, rock candy was hard to resist — and so is jewelry designer Karen Ko‘s new K2o by Karen Ko K2POP Collection, which features elements that reference these classic confections.

When creating the K2POP Collection, Ko focused on one unifying element: hand-woven orbs made of resin and Swarovski Crystallized Elements, their exterior luminous and slightly translucent for a crystal-like effect but deliberately hilly and scraggy for that unrefined, rock candy-esque quality. Using colors like lime green, sunshine yellow, sky blue, lavender, and pale pink, Ko infused a kid-in-a-candy-store exuberance and a sense of wide-eyed excitement into the collection, making it feel all the more ebullient and fun.

Pictured above, you’ll find images of some of the collection’s offerings.

At top, you can see the K2POP Silver Spike Earrings ($135 at MMixShop.com), which measure 3.25″ in length and feature siver-plated resin spikes dangling beneath the ball charms, which themselves measure 0.75″ in diameter. By incorporating these spikes, Ko plays with the “naughty and nice” trope, taking the cutesy quality of the ball charms and subverting it via the juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory element associated with danger and rebellion.

Other rule-breaking pieces include the K2POP Silver Spike Necklace ($140 at MMixShop.com), pictured fourth from top in sky blue, which features a 36″-long, silver-plated necklace with a 2.75″-long resin spike and a spheric charm measuring 0.75″ in diameter; and the K2oPOP Gold Spike Earrings ($140 at MMixShop.com), shown sixth from top in lime green, which boast the same dimensions as their silver-toned counterpart but feature gold-plated spikes instead of silver ones.

If you like to steer clear of all things naughty, you can keep it nice with spike-free pieces like the K2POP Mini Necklace ($115 at MMixShop.com), pictured second from top in yellow, which features a 0.75″ ball charm made of Swarovski Crystallized Elements angling from a silver-plated 18″ necklace, or opt for the K2o POP Ring ($145at MMixShop.com), shown third from top in pink, a statement-making, Mod-flavored piece with a ball accent measuring 1″ in diameter. And, on the earring front, you can select dainty pieces like the K2POP Mini Earrings ($130 at MMixShop.com), shown fifth from top in lavender, or the K2POP Drop Earrings ($135 at MMixShop.com), pictured last in sky blue.

Like rock candy, these jewelry pieces can send you into a sugary high. Best of all, until May 25th, you can catch some of these baubles for as much as 50% off at Fab.com (use this invite link to become a member: Fab.com/1qhncd).

Rock on!

Posted at 10:22 AM in Fashion, Jewelry | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 17, 2012

Wrap It Up with Indego Africa for JCrew Cloth Wrap Bracelets

You might remember us mentioning Indego Africa in one of our Holiday Gift Guide installments catered to the “Haue Hippies” in your lives. At the time, we raved about Indego Africa’s capsule collection for Nicole Miller, which consisted of totes, fabric-wrapped bracelets, skirts, turbans and shorts, all handcrafted by the network of Rwanda-based female artisans under the Indego Africa umbrella, women who the non-profit organization seeks to empower via the creation of strategic global business partnerships and the creation of new marketplaces through which these up-and coming entrepreneurs can sell their wares. On the heels of its partnership with Nicole Miller, Indego Africa has teamed up with J.Crew for Spring 2012, collaborating on a limited-edition of tribal-flavored wrap bracelets.

The Indego Africa for J. Crew Cloth Wrap Bracelets ($22.50 each at JCrew.com and Shop.IndegoAfrica.org) feature Dutch wax cloth twisted and sewn into wrap-around pieces by the women in the Rwanda-based cooperatives Cocoki and Abasangiye. Each bracelet measures 30″ in length an features 2″ tabs on either end, which can be tied into a haphazard knot or tucked in for a sleeker look. Each bracelet should wrap around the wrist about 3 times for a tribal-meets-Boho-meets-beach-babe look. Ad, of course, you can stack the bracelets up should you wish to make a bolder statement.

The braided cloth wrap bracelets are available in a patterned green, yellow, and blue cloth with black scale-like accents; an abstract purple and indigo pattern with dots and tie-dye elements galore; and a pink, yellow, and navy color scheme with white stripe accents.

Not only will the Indego Africa for J. Crew Cloth Wrap Bracelets add a globe-trotting, multi-ethnic, culturally savvy vibe to your ensemble, but their sale will help to improve the standard of like of the Rwandan women responsible for their creation.

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May 08, 2012

The Mother of Invention — A Stylish Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Legendary French poet, essayist, and playwright Victor Hugo once wrote, “A mother’s arms are made of tenderness, and children sleep soundly in them.”

This Mother’s Day try a little tenderness to celebrate the solace-providing women in your life — those who cradled you as a baby, bathed and fed you, chased away your childhood nightmares, kissed every boo-boo and nursed every cold, made sure you excelled in school, and instilled the values that transformed you into the strong, independent, beautiful entity you are today.

From fragrances and at-home spa kits to jewelry pieces, handbags, shoes, scented candles, tableware, home décor accents, and tech accessories, below you’ll find some gift suggestions to celebrate mothers’ undying love.

Marc Jacobs Python Khaki Tote, $3795. Available at Barneys.com

This roomy tote combines several of the season’s key trends — color blocking, reptile skins, and metallic details — while maintaining a timeless elegance that will transcend any passing aesthetic fads.

Votre Vu Sweep Her Off Her Feet Gift Set, $42. Available at VotreVu.com

It’s almost that time of year when we’ll all have our toes out, basking in the sunshine, far from the shelter of the boots and sneakers to which they were confined during the fall and winter months. Help your mom get her little piggies in prime condition with this indulgent foot care duo from Votre Vu, featuring the Très Magni-feet Exfoliant, a non-abrasive polish containing gentle bamboo particles that remove layers of dead skin cells, revealing smoother, more radiant skin; along with the citrus-scented, verbena oil-infused Très Magni-feet Crème, a moisturizer that features softening shea butter, antimicrobial menthol, and arnica oil, which soothes muscle pain and stimulates blood flow.

Bing Bang Abracadabra Cuff, $85. Available at Shop.BingBangNYC.com

Whether it involves sewing together a costume for a school play, packing lunchbox snacks while typing up a presentation for work, or making a plethora of Christmas gifts appear under the tree even when limited by a shoestring budget, mothers perform magic tricks on a daily basis. Celebrate her rabbit-in-a-hat ways with this adjustable brass Bing Bang cuff, which has a vintage-looking finish and features the word ”Abracadabra” embossed along its length.

Tse & Tse Vase D’Avril, $245. Available at ShopHorne.com

If only chemistry class had been this fun! The Tse & Tse Vase d’Avril features 21 lab-worthy glass tubes connected via a malleable, ring-based chain system that interlocks all the pieces together and allows you to remove any excessive tubes, stack tubes atop one another to adjust their length, and create a bevvy of shapes by moving the independent tubes to your desire. Measuring 29.15″ in length and 5.9″ in height, the Vase d’Avril is made of 21 blown glass tubes and a zinc-coated steel frame that has a slightly rusty finish, adding to its vintage-vase-meets-mad-scientist-station charm.

Lisa Hoffman Fragrance Earrings, $65 each. Available at LisaHoffmanBeauty.com

Forget roller balls, solid perfume rings, and travel-sized perfume oils. Lisa Hoffman has devised a novel way to wear your signature scent— through charming jewelry charms with cut-our designs, each enclosing solid fragrance beads which, in turn, release the aroma you desire throughout the day. The new Lisa Hoffman Fragrance Earrings feature dainty hoops and, dangling from their bottom tips, you’ll find Moroccan-flavored, spherical charms with concentric circle shapes and floral and leaf designs etched atop their surface. The Madagascar Orchid Fragrance Earrings are particularly alluring since the tiny beads you load into each earring emit a symphony of sheer jasmine, ylang dew, mimosa, and pink peony notes.

Case-Mate Tortoiseshell iPhone 4S Case, $40. Available at Case-Mate.com

Tortoiseshell sunglasses, clutch purses, earrings, and hair combs have become inextricably linke to the 1960s, when they formed part of the era’s distinctive fashion fiber. Since last year, the pattern (now recreated using synthetic materials, not by employing the shells of the endangered hawks bill turtle) has experienced a resurgence, again appearing on the runway shows of the mot prestigious designers. This Case-Mate iPhone case, then, will literally place the look of the Swinging Sixties at your fingertips.

Laura Mercier Le Petit Patisserie Trio, $45. Available at Bloomingdales.com

You may have to stamp on “Do Not Eat” labels on the three items in this delectable Laura Mercier set, which includes: a 3 fl. oz. Almond Coconut Milk Body Wash, a 3 fl. oz. Almond Coconut Milk Soufflé Body Cream; and a o.5 fl. oz. Almond Coconut Milk spray fragrance. Featuring a mélange of coconut, almond, milk, vanilla, heliotrope, and musk notes, the products’ scent has the right degree of sweetness, brightening your spirits and making you feel a childlike sense of enthusiasm (like the kind you experienced before biting into an eclair or digging into a cup of coconut helado), while the milky and buttery undertones provide a warm, comforting, all-enveloping sensation.

Lia Sophia Looking Glass Cut Crystals Ring in Matte Silver or Matte Gold, $48 each; and “Beautiful” and “Je T’Aime” Necklaces, $38 each. Visit LiaSophia.com to find a Lia Sophia Advisor in your area.

Scoop up one of the Lia Sophia Looking Glass rings, which feature a clear, mirror-like rectangular stone at their center, framed by clusters of round colored stones on either side, and give it to your mom with a note that reads, “There’s no need to ask this mirror — you’re the most beautiful one of all.” Another way to say it with jewelry: snatch up one of these necklaces, which feature envelope-shaped pendants engraved with feel-good phrases and words like “Je Taime” or “Beautiful.”

Chloé L’Eau de Chloé, $65 for 1.7 oz and $85 for 3.4 oz. Available at Sephora.com, Nordstrom.com, and Macys.com

A younger, brighter take on the classic, rose-anchored Chloé scent, the Chloe L’Eau de Chloe is classified as a floral green chypre. Developed by Michel Almaira, L’Eau de Chloé features citrus top notes, a rose water heart, and patchouli base notes. Airy, fresh, summery, and green, the scent is the olfactory equivalent of a ray of sunshine on a lush meadow.

Rablabs New York Lia Bottle Stoppers, $64 each. Available at RabLabs.com

Break open a bottle of Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, then let your mom seal the bottle with one of these jewel-encrusted bottle stoppers. Assembled in the United States, each bottle stopper features a conical-shaped glass stem and a top surface made with clustered, unrefined, translucent amethyst and crystal stones unearthed in Brazil.

Kara Ross Sidra in Black Wash Mixed Berry Python with Gold Hardware and Black Onyx, $1495. Available at KaraRoss.com

This luxurious Kara Ross handbag features a trapezoid-like shape, with sides that slope outward as they move from the top to the bottom of the bag. Made of black wash mixed berry python, the Sidra bag features a rectangular, faceted black onyx stone clasp to seal the goldtone rectangular frame closure; a slim, frame-style top edge; and a goldtone twist rope chain.

Belle Etoile Daisy Pink Ring, $260. Available at MyBelleEtoile.com

This sculptural flower ring features undulating petals crafted using nickel-free, rhodium-plated sterling silver, their interiors coated with blush pink Italian enamel. Clusters of tiny round crystal stones lined into stacked rows adorn two of the petals, both shaped as if curling inward, for a touch of sparkle, while a single white pearl is positioned at the center of the ring, constituting the piece’s powerful core.

Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s Domed Ceramic Cake Stands, $36-$58. Available at Macys.com

These quaint cake stands will transform any kitchen into a confectionery wonderland, with their combination of glossy white ceramic and clear glass, their vintage-flavored domed shapes, and their Snow White-worthy bird details.

(more…)

Posted at 09:04 AM in Beauty, Fashion, Food and Drink, Home Decor, Jewelry | Permalink | Favorite This | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 03, 2012

Anna Dello Russo Designs Accessories Collection For H&M

Touches of Liberace-esque flamboyance, Donatella Versace-worthy swankiness, Iris Apfel-like eccentricity, and Daphne Guinness-y experimentalism coalesce in the iconic style sensibility of Milan-based fashion editrix and blogger Anna Dello Russo. With nearly twenty years of experience developing the voice and look of such premiere publications as Vogue Italia, L’Uomo Vogue, and Vogue Japan, Dello Russo favors baroque ensembles that often involve elaborate headpieces (a headband adorned with faux cherries the size of tennis balls, headbands adorned with veils, peony-like flowers, and clustered feathers arching upwards in a gravity-defying manner, and spectators covered with rosettes framed by a halo of feathers), over-the-top fur coats in a rainbow of colors, and feather-adorned dresses and coats.

Steering away from its usual collaborations with fashion designers (including, of course, the budding talent on the reality competition show Fashion Star) and with photographers and illustrators (as with the “Your Art Here” project), retail chain H&M invited the beloved Dello Russo to design a collection of affordable accessories inspired by her personal aesthetic.

Hitting stores on October 4th, the Anna Dello Russo for H&M collection will include grandiloquent, audacious, fantasy-inspired, rococo jewelry pieces, sunglasses, shoes, and handbags. The photo above offers a sneak peek of some of the designs — from an aqua leather minaudiere with rounded edges and a figural gilded top clasp to black cat eye sunglasses featuring crystals along the top rim, strappy golden sandals with a cagework pattern along the uppers, a baroque golden minaudiere with sculptural details along its façade and a cameo-like turquoise stone at the center, and coiled enamel bracelets.

Stay tuned for more details!

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April 29, 2012

Twisted Finds — Woven Thread And Rope Cording Mark This Season’s Funkiest Necklaces

Back in my pigtail-rocking, pom-pom sock-wearing days, I remember spending hours laboring over strands of colorful thread that I planned on transforming into friendship bracelets which I’d ceremoniously present to my schoolyard buddies. I’d tie the long strands of thread or yarn together, securing the frayed end atop the knot to the floor with a piece of Scotch tape, then dividing the strands beneath the knot into sections and braiding them meticulously to create perfectly woven lines and blocks in repeating patterns. It was time consuming and involved some serious concentration, but the final result felt all the more precious because of the amount of time devoted to its completion.

Eventually, as I moved from juice boxes to Big Gulps (hey, it was the ’80s) and my attention shifted from BFFs to boy-crush-of-the-month, friendship bracelets became embarrassing tokens of my not-so-distant past. And, once I became an adult (at least in theory), the idea of wearing a friendship bracelet seemed laughable.

Imagine my surprise, then, when jewelry designers began toying with this classic childhood accessory, finding ways to conjure up the nostalgia associated with these items while also pushing the style envelope through their modern reinventions. In recent months, we’ve seen a plethora of necklaces that integrate woven thread and satin or silk ribbons, alongside cords and rope details, playfully referencing those friendship bracelets of yore.

Below, you’ll find some of my latest amiguitas:

Lamprini Coral Reef Necklace, $237.50. Available at Bottica.com

This necklace hugs the neck delicately, never pinching it as closely as a choker but, instead, resting right at the center of the collarbone area. Made with cotton knitting yarn woven through the chunky links of a metal chain, each necklace is a one-of-a-kind piece featuring aquatic turquoise, blue, azure, and aquamarine shares inspired by the sea surrounding Greece’s Ionian islands.

ViaMinima Neon Cord Necklace, $43.50. Available at Etsy.com

As tribal fashions continue to rule runways and sidewalks, so do accessories inspired by the rope necklaces crafted throughout South Africa. This handmade necklace captures the trend without sacrificing your bank balance. Each tiered necklace measures 12″ in diameter at its largest point and is crafted using flexible cord wrapped in a color-blocked pattern using cotton thread in hot pink, royal blue, orange and turquoise. These tubular cords are then accented using lampwork glass rings and faceted turquoise glass beads.

Venessa Arizaga Mayan Sunrise Gold-Plated Necklace, $325. Available at Net-a-Porter.com

The name says it all. This punchy piece by jewelry designer Venessa Arizaga incorporates the vivid hues one would associate with a South American sunset, with electric coral pink, stormy sapphire blue, clean rosy lilac, and lush forest green thread woven through four strands of gold-plated brass box chains, conjoining them along the sides. The center of the necklace, meanwhile, allows the chains to be the center of attention, with the four strands creating a layered, ladder-like effect.

ZulloDesigns Jewel Tone Rope Collar, $65. Available at Etsy.com

Etsy, the premiere online marketplace for artisan wares, is populated with talented, unsung jewelry designers angling for some exposure. If this black rope collar necklace is any indication, ZulloDesigns deserves to be included in this category. Measuring 20″ in length, this rope necklace is infused with a festive, disco glam vibe thanks to the multi-colored embroidery thread wrapped around some of its sections, not to mention the wine-colored or navy-colored thread framing the slim brass rings that designate each color-blocked section.

Ettika Neon Satin Cord Necklace with Gold Donut Rings, $98. Available at Ettika.com

Woven bracelets and necklaces are encoded into Ettika’s DNA so it would be an injustice to omit them from any piece highlighting this trend. And, while other designers focus on very structured and polished pieces or overload necklaces with stones, beads, bells, charms, and anything they unearth, Ettika prefers that its pieces convey a laid-back, easy, almost beachy vibe. This necklace is a shining example — with neon green, pink, and yellow satin ribbons braided along the sides and woven through the center of gold donut rings along the middle section, it reminds us of the colored Zinka sunscreen colors protecting the sun-exposed skin of surfers and water sport athletes in the late ’80s.

Kelsey Quan Camp Adventures Necklace, $395. Available at KelseyQuan.com

Designer Kelsey Quan approaches each of her jewelry designs as if creating a mobile sculpture, taking into account angles, textures, colors, shapes, shadows and light, contours and more. The “Camp Adventures” necklace pictured here plays on the idea of the clunky, massive, cumbersome arts-and-crafts projects we all made at summer camp and then gifted to our mothers (who practiced their poker faces while showering us with praise). But, of course, this is a far cry from a painted macaroni necklace or some papier-mâché atrocity. This two-tiered necklace, then, features a smaller strand with a black-and-white netted pattern and three snake-like mesh strands clustered along the bottom, all lumped together by the hooks securing the raw agate stones dangling from their lower rim. The lower strand, meanwhile, is made of a rope cord wrapped in orange-and-cream tie dye leather and embellished with amethyst-colored ball beads tied to the cord with green thread.

Holst + Lee Four Strand Necklace, $510. Available at Shopbop.com

Ever since designer Mara Hoffman adorned her technicolor Kahlo-inspired dresses and blouses with Holst + Lee rope necklaces during her SS12 presentation at Lincoln Center, the New York City-based brand has been kicking up some serious style dust. Launched by Natalia Holst and Rochelle Lee, this up-and-coming jewelry line specializes in tribal-inspired necklaces manufactured using mixed materials and bright, audacious colors. This particular necklace features four tubular strands arranged in a tiered fashion, each wrapped with threads of different fabrics (cotton, silk, linen, and satin among them) and colors (chartreuse, vermilion, antique gold, black, ecru, azure, cyan blue, and even a chevron-esque red-and-blue pattern. Measuring 34″ in length, the necklace also features gold- and silver-plated beads for a hint of glimmer.

Ranna Gill Navala Necklace, $68. Available at Anthropologie.com

Measuring 20″ in length and 3″ in width, this three-strand necklace features tubular strands wrapped in lilac pink, paprika orange, and mustard yellow cotton thread and adorned with marble-shaped wooden beads, metal rings, multi-colored seed beads, coiled metals springs, cube-shaped metal beads, and tiny metal ball beads. The final jewel-toned piece is worthy of Bollywood leading lady’s decolletage.

Dannijo Rogan Necklace, $720. Available at Dannijo.com

This statement necklace features a row of fang-shaped turquoise stone beads dangling from an expanse of tangled, brass-plated chains. One strand features red and gold satin strips woven through bulky chain links and is adorned with a medallion-like pendant featuring snake chains wrapped around a Swarovski crystal-adorned station. A secondary tubular strand, meanwhile, features stacked trade beads in violet and pink, while a third layer features an unadorned metal chain.

Rachel Rachel Roy Chain and Thread Frontal Necklace, $85. Available at RachelRoy.com

New York-based designer Rachel Roy is always at the frontline of every fashion trend, and this one is no exception. This multi-strand,bib-style necklace features brass curb chains interspersed between tubular strands wrapped in thread to create a cord-like effect. Roy’s color choices –lime, olive, emerald, kiwi, yellow gold and copper to recall foliage and wine, orange, yellow, emerald, burgundy, copper, and gold to reference desert landscapes — are what allows this necklace to truly shine, coating it with an earthy, world traveler, gypsy jet-setter vibe.

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