Hair Heaven – Leonard Zagami’s “Camelot at Dawn” Coupe

Text, Vivian Kelly

Anne Garside’s coffee table book, Camelot at Dawn delivered a sorely needed fashion moment in the midst of the disheartening 8 day power outage. The photos shot by Orlando Suero, were ones I’d never seen before.

 

Most of the photos we see of Jacqueline Kennedy are of her as as the First Lady or in her later incarnation as the mysterious “Jackie O”, dodging paparazzo  Ron Gallela.

The images of  Jacqueline Kennedy and her husband, shot in May 1954, in Georgetown, have that “easy” American style that put US fashion designers on the map. I related to Jackie’s khaki capris, striped shirt and flats, because that’s my daily uniform, but that hair! The short wavy haircut she had combined with bubblegum pearl necklaces and large gold clip earrings got my heart racing.  Like turned to love when I got to the image of her lighting the candles for her first formal dinner party. The white strapless evening gown was stunning combined with the famous three strand pearl necklace and the haircut. I could get the necklace at Carolee but the hair – not so easy.

Jackie, before her first formal dinner party, Georgetown, 1954. Photo by Orlando Suero.

The only two guys who would really “get” this obsession were Anthony Palermo and Leonard Zagami. Off to New York I went to go show them the book and hopefully to walk out with a modern day version of this cut. If you’re not familiar with their work, have a look at their blog, and you’ll see what I mean by “editorial”.

While sitting in Leonard’s chair, getting my so-so short coupe transformed into a modern day version of Jackie Kennedy’s 1954 cut, Anthony [Leonard] came by to chat in between a barrage of color clients. I come to A-L for the outstanding hair services but even more so for their company; we share a mutual passion for hair that can transform you and can make you feel like your favorite fashion icon.

and Leonard [right], my go-to editorial hair gurus”]

Anthony [left

“Have you seen the Vogue covers book” asked Anthony. “Uh, no…” I confessed, feeling decidedly out of it but happy I had something new to get inspired about, while getting the haircut of my dreams. An added bonus was that Leonard told me about his Uncle, Salvatore Zagami, a noted sculptor/artist who brought works from his personal collection for the Salon’s FNO party back in September. Luckily for me, he left some of them in the salon and I enjoyed them as Leonard worked on my hair.

A Salvatore Zagami Sculpture, photographed by Anthony Palermo.

Considering my hair is finer than Jackie’s the cut I walked out with was as close as I could get. Leonard suggested playing with a strong mousse, such as Nexxus Mouse Plus Volumizing Styler. The key was to scrunch my hair to create the waves I wanted. Perfect, AND easy.

Leonard's modern version of Jackie Kennedy's 1954 Hairdo

Hair is like fashion. As with fashion, as soon as a collection is done, the question  ”what’s next?” arises. As I got up, I asked Anthony about “the next step. Maybe the Lady Diana cut?” His eyes lit up and he said, “and maybe blonde too?”

Princess Diana's Short Haircut

 

Over the Holidays, we’re going to Foxwoods. While the others at the poker tables, I’ll be at the Lady Diana Retrospective, studying her hair and style. On a world tour, the exhibition “Diana, A Celebration” stops Sept. 16 through Jan. 15 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket. Graeme Murtonand Nick Grossmark, art handlers for the Althorp Estate in England,  installed the iconic gown worn by Diana at her 1981 wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales.

Art handlers Nick Grossmark (black gloves) and Graeme Murton (white gloves) travel to each tour stop for "Diana, A Celebration," responsible for setting up the exhibition (wearing gloves to prevent damage). The duo are standing next to Diana's iconic ivory silk and lace wedding gown.

After that experience, I’ll undoubtedly have  a Lady Di moment and head back to the A-L Salon to make my vision a reality, with a lot of help from my friends there.

Mad Men Costume Designer Janie Bryant Reveals How To Use Carolee Jewelry to Get the Look

Text, Vivian Kelly

Are you a “Betty-Jackie” or a “Joan-Marilyn”? Mad Men Costume Designer, Janie Bryant shares a few key accessory styling tips to enhance your look.

Janie Bryant, recently had a public appearance, hosted by Carolee jewelry,  at Bloomingdale’s Century City in Los Angeles.  Style expert Janie met with customers and provided jewelry and fashion advice on “How to become your own leading lady!”

Not being on the West Coast at the time, I couldn’t go, but I got to correspond with her via email and I’m going to pick up a copy of her new book, which she recently released.  THE FASHION FILE Advice, Tips and Inspiration from the Costume Designer of MADMEN, provides tips based on Janie’s “Mad Men” style trends. In it, she teaches her readers how to create different moods and reveal a bit about their personality through accessories… “It’s the surest cure-all for wardrobe ennui.”

I’ve been a fan of Mad Men, since last summer, when checked into a motel at Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, just to score some much needed down time. A mild case of insomnia turned out to be a big plus when I stumbled onto the show, which I’d been intending to watch for months. I never left the room until check-out at 11a.m. the next day as I lay on the bed gobbling up episode after episode of Mad Men and a pot of hotel room coffee. After 4 episodes, I came to a few conclusions:

-“Joan” looks hottest in her most covered up dresses- no hiding those amazing curves

- “Betty” is my favorite in character and looks fresh and tailored and classically beautiful.

I started studying Betty’s look on hulu [no AMC at home], and fell back in love with camel cashmere and pearls.

My Mad Men “moment” came when Joan’s secretary pool were talking about whether they were “ a Jackie” or “ a Marilyn”. Although that was over 40 years ago, these 2 categories are still alive and very relevant today. In case you missed the episode, Betty is a Jackie, and Joan is a Marilyn.

I’ve always been “a Jackie”, even when I bleached my hair Marilyn white years ago, wanting to see if I could bust out of my “type”.

Not possible – it takes more than a hair color change.

The sort of jewelry, fragrance, and dress all contribute to your J or M category. I started studying the characters’ outfits and decided that they were too retro for my every day look, but maybe copying details such as hairstyle and jewelry would give me the effect I was after. When Gina DiDomenico’s of Paul Wilmot Communications emailed me about Janie explaining how to get the character’s style with a few accessories, it was the answer to this fashion prayer.

Follow this LINK to watch a video of Janie Bryant offering her unique fashion and styling tips

Thanks to Gina, I got my most pressing questions for Janie about “Mad Men Style” answered.

Below, the Q&A 1.     Which character did you first want to work on? Why?

JANIE BRYANT: From the moment I read the script, I loved all of the characters. They each have their own story and costume nuances—I’m lucky to be able to design for them all!

2.  **We’re fascinated with the past now, particularly the Sixties: Mad Men, The Real Stewardesses of Pan Am.  What do you think it is about this period that fascinates us so much?

J.B. People feel nostalgia for a time when they could dress for occasions.  They want to feel the everyday glamour that is so characteristic of the 1960s and incorporate this into their everyday lives.

3.     How can we incorporate aspects of “Mad Men” dressing into our wardrobes?  For women?

J.B. A classic shirtwaist dress or sheath dress are great silhouettes to incorporate into your wardrobe.  Match your shoes to your handbag and don’t forget to layer those pearls, ladies!  You could even add white leather wrist gloves for a fun little touch—any length will do!

4. P/s suggest a Carolee piece for the principle characters: Joan, and Betty, in particular. 

J.B. It is simply the best for Betty, so strands of ladylike pearls would be my choice for her.  For a little drama in Joan’s life, a broach makes such a statement!

Endnote: Today, I went to Lord & Taylor and purchased my first “Betty-Jackie” Carolee piece; a 16″ pearl necklace, which I’ll be wearing daily.As for my Joan-Mrailyn friends, this Art Deco crystal broach would be stunning on you!

Gwen Stefani’s s/s2012 L.A.M.B. Collection – When Fashion by a Celebrity is a Good Thing

Text, Vivian Kelly

Celebrities have a bad rap in the fashion business. I’d taken a skeptical stance on the idea of the notion of celebrity as fashion designer, since the days when Kathie Lee Gifford “designed” a line for Wal-Mart, followed by legions of demi celebs such as Paris Hilton who capitalized on their fame to produce shoddy garments they themselves would never actually wear. The fact that THEY themselves wore Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta etc etc. said it all.

There are exceptions however, that show that celebrities CAN [in conjunction with the right team] produce a credible fashion line. The first time I witnessed this was while attending a Justin Timberlake concert at Mohegan Sun, soon after his “Future Sex/Love Sounds” tour hit. Joe Zee did an amazing job styling him and Justin carried that white suit as well as John Travolta did his in “Saturday Night Fever”.

IT wasn’t William Rast, but I recall being stupefied when mid-way through the show, he sang a ballad in a plaid William Rast shirt and jeans. That night, I began reconsidering the celebrity as fashion designer issue and resolved to actually READ the WWD articles about Celebrity X designing a fashion line to see if others besides Justin were getting it right.

Good news. In the ranks of the “getting it right” are Justin Timberlake/William Rast, the Olsen Twins/Elizabeth and James, and the subject of this post, Gwen Stefani/L.A.M.B. Until this NYFW, the closest I got to Gwen’s line was seeing pieces at Nordstrom’s on the floor. I liked what I saw and longed to see her next collection in its entirety to see if she continued to follow-through on her branding message ie: herself  = a fun yet sophisticated version of cool.

A key ingredient for a brand’s success is to create an identity and to stick with your DNA. Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana hit gold early in their career with the severe look of elderly Italian women clad in black crossed with sexy corsets and animal print that showed their idealized woman; one who possesses an intriguing angel-devil personality.

Gwen Stefani has similarly created a believable personality for her L.A.M.B line. She is known as a pop star who mixes classic glamour with funky contemporary clothing resulting in a mix that is the modern equivalent of Eighties’ pop star, Cyndi Lauper. Although physically these two don’t resemble one another, they share that irresistible “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” spirit that I’ve loved since Ms. Lauper debuted it in 1983 on MTV.

This season was my first L.A.M.B. show. I’m calling it a “show” even though technically, it was a presentation, set in the “Box” space – my favorite of the Lincoln Center Fashion Week venues as there’s usually little to no waiting, you can get as close as you want to the clothes and the models obligingly pose for shots.

The presentation was scheduled to start at 2:30p.m, but you wouldn’t have known that from the crowd assembled in the holding area when I arrived at 2:20. Normally tardy editors were in line waiting, snaked around the length of the tent to get what I guessed would be only a very quick glimpse of the latest L.A.M.B. collection and hopefully a look at the chanteuse cum fashion designer herself. [Ms. Stefani was not there, sigh.]

I  wiggled to the front of the 4-deep crowd huddled around the models posing on the white blocks, to scan the 23 looks. There was herringbone plaid, a leather moto jacket, some fun Ikat prints and quite a bit of Noir Jewelry; in short, no huge deviations from the brand’s DNA. Just an hour earlier at lunch with Scott French and Meredith Garcia of The Fashion List at Pain Quotidian, we all agreed that the best designers like writers find their voice and stick with it. Their customers appreciate this; can count on them to deliver the goods. Make no mistake – consistency is not boring, it is an asset.

A few months ago, a stroll on the floor at Nordstrom’s Westchester Mall verified this. Marc Jacobs Mark by Marc and L.A.M.B. stood out, because they didn’t need any store signage to identify them. That odd but adorable tweak like a teeny tiny print on a puff sleeve blouse- must be Marc. Black and white herringbone jackets and red accents? Must be L.A.M.B. – it was.

With all of this in the back of my mind, once finally, inside the Box, my first glimpse revealed black and white, this time as an Ikat print top worn with brown herringbone shorts accessorized with a skinny red belt, and towering platform sandals in black, red and cobalt – very Eighties!

The rock and roll portion of the brand was most apparent in the accessories, hair and makeup, namely a leather and gold shark tooth necklace heavily kohled eyes, straight black brows and a two- tone “Pebbles” from The Flintstones hairdo.

Many of the editors in the Tents were wearing this same up-do, minus the volume and two-tone.

Ms.Stefani hit the preppy trend square on with a v-front cream tennis sweater but unlike the one from your parents’ country club, this one is minus the unflattering bulk. The L.A.M.B sweater boasts fine knit gage stitching, which make it an ideal transition piece. These days, transition pieces are where it’s at. What could be better than playing a set of tennis, taking a shower, putting on the same sweater that you walked on the Courts with and getting-on with your day? There’s something for everyone here, and even one piece will up the fun quotient of your spring wardrobe.

Princess Fever – the Kate Middleton Fashion Aesthetic

Text, Vivian Kelly

I’ve been interested – no scratch that –  fascinated – with Princess to be, “Waity Katy” as the Royal Wedding approaches. It’s not the prospect of the wedding – I dislike the whole pomp and circumstance and unnecessary expense a “big wedding” entails [Just watch an episode of "Bridezilla"].

I missed the last “wedding of the century” – the Diana Spencer – Prince Charles one – on purpose. As an intern in a French Company in New York City, the VP gave me the option to watch the wedding, OR to get double my hourly pay to man the reception desk while the office took of to watch it on the President’s TV.

I took the money and read about it in The NY Post on the ride back to Greenwich that night, while sipping a glass of Chardonnay in the Metro North Bar Car.

Back to the present.

While I’m interested to see if Kate chooses a Brit designer [the politically correct move] and if she’s REALLY going to wear flats, what truly interests me about her is her every day style.

Here’s a young woman who can make classic clothing look fresh and updated. Perhaps she had a conversation with the fabulous Carine Roitfeld, Paris Vogue’s former Fashion Editor. Her aesthetic is just what Carine wrote in her fall/winter 2011 Collections Series 10 letter from the editor.

“Fall2011 is championing a move back to time-honored classics – those enduring pieces that confer both status and stature on the wearer.”

It’s not preppy dressing, ie: wild plaids and Lilly Pulitzer pink and green, Rather, it’s pearls, a perfect yet understated ring, well-groomed hands, shiny hair, minimal makeup, strong brows, and classical clothing silhouettes and classic shoes.

What’s great – these pieces will serve you for a long long time.

BELOW, TheFE’s riff on  KATE’S CLASSICS

Mine are budget-priced, but these are also available at nose bleed price points if you want to go bonkers. Hint: Marc Jacobs’ Louis Vuitton fall2011 collection is LOADED with the right clothes.

- The perfect patterned skirt – tiered floral print skirt,  White House Black Market ($98)

- A pointy-toed slingback - Contrast Ladylike Slingback, White House Black Market 
($98)  

- Form Fitting Blazer in a Neutral Color – WHBM’s  Layered Sateen Blazer ($148)    

- The perfectly understated strand of pearls – Carolee

- The unforgettable Sapphire and Diamond “Lady Di” ring. It’s Kate’s now, but in my head, it will always be “the Princess Diana ring”. Say that phrase, and everyone knows what you’re talking about, including your personal jeweler, if you want to have a version with real sapphires and diamonds made up.

The budget version from Sterlington Collections “Royal Heirloom Ring” looks so perfect, I’ve worn it out, just for fun. Vital Stats: oval cut faux Ceylon Sapphire, 5.65 carats, surrounded by 8 CZs totaling 3.60 T.W. carats, set in platinum plate.

This just covers Kate’s dressy DAY look. More to come soon, on her wedding gown and accessory choices.

*What jeans, tees and shoes do you think she wears on her time-off?

Drop me a comment and let me know!

Jeremy Scott’s Pop Culture Excess- the fall2011 Show and Swatch Watches

“….excuse me?

Yes? I’m on the list.

The list? ??There. Is no0000 guest list tonight!”

Text, Vivian Kelly

I found this opening “statement” from Jeremy Scott’s latest show soundtrack particularly meaningful.

SURE… there was “no guest list”. That’s why the line at MILK Studios snaked around and around the downstairs holding pen, cum. art gallery and into the street. “No tickie no laundry”, for sure on this one. We bumped into The Daily Beast’s Robin Givhan, who decided she just didn’t have the time to wait. Maybe it was Vanessa Hudgens‘ presence at the show that was partially responsible for the delay.

So far, not so good, but a good fashion show is always late.

Jeremy and Kelly Cutrone and the gang at Peoples Revolution always put on a good show. He’s not a designer to slave over the Pantone color chart and I love him for being an indie rebel designer at heart, even though he’s no longer “a young designer” or “emerging”.

He has not happily, “grown-up” and abandoned his fun aesthetic in order to make “saleable” clothes. He’s found another way – which we’ll talk about a little bit later in this post.

Hint: A good collaboration does wonders for one’s bottom line and coffers.

As far as the actual show, can you say fun and logo or maybe brand mania are the words I’m looking for? If you love Coke [“The Real Thing”], Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, this is it for you.

There’s some college girl wear here kicking back to the Eighties wear of my youth- big chunky sweaters t wear on cold days that are vaguely Fair Isle as well as striped sweaters and scarves.

For evening the vibe’s a bit Spanish Matador. My favorite is the finale Wonder Woman blue sparkly dress that was reminiscent of the invitation to the MET superhero exhibit a few years back.

There was also a reference to Gregg Araki’s film, “Nowhere”, [his 1997cult film]which had the LA slacker vibe and Valley Girl plasticity, which makes it perfectly acceptable to wear a red plastic miniskirt and a poofy angora sweater in bubble gum pink. I couldn’t tell if the girls were chewing Double Bubble gum, but it would have been a nice touch.

This time, he’s brought-in a commercial aspect – a collaboration with Swatch Watches. Collaborations don’t always work, but this one did. There are 3 fun watches to choose from – Lighting Flash, Winged Swatch, and Swatch Opulence. For $70 per, you get to participate in a little of pop culture excess –in a more understated way. Since scooping up the last Lightning Flash one at the Swatch store in Grand Central Terminal, I’ve indulged my inner Valley Girl and worn it every day.

>In Search of Fashion and Holiday Gifts at the Orlando Airport

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TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

Yesterday, my plan to plop down in front of the fireplace, safely back home and watch Valley of the Dolls, one of my favorite movies of all time blew-up in my face. I’d planned it all – a glass of X-Rated Fusion Liqueur on chipped ice next to me, “Simply Vera” moon boot slippers on my feet, and MacBook on my lap. I looked forward to studying the hair, makeup and clothes from an era that produced some of our most celebrated fashion icons: Marilyn, Audrey, Jackie and Grace.

My plan was as they say in the world of horseracing – “scratched” the customer service rep informed me that all flights to the New York area were cancelled for the day. The first flight we could get out of Orland was over 24 hours later.

I dumped the bags at the airport Hyatt and inspired by the giant Xmas Tree by their elevator bank, decided to see if I could find some fashion at the airport. Ho ho – No. I wasn’t feeling the jingle bell spirit – yet.

There wasn’t anyone fashionable who came across my path – no models or celebs dashing through chased by, but I doubt they’d be in Orlando anyhow.

That left the airport stores. The usual suspects were there – Borders, L’Occitane de Provence, Brookstone, Erwin Pearl, and LUSH. The time – 3p.m., the foot traffic light medium in the shops, traffic at the TSA checkpoints, horrid.

At Borders, I checked out Keith Richard’s new book, Life. The few pages I read were entertaining and sounded as if he were really telling his story, as opposed to dumping it on his ghostwriter to do all the work, There are some great family pics and my favorite – Keith strumming his guitar in his CT home. The book qualifies as fashionable because Keith is a Rock God who has great personal style, and he’s married to Patti Hansen,

one of the most important models to come out of the Seventies. She was one of the blondes who defined the “Healthy All-American Girl”, most notably romping at the beach and filling out her Calvins.

Over at Erwin Pearl, I was excited to find out that they’re now offering titanium jewelry for women. According to the very patient saleslady, “titanium is what the space shuttle is made of” ie: bang it around as much as you will safe in the knowledge nothing will happen to your jewelry.

Some of the silver and cubic zirconium pieces and titanium and zirconium pieces looked very similar to Tiffany designs. The saleswoman informed us that Mr. Pearl designs for Tiffany and because he does, he is free to use his designs for his own line. Yes, you can buy the classic Tiffany 6 prong engagement ring at his shop in sterling silver with a
1-carat cubic zirconium for $160. My pick : the faux canary yellow cushion cut ring flanked by two cubic z. trillions, set in sterling, $250.

Twenty minutes later, we hit pay dirt at Brookstone. What’s not to like? Their [“Tote To Go” $19.95]
looks very much like the original Longchamps one [@$125] for dragging all that extra stuff you bought while knocking out some Xmas shopping due to delays.

Best though was the Brookstone MAX percussion massager wand $99.95. The two-minute demos we gave each other worked away the shoulder muscle knots thanks to the pulsing acupressure node. On the way out, we stopped to squeeze the mini Tempur-Pedic pillow stylishly piped in Robin’s egg blue and considered splurging on one as well as a pair of black Tempur-Pedic slippers for $49.95. They’ve got a nice thick sole that you could get away with on days you’re doing errands in a ball cap and sunglasses and your feet need a break from the party heels you wore the night before.

Our last stop was at LUSH.
The colorful gift boxes in the back of the store beckoned. Some people find it awkward to gift soap, but I say, “nonsense!” when they look and smell as good as these. “No” to the jelly soap – too much of a similarity to jell-o for me, but everything else in there is a thumbs up. I bought a ¼ pound of the blood orange colored “Karma” soap [$7.95 for ¼ lb.] in hopes that it would bring us some lucky travel Karma. Even if it doesn’t work, I’ll smell delicious.

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>Jeweler Ranjana Khan, Backstage at the Naeem Khan s/s2011 Show

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A great fashion show is memorable because of the clothes, the hair, the makeup, the styling and the accessories.
I’m dedicating this post to one of the supporting players who helped make the Naeem Khan s/s2011 show a memorable and fitting end to NYFW.

Like her husband, Naeem, Ranjana creates beautiful, high-end products, which are sold at top retailers Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods.
Around two years ago, Ranjana made a career change and shut down her Phoenix Hand Embroidery Company, which worked with some of fashion’s top houses including: Stella McCartney, Jean Paul Gaultier and Lanvin. Remember those tulle-covered pearls at Lanvin? If you never got one of those wonderful bib Lanvin necklaces, don’t despair, Ranjana RK for HSN black ribbon bib necklace
at $229.90 qualifies as “fashion” for about one zero less at the end of the higher end version.
Before you wrinkle your nose at the name “HSN [Home Shopping Network] have a good look first. Her lower-priced RK for HSN represents the “low” end of the equation – but it, unlike Rachel Zoe’s faux coyote vest for QVC, looks anything but down-market.
On the “high” side of the spectrum is the Leather-trim bib with black lava rocks with marble and onyx stones in various shapes and sizes, available at Neiman’s for $950.
These two necklaces, and the crystal silk drop earrings
exemplify how Ranjana has successfully straddled high-low accessorizing. And finally, at the very tip top of the high-end side are the unique pieces she collaborated on with Naeem for his latest collection. I got to see the ones that didn’t make it onto the runway and each and every one of them was a stunner.

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>High-Low Accessorizing, by Amanda Ross for Carolee

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TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
I was inspired by a recent conversation with Paul Wilmot in which he sang the praises of “high-low dressing.” He made the point that a white shirt and skinny black pants from the Limited are perfectly acceptable. Going “low” then allows one to splurge on a great designer item from Christian Siriano,or some top of the line skin care
from Nicholas Perricone. This got me thinking about mixing costume and real jewelry in a fearless fashion.
The first fashion icon to use costume jewelry to enhance her overall look was Coco Chanel. Her approach to high-low was innovative and unique. Most of the costume jewelry of the 1920′s was based on the Art Deco aesthetic and mimicked the trends initiated by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Brightly colored fruit salad glass stones
imitated the carved precious and semi-precious gemstones used by the fine jewelers, and were combined with rhinestones in geometric patterns. Chanel, typically, went her own way. In 1924, she established a relationship with Maison Gripoix, masters of fine glass jewelry. In 1927, she hired jewelry desigener, Fulco Di Verdura to work with her. Said Verdura,
“She was the first person ever to take me seriously.”
Carolee Friedlander took a page from Chanel’s book and dedicated her career to making great classic costume jewelry. Carolee started making jewelry in 1972 in Greenwich, CT, as a kitchen hobby and grew her eponymous company into an international recognized jewelry and accessories power house. Like Coco,
Carolee follows trends, such as the recent craze in the accessories sector for black jet, which played into Karl Lagerfeld’s The Last Days of Marienbad inspired s/s2011 Chanel collection. Years earlier, Coco herself designed actress Delphine Seyrig’s clothes for the film, and as www.style.com writer, Tim Blanks stated in his review “they were echoed in a final passage of black lace dresses tufted with coq feathers.” If you want to partake in a bit of Marienbad/Chanel glam, Carolee’s Retro Glam 60″ Jet Rope with a flower pin at $75, is a good option.

It’s good to have access to interesting pieces, but many women are flummoxed when it comes to incorporating fun pieces with fine jewelry, and are loathe to look like a jewelry Christmas Tree.
That’s where celebrity fashion stylists such as Amanda Ross fit into the equation.
Amanda was the woman who put together the looks for the heroines in “Lipstick Jungle” – a show I actually miss. These days, Amanda is the Carolee Company’s official style consultant. Her duties include personal appearance working with big high-end retailer, Bloomingdale’s and their personal shopping department to meet with customers and discuss the latest trends with them.

I’ve known Amanda since her days at Self Magazine, and watched her career blossom as she became a go-to celebrity stylist whose credentials include consulting for Dennis Basso, Elie Tahari, as well as being named the first-ever Global stylist for the W Hotel chain.

In spite of all of her multiple duties and travel, Amanda took the time to answer some questions I had regarding her work with Carolee, and how to successfully mix and match costume jewelry into a high-end wardrobe.

TheFE: Most favorite pieces from Carolee. Why are they your faves?

Amanda Ross: The Carolee gold charm pieces are my favorite-the charm bracelet

and coin drop earrings are great for Fall. I love their drop earrings in general. Jet is also huge this season, and Carolee has a whole jet collection– everything from chandelier earrings to rope necklaces. Carolee’s brooches are also great, either clustering several together or pinning them on a chain or leather cord to make a necklace. Carolee’s maltese cross brooch from this season is my favorite. And always lots and lots of pearls!

TheFE: I have to bring-up Coco Chanel and Babe Paley for popularizing the concept of “high-low” accessorizing. Do you think it works with Carolee? Do you agree with the concept, practice for this yourself? For your clients, or not at all?

Amanda: Carolee was the first company to offer a “Chanel” look at an affordable price. I love the idea of mixing costume with real jewels.

TheFE: What can a good stylist such as yourself do for a woman, a man?

Amanda: A great fashion stylist brings out the best in the people they dress, enhancing confidence while educating on one’s own personal style.

TheFE: When employing/searching for the right stylist, what questions should they ask you?

Amanda: “What is your vision for me?”

TheFE: What is the #1/most frequently asked question your clients ask you?

Amanda: “How do I look?”

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>ACCESSORY TREND: Bracelet Bonanza, Armed and Fabulous. Bring on the Arm Candy!

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TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

Since last summer, I’ve been noticing THE RETURN OF THE BRACELET. I’m not talking about a discreet gold bangle or one or two CARTIER LOVE BRACELETS. WHAT’S ON FOR FALL AND MOST LIKELY SPRING 2011 IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE BRACELET BONANZA. IN SHORT – THE MORE, THE BETTER, AND THEY DON’T ALL HAVE TO BE MATCHY-MATCHY.
Rather, IT’S ABOUT INDIVIDUALITY, MUCH AS A CHERISHED CHARM BRACELET IS. THINK OF IT AS YOUR SLEEVE [not the tattoo ink kind] MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE.
AN ARMFUL OF BRACELETS IS SOMETHING WE CAN ALL SPORT ON A DAILY BASIS. IT WORKS FOR JUST ABOUT ANY SITUATION – WHETHER IT’S TO ATTEND AN ART OPENING, FASHION SHOW, GO TO WORK IN OR TO JUST WEAR WHEN ON THE RUN DURING THE WEEK.

Here’s an opportunity to mix it up: you can combine rubber bracelets such as the black/red rubber “CURE SMA” [Spinal Muscular Atrophy"] I bought at my Aveda-Shine Salon, or my vintage MONET CHARM bracelet, or the diamond and platinum pave ones by Leslie Greene.
TAKE A PAGE FROM THE FABULOUS SHARON STONE. TRY SOME HIGH-LOW ACCESSORIZING. IT’S RELEVANT BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THE MOST STYLISH WOMEN AROUND HAVE BEEN DRESSING FOR THE PAST DECADE. SHARON made a “bold” statement by daring to wear a generic BLACK TEE with an ARMANI COLLECTION COAT and VERA WANG SKIRT to the 1996 Oscars, when she was up for an award for her role in “Casino”. Fashion folk couldn’t stop talking about it, and before you knew it, everyone was out in the open, proudly going “high-low”.

Fast-forward to the recent 62nd ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS. Some of the season’s most beautiful gowns were on display but what hit me were THE MOUNTAINS OF BRACELETS. Some of the best on the Red Carpet were wildly different. Below, a few of my favorites.

EMMY LOOK #1: BREEZY, EASY, + MODERN

KYRA SEDGEWICK’S stack of monochromatic beaded bracelets by SYDNEY EVAN, which complimented her cranberry pleated gown to perfection.

EMMY LOOK#2: HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR
Nail this always-right look with stacks of DIAMOND BRACELETS. LESLIE GREENE makes some great ones, as worn by KIM KARDASHIAN and ELISABETH MOSS.
For some less pricey options, you’ll only have to wait until September 12, when TARGET UNVEILS THEIR “TUCKER FOR TARGET” collection. I’m looking forward to picking up their GLAM STUDDED CUFFS. Another good piece to add-on is Jewelry designer CYNTHIA GALE’s bronze and recycled silver ECO SECRET SECRET GARDEN CUFF, Inspired by the famous novel, The Secret Garden.

STYLE TIP: HAVE FUN – THE LOOK YOU’RE GOING FOR HERE IS “MODERN AND EFFORTLESS” IE: IF THE PIECE SPEAKS TO YOU, PUT IT ON. The possibilities are endless.

Shopping
LESLIE GREENE jewelry is available on www.lesliegreene.com and on www.QVC.com
GEO ART is available at www.store.geoartnyc.com

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>Amsterdam-er, Juliette Booker’s Retro-Fabulous Costume Jewelry at Unbeatable Prices

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TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY
Images from www.sohohearts.com

Amsterdam native, JULIETTE BOOKER, is a young jewelry designer who’s one to watch. HER COMPANY, SOHO HEARTS, offers a superb selection of eye-catching jewelry designs, many named for fashion icons and fashion notables, such as ‘Audrey’ [Hepburn or Tatou?] and ‘Scarlett’ [could be O’Hara or Johansson].She’s figured out a way to create retro designs that are young and fresh and appeal to everyone from the tween set to “women of a certain age” who want to have fun with jewelry without being afraid to lose something that will get their insurance companies squawking should they lose it.

Juliette’s company, Soho Hearts, presents a dazzling collection of luxurious, stylish and trendy jewelry in an abundance of color, texture with a strong very of-the-moment RETRO VIBE. She’s already squarely on the radar screen in her native Holland. She’s got KELLY CUTRONE’S team at PEOPLE’S REVOLUTION handling her PR from New York, so it’s only a matter of time that with their editing talent, that we’ll be hearing a lot more of her here Stateside.
After I spend the day deliberating, I’ll be putting in an order for my first piece of SOHO HEARTS. Once done, I’ll have joined the ranks of “Soho Famous” who wear Juliette’s pieces, such as Kate Moss, Tyra Banks, Christina Aguilera, Mickey Rourke and yes, Paris Hilton.
I’m torn between two designs, the first being the groovily retro “Audrey Bracelet”. This elastic bracelet is made out of two different sizes of cream Swarovski pearls with a matte gold metal bow in the middle. It’s the perfect piece when you want to reference a tiny bit of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ in a non-obvious way.
[Style # 10072-B, $24.95]
The other option is the Fareeda Ring, a gold plated adjustable ring with a purple colored stone made from glass surrounded by blue enamel. It’s the sophisticated fashion version of the famous EVIL EYE, that’s just too hippie for this stage of my life.
[ Style #50018-A, $39.95]
In future, I’d love to see some designs based on today’s bold fashion icons, such as the fun-loving MOUNA AYOUB’s larger than life jewels.
AT this time, Soho Hearts is only available online, but with great PR and an eventually improving economy, who’s to say there wouldn’t be a cute little free-standing store in the coolest parts of town in New York and LA?
What IS certain is that when I’m in Amsterdam next year for Amsterdam Fashion Week, I’ll be sure to schedule an appointment to meet with this promising young design talent.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it