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.

You already know that I’m a fan and frequent shopper at Déjà Vu’s Portchester, NY location for many reasons.

1. THE GOODS

Designer junkies, everything there is designer – no Talbott’s or Ann Taylor or Banana Republic, thank you. Instead it’s Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Chloe etc etc.

1. THE PRICE

Price matters. I’m one for finding a diamond in the rough and bestowing it with some TLC [repairs]. If I wanted something that was in mint condition, I’d buy it at full retail. That however goes against my Yankee thrifty streak and my checkbook just can’t afford it anyhow. Sometimes, though, the item is mint – like the Chloe bag in the Video below.

1. THE SALES STAFF, ie: Inga and Regina

Inga is a gem. She’s someone who could “sell ice to Eskimos” and she knows how to layer a sale like the sharpest sales associates at Bergdorf. The mark of a great sales person is that they do not allow you to spend your money on something that doesn’t suit you. THAT is called building a long term relationship.

The owner, Regina, knows her fashion and helped me identify a phoney Chanel bag I bought at a vintage fair with the understanding that it was the real deal. It took Regina 5 seconds to determine that it was not.  With her verdict, came 4 things that were “wrong” with the bag.

Although I was heart-broken, I recovered after she showed me a puffy navy nylon Chanel – a Lily Allen cocoon bag. She reduced the price a bit and a few weeks later, I owned a REAL Chanel. It’s currently my favorite bag.

Most recently, I dropped in to see if there were any long flowy dresses on the floor or an amazing bag. Paydirt, on both scores.

In the Video below, Inga shows-off a mint Chloe bag with whipstitch detail and a vintage Pucci dress that’s ideal for my upcoming Miami trip.

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!

We’re thrilled about the nude trend for spring, which gives the boot to all of that BLACK and snow, boots and endless layers we’ve dealt with for the past 4 months in what’s been one of the coldest Winters in the Northeast in years.
Wearing nudes and beiges serves as the perfect backdrop for some major jewelry – real and faux. Don’t be afraid to mix it up like the legendary Babe Paley and Coco Chanel did.

HIGH: THE CARMEN LUCIA BUCK RUBY

Some of our favorite high- low pieces come from the most random sources. While going in to size our Tiffany star band at a family jeweler in Danbury, CT, we spotted a picture of CARMEN LUCIA BUCK wearing the most gorgeous ruby we’ve ever seen, right next to the vault. Turns out, Frank Cappiello, has designed some honking big rings [still does] in his thirty-plus year career as a fine jeweler. He’s most proud of the Carmen Lucia Ruby ring he designed for the late Mrs. Carmen Lucia Buck. According to Frank and a write-up in The Washington Post, the acquisition process began with Carmen’s longtime jeweler, Frank Cappiello, who suggested to her husband that he make a giant ruby ring for Mrs. Buck. Dr. Peter Buck is a founder of the Subway sandwich chain and a nuclear-physicist, with a net worth Forbes estimates is $1.6 billion, which explains how he could take up Cappiello’s suggestion. The Carmen Lúcia Ruby weights in at 23.10cts, is set in platinum along with two colorless triangular diamonds. It’s the one of the finest large, faceted Burmese rubies known and the largest faceted ruby in the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection. Neither Mr. Cappiello nor the museum would disclose the price of the gem, We do know though, that the ruby was mined in the 1930′s from the fabled Mogok region of Burma.

In Frank’s shop is a portrait of Carmen Lucia in gala attire wearing the ruby, which she wore as an everyday accessory until her death.
In October, 2004, , Dr. Buck donated this magnificent ruby to the National Gem Collection and the people of the United States as a tribute to his late wife.
To see the Carmen Lucia Ruby, go to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and have a look at the Hope Diamond, which is in the same room. Now’s a good time, when the cherry blossoms are out!

LOW: RZ by Rachel Zoe Jewelry for QVC
At the other end of the spectrum is our modern day version of “fun, cheap dime story jewelry”. Babe Paley might have combined this huge filigreed cuff with some her huge yellow canary diamond Verdura ring. Rachel even makes the perfect spring weather wrap, a cream double faced cape that fits everyone from a size 0 – 14. It makes the ideal backdrop for any jewelry you might want to pile on.

The RZ line is available on www.qvc.com
Below, pricing information.
Rachel Zoe Double Faced Belted Cape
QVC Item #A199719 Approximately $95.00
Available in Black, Camel, Ivory (shown), Red and Yellow

Rachel Zoe V-neck Vest with Faux Fur Front
QVC Item #A199722 Approximately $62.00
Available in Silver (shown), Ivory and Coyote

Rachel Zoe Impressive Filigree Cuff Bracelet
QVC Item #J147752 Approximately $104.00

Image Credits
Images of the Buck ruby, Chip Clark
Images of the RZ line, courtesy of QVC
Nude trends piece, from www.banquetevent.com

“I AM NOT A TREND DESIGNER” is one of the first things fine jewelry designer HELEN FICALORA tells us on a phone call following our visit to her Soho boutique.

BACKGROUND – GETTING THERE
Helen’s story is an example of some women’s ability to successfully multitask and successfully create, run and grow a business.
Helen’s a Montauk native, whose routine includes helping run her family’s Montauk beach resort while shuttling back and forth between her home in Olympia, Washington, and Montauk. Somehow, in the past 10 years she’s developed a highly successful fine jewelry line, which began as a mail order business out of her Olympia home.
The process began when she took some jewelry making courses in high school, and started making her own sterling pieces for herself. Eventually friends started asking her to make them some and a business was born. She kept slowly growing the business all the while running the business aspect of the line and homeschooling her two children.

THE ALPHABET JEWELRY
When she first started making the alphabet jewelry [@ 2002-3], she had them in a pink plastic cup in her desk at the Montauk Inn. They weren’t on display in the case in the shop; the charms were an insider thing. People would get off planes and say, “I saw my friend wearing one. I want one of those, can you make me one – now?” She’d oblige and whip one up. Then, the editorial started hitting and the charms became a “must-have” item that made the company a regular in fashion editorials and on TV and film sets.

THE PRODUCT MIX
Her signature is yellow gold with a muted/matte finish. She’s been offering the shorter more practical 16” chains long before they became the fashionable length.
There’s much more to the Helen Ficalora line than charms. One of the 1st designs was the gold angel, and some other sophisticated and eclectic designs including ring bands. Says Helen, “I made the ring as the wedding ring I couldn’t find. The alphabet disks came later. In 2003 the editorial started hitting and the disks were propelled because of the collections that came before. They filled a need for personalization at the same time as the monogram trend. That’s funny because I’m not a trend designer.”

TIMING CAN BE TIMELESS

In Helen’s case, timing was important but her intent was to design the perfect pedant that you can wear all the time – “something that becomes a personalized signature piece and becomes a part of you”.

OUR CONVERSATION WITH HELEN FILLED IN SOME BLANKS WE HAD REGARDING THE COLLECTION.

FE: WHICH OF YOUR PIECES DO YOU WEAR?

HELEN: The small hoop earrings with diamond disks on my ears.
On my neck, a pile! There’s the family necklace – charm paves, heart with roses on 16” chain, a diamond necklace, and a Montauk daisy on chain.
On one arm, I’ve got 10 bracelets [actually 13 – but they’re really thin].
On the other arm I wear yellow and rose gold bangles.
On my hands: A pansy ring with diamonds and a ring with my husband’s and kids’ birthstones on it, a lion with diamond, in his mouth, and a signet.

FE: P/S TELL US SOME MORE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS MODEL.
HELEN: My whole business has been built by the kindness of others. People who went to see me when I was in Washington, people wore it into the City and helped promote HELEN FICALORA by wearing it. Others pay attention to stylish people.

H.F. is about good energy; it’s grown organically, people like to gift it.
Once someone got it as a gift, they wanted to share the experience, whether they’re in their twenties, thirties, forties or fifties. I’ll have women saying to me,
“I’m turning 50, I love this piece for myself, and I want all my girlfriends to have one too.”

FE: WHAT”S THE FUN PART OF YOUR BUSINESS?
HELEN: creating your own individual jewelry pieces. No one has my necklace, it’s unique to me and is about me as yours is about you.

FE: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR MISSION STATEMENT IS?

HELEN: to create signature designs to inspire beauty, love and peace.

FE: WHAT’S ONE OF THE STRONGEST POINTS OF YOUR JEWELRY?

HELEN: My jewelry is wearable. My 16” necklaces make the jewelry more wearable, something you want to sleep in, do yoga in, jog in.

FE: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PRICEPOINTS?

HELEN: Alphabet charms:
$115, plain alphabet charm – solid gold.
$450 for the pave
$185 for 1-diamond
$195 – $295 – for the gold hoops with diamond disk

FE: After visiting the NY store, it’s obvious you do much more than alphabet disks.

HELEN: I love the hammered gold large ring – “the big gold ring”. It’s tapered for mobility, and one of my all-time favorite pieces. I wear it every day.

FE: WHAT DO YOU HAVE THAT’S ON THE HIGH END?

HELEN: The pink sapphire beads with the gold lion head and diamond in the mouth.
These tend to be around $1800, this is the kind of collection you build.
There are some rings around $7,000, but they’re not in all the stores.

FE: YOU’VE GOT QUITE A FEW STORES NOW. HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE LOCATIONS YOU HAVE?
HELEN: Opening the stores has been about bringing the jewelry to the people. I realized that when a woman drove all the way from Nassau to Montauk just to look at some rings. That’s when I opened the New York store, but that was years after I started with a few orders I filled in Olympia from my kitchen table.

FE: YOUR NY STORE MANAGER, ANDREA, MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE A PALM BEACH STORE NOW.

HELEN: I love Palm Beach; I discovered it 2 years ago. My customers down there like the paves, and the horsey people from Wellington come to shop, and so do people from Orlando even!

FE: TV & MOVIES HAVE BEEN GOOD TO YOU. YOU HAVE AN IMPRESSIVE # OF CREDITS. WHAT ARE SOME OUR READERS MIGHT HAVE SPOTTED?

HELEN: You’ve seen the jewelry “When In Rome” Kristen Bell, on Kathryn Heigel and Malin Ackerman in “27 Dresses”, on Sandra Bullock on “The Proposal”.
Tina wears it on “30 Rock,” and so does Mariska Hargitay on “SVU”.
Blake Lively’s been a fan forever and wears it on “Gossip Girl” as well as personally.
It’s also on characters in “The Royal Pains”.

FE: DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG DESIGNERS?
HELEN:I financed this from my own personal cash flow. Think on your feet, and be resourceful. It’s also about how you measure your success. I never looked at the bank account part of things. I LOVE jewelry, it makes me happy, it’s like a meditative kind of thing for me.

FE: TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEXT PROJECT.

HELEN: I’m working on an engagement ring to complement the rest of the collection.
I’ve done stuff with rose cuts [diamonds], I love them, as well as the eighties’ side cut stone that ‘s cool, it’s old fashioned and has that old European style with facets all around. A diamond is like wearing a rainbow maker.

THE HELEN FICALORA BOUTIQUES

The boutiques have an appealing intimate jewelry box-like feeling. As always, the story’s in the details: the signature magenta color, mahogany floors, Madrona wood, glass-topped display cabinets, gold gilt mirrors, and chandeliers with soft pink shades.

STORE LOCATIONS

NEW YORK:
Helen Ficalora
21 Cleveland Place
Soho
New York
NY 10012
Tel: 212-219-3700

BEVERLY HILLS:
Helen Ficalora
9632 Little Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills
CA 90210
Tel: 310-777-0098

PALM BEACH:
Helen Ficalora
240 Worth Avenue
5A
Palm Beach
FL 33480
Tel: 561-833-2100

CHICAGO:
Helen Ficalora
2014 N Halsted
Chicago
IL 60614
Tel: 773-883-2014

For Mail order:
Tel: 877-754-2676
Address: p.o. box 6316

For additional information, visit the official website,
www.helenficalora.com

PHOTO CREDITS
Portrait of Helen Ficalora by Julie Skarratt,
Julie Skarratt Photography, Inc.
www.julieskarratt.com
Images of the collection, courtesy of Helen Ficalora.

It’s been a tough year and a harrowing fall/winter as anyone who’s in retail and fashion is all too well aware. We can’t wait to usher out the old year and in keeping with the climate, are having a laid-back “un-New Year’s gathering” rather than “party”. That’s not to say that a little bit of WELL PRICED HAND CRAFTED BLING ISN’T IN ORDER THOUGH, and that’s just what JEWELRY DESINGER, JACQUIE AICHE provides.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

Ms. Aiche offers a head-turning number of groupings that combine18 and 14 karat gold and sterling silver, precious and semi-precious gemstones; diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pink tourmalines blended with organic materials; such as minerals, rocks and fossils.
Some pieces are as low as the $200 range, such as a 14k yellow gold and CZ peace sign necklace.

WHAT’S UNIQUE: The designer blends elements from her Egyptian and Native American upbringing, which is present in the serpent pieces. Cleopatra would have worn them, had they been available @ 40B.C.

WHO’S WEARING IT NOW
Jacquie’s list of celebrity and professional clients is growing quickly, and includes: Halle Berry, Sheryl crow, Ashlee Simpson, Daisy Fuentes, Alex von Furstenberg, Ryan Haddon, Mary J. Blige, Faith Hill and Christin Cavallari. The pieces have been worn by stars on TV and scored magazine features. Next time, you watch an episode of “Las Vegas,” “Brothers and Sisters,” and “Charmed,” keep your eye peeled for Jacquie’s pieces.

WHERE TO BUY

Bettina Duncan at fred segal
310.458.6661
Santa Monica CA 90401
American Rag
323.935.3154
(LA BREA & FASHION ISLAND)

For additional stockists and information, visit the official website,
www.jacquieaiche.com