Fabulous Shoulder Jewelry from Babette Eapaulette

Nov 19, 2009 | Fashion

Have you ever felt like you shoulders were just too bare and in dire need of adornment?

Enter Babette Epaulette, a new line of jewelry designed specifically for those shoulders in need. With sassy names to the line (“Cigarettes and Eyeliner,” “Tattoos and Stilettos,” and “Harlots and Scarlets), the pieces are crafted out of spikes, fringe, feathers, studs and chains. (So on-trend!)

Nothing makes a girl feel sexier than bringing out a side of her personality she didn’t know she had. If you have a friend looking to dabble in danger, the amazing neo-concept accessories from Babette Epaulette are the perfect gift for her. The first ever shoulder jewelry line will make anyone who puts one on ooze confidence when they strut down the street and turn heads– in a good way. From $100 – $140.

Where to buy for those of you so inclined? The link to their online shop should be live very soon.

-Carly J. Cais

Yukester Jewelry: Affordable Chic

Oct 26, 2009 | Fashion

Though the idea of the ball-chain necklace has been around for awhile (I was in fact sporting one back in ’96 when skater fashion was all the rage), jewelry designer Yuko Osugi has taken it one step further…developing it into a refined accessory instead of awkward teenage rebellion piece.

Inspired by Coco Chanel, Osugi wanted to create a modern day version of Coco’s long, layered look at an affordable price. By varying the size of the balls on the ball-chain she created a one-of-a-kind accessory piece…something that mimics the effect of a draped rope of multi-sized pearls from far away, but upon closer inspection displays a metallic edge. And, she was able to fashion these necklaces (in 2-strand, 6-strand, and 12-strand, with the choice of 3 metal finishes) and offer them for less than $60 each on her site, Yukester.com.Last season her work was chunky and in-your-face – exemplified by her signature piece, the Snake Necklace (pictured above). For Fall 2009 it’s all about whisper-quiet elegance.
(I also love the Flinestones-y Chunky Bracelet (above) from Yukester’s previous collection – pebbles for the wrist.)

Here’s how I styled a couple of my Yukester necklaces:

Kind of a librarian look.
(F21 turtleneck, cut off Hanes t-shirt, Gap flowered skirt that’s 4 sizes too big for me, Newport News lace-up boots, Black 6-Strand Ball-Chain Yukester Necklace, Silver 12-Strand Ball Chain Yukester Necklace)

Same necklaces, different look. I’m wearing my party hair!
(Old Navy cardigan, Alloy ruffled tank, Bebe silver puff-skirt, Hue tights,
unknown velvet bow booties, F21 rhinestone ring,Chanel Blue Satin nail polish, Yukester Ball Chain necklaces)
I love how the necklaces are kind of tangly when layered.

Paired with a dress from one of my previous collections for my line RIVETED. I still have a couple of this dress in stock – if anyone’s interested, please email me!
(RIVETED dress with attached necklace, Yukester Gold 2-Strand Ball-Chain Necklace)

I wore the Yukester necklace so it kind of drips down the back…would look great with any open-back piece.

Amazingly, you can also wear the 12-strand necklace as draped body jewelry across your shoulders.

And finally…I love how you can also wear the 2-strand necklace as head-jewelry.
I think it works better with long hair, though!

From the Yukester website:
Yukester Jewelry features trend-setting fashion accessories from around the world. Inspired by extensive travel experiences, and our drive to find pieces that are truly “beautiful, original, and exceptional”, we strive to find pieces that encapsulate a worldly charm, and convey a unique beauty. Blending East and West, the Trade Winds of the Caribbean and the waters of the Ganges, the colorful street stalls of Peru and the soaring, glittering skyscrapers of Tokyo, we are committed to bringing the worlds most inspiring and distinctive fashion to you.

Bravo’s “The Fashion Show” Winner Anna McCraney Launches her Clothing Line

Oct 7, 2009 | Fashion

In case you were wondering what happened to that chick with the flirty dresses and bad posture from “The Fashion Show” (that aired in late Spring 2009 on Bravo; admit it! You were watching since “Project Runway” was still a couple months off and there was nothing to watch except that horrible Isaac-Mizrahi-fueled train wreck)…

Anna McCraney, winner of “The Fashion Show” on Bravo, launches her Spring 2010 collection under the label Annabelle, inspired by the photographs Sally Mann took of her children, published in her book Immediate Family. According to critics, the photos “captured the confusing emotions and developing identities of adolescent girls” and created “a place that looked like Eden, then casting upon it the subdued and shifting light of nostalgia, sexuality and death.” For Anna, they evoke memories of her own childhood, growing up in the South, the good, the bad, and the ugly, seen through the eyes of a child.

Her collection, as always, maintains the flattering feminine silhouette she is known for, while incorporating a childlike quality through more innovative patternmaking techniques that create volume and shape. In opposition to the photographs, she tries to bring the black and white photos to life with vivid color and recreates the natural landscapes through blurred floral patterns. Photographs by Ellen Warfield (www.ewarfield.com) 

Sorry, but the one on the left cannot possibly be a dress. Didn’t she watch Project Runway Season 2 and remember Zulema’s barely-butt-covering gold disaster?

Some of Sally Mann’s photographs:

This one truly disturbed me until I found out it was a candy cigarette. It’s still disturbing. Yeesh. 

 

Visit her website to learn more. (I could do without the photo of her on the toilet, just FYI.) 

What do we all think of her collection?

In the infamous words of the many idiot judges that passed through those chairs on the show….

I’d buy it.

-Carly J. Cais