How to glam up a t-shirt: Neon

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I’ve just done a post on my favorite t-shirts which include some amazing printed versions but in reality, you only really need a simple white tee (like Gap’s Mason crew T pictured here) and some sparkling jewelry to make a statement. I’ve divided the items by trend and have tried to include options in several price points. When all else fails, I find that megastores like Forever 21 and Topshop are good for inexpensive layering pieces.

Gap Mason crew T in Optic White

Adia Kibur at Shopbop

Tom Binns

Ettika

Asos

LoveObsessed @ Etsy

EABurns @ Boticca.com



Filed Under: Jewelry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

A charmed life

December 12, 2011 By 1 Comment

When I was a kid, charm bracelets were all the rage but as with the Swatch watch (remember those?) they soon became a bit passé. Well they’re back and, may I say, better than ever as designers have brought them up-to-date with funky charms and modern materials. No longer just gifts for new moms or high school graduates,  the new versions feature gunmetal and intricate beading and are not confined simply to bracelets. Here are my favorites - I especially love the Starburst necklace by Venessa Arizaga, the former design director of Zac Posen.

Venessa Arizaga at net-a-porter.com

Venessa Arizaga at net-a-porter.com
Love Hearts and Crosses
Serena Chen at Boticca.com
Filed Under: Jewelry Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Interview with Poppy Skinner, fashion editor for Boticca.com

December 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

Given my love of accessories, I’ve unsurprisingly become fixated with the beautiful pieces found at Boticca.com, an online retailer that showcases the talents of emerging designers from around the world. (View my personal favorites here: http://wp.me/p1gaON-vP). I was lucky enough to conduct an interview with Poppy Skinner, Boticca.com’s fashion editor and author of their blog “Pieces I Love” (Pieces I Love | Our Blog | Boticca). Here is the Q&A – enjoy!

Poppy Skinner

Can you explain the process of finding emerging designers for Boticca and, more specifically, what qualities you are looking for?

Our dedicated Style Hunting team scours the globe for emerging, talented and unique designers of fashion accessories. This is carried out nationally and internationally. They arrange travelling dates, enabling them to visit an assortment of countries throughout the year in order to provide us with exceptional knowledge on what is happening within the creative industries as a whole.

When sourcing for our designers they search for designs with originality that visually demonstrates creativity. We seek designers that have a strong story, inspiring their products. We believe customers should be able to connect emotionally and directly with a variety of products and designers they love. The Style Hunters also look for qualities such as: innovation, use of materials, and quality of production.

Boticca’s slogan is “I’d rather wear a unique story”. In this age of mass marketed clothing and accessories, does Boticca represent a conscious move toward greater individuality?

Boticca came about after one of our founders, Kiyan, came across a jewelry seller in a souk in Morocco. He was amazed by the individuality and creativeness of her goods and thought what a shame it was that such a very few people got to see her wonderful, unique pieces. Boticca was set up to combat stories like this. It not only brings emerging designers to light but it also encourages people to be more thoughtful in their accessory and jewelry buying. While anyone can go to the high street and buy some ‘fast fashion,’ Boticca encourages you to connect with the designer and learn the story behind the piece so that each piece means that little bit more to you. As all of our pieces are made from unique, emerging designers, many are very limited quantity, ensuring individuality.

With the holidays approaching, Boticca has created a personalized gift guide with categories such as “Girl about town” and “Globetrotter”. What would you most like to receive whether it be a specific piece or anything from a certain designer?

Myself personally I would LOVE the NDEBELE ROSE ETOILE scarf by Bonana van Mil. I seem to be permanently cold so this would put a very fashionable stop to that. I’m also a massive fan of Jennifer Loiselle. Every once in a while a designer comes along whom is so exciting and innovative that you just can’t stop looking at their pieces and this is just what she is.

Ndebele Rose Etoile scarf by Bonana van Mil

 
What jewelry and/or accessories trends do you foresee for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2012 season? Do you look for inspiration from the runways when putting together your Style Guides?
 
I always look to the runways for inspiration as they are the best place to start but I am a huge fan of street style. I really think you can learn so much about what people are loving just by looking on the streets, and working in Covent Garden (central London) is like an Aladdin’s Cave for a style watcher. In terms of trends, I think there will be a real rise in the types of leather used for bags. Staying with bags, I also see the strap playing a major part in bag design with many hand straps and oversized straps. In terms of jewellery, Perspex returns once again and the collar will remain a style staple.
 
With the rise of super expensive ”It” bags over the last decade, does Boticca make a concerted effort to source items in a variety of price ranges?
 
Our Style Hunters always make a concerted effort to find goods in a wide variety of prices. We believe that luxury doesn’t always come with a hefty price tag and that anything can be beautiful with enough love and passion behind it. The whole concept of an ‘it’ bag is so foreign to Boticca. With the vast majority of the bags being lovingly handmade, our bags are made to be fashionable for a lifetime.
 
Celebrity style has become its own industry and is regularly dissected in magazines and on blogs. Do your designers actively court celebrities to bolster their brand image or do they take a more laid-back approach?
 
Our designers work with many external fashion sources from stylists to journalists so it is always an added bonus when celebrities pick their pieces or editors use them for magazine shoots. Having a celebrity wear a designer’s piece does, indeed, bolster their brand image, but with our designers being so passionate about the uniqueness and individuality of their items, they are always happy when their items are appreciated.
 
Finally, a more personal question: I often use jewelry as a way of brightening up an outfit so what would you recommend to pair with a little black dress for a night out? How about with jeans and a t-shirt for a more casual look?
 
So do I! I think jewelry has amazing powers at bringing an outfit to life and I often go more low key with my outfit and let my accessories do the talking.

So, for the perennial little black dress problem, depending on neckline, I would say a short, bold necklace like Jolita Jewellery’s Demi Necklace will work wonders as will the Gold Necklace Castel del Monte by LedaOtto. I also gesticulate a lot when I talk (and I talk a lot!) so I love wearing rings. I either go for something elegantly bold like the Triple Pave Ring by Joanna Dahdah or go all out with something big, bold and gold like the Lattice Ring, yellow citrine by SASKIA B. 

With love from Poppy Skinner, fashion editor for Boticca.com 

Triple Pave Ring by Joanna Dahdah

Demi Necklace by Jolita Jewellery

PS. If you like what you see, why not view more of the Boticca gold necklace, gold ring and silk scarves collections.  

Filed Under: Fashion, Jewelry Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Older Posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 183 other followers