shopbop shoptalk

First Fashion: Ice Storm

With shindig season fast approaching, it’s time to invest in luminescence. Keep in mind you shouldn’t feel like sparkle is something you’ll only don for one soiree and then box away until next year—like everyday sequins, think of these beauties as anytime crystals.
	Give this baby prime wrist real estate during the day with a draped jersey tunic and a flowing cashmere cardigan, and then with a sleek one-shoulder dress after dark. Fallon – Rhinestone Cuff
	The oversized links and crystal detail recall ’80s power dressing, while the nautical aura fits perfectly with the Americana trend that’s so hot right now. In short, a fantastic complement to a strong-shouldered menswear look. Kenneth Jay Lane – Toggle Link Bracelet
	Like something snatched up from an estate sale, relish in the retro glamour of this statement necklace paired with a silk caftan or strapless jumpsuit. Lee Angel – Marie Necklace
Be bold and brilliant with a little help from What’s New. --Suzanne

Jewelry is My Art Collection

 

Most women have a modest jewelry box, drawer, or corner armoire, but super-stylist Rachel Zoe has a meticulously organized jewelry closet that rivals my walk-in. On the season finale of her show, we got a peek at her personal bauble collection (upwards of 1,000 pieces), and I love her no-shame justification: “Chanel is my art collection.”

I could totally relate to this sentiment. When company drops by, I have to explain why my living room is scattered with designer shoes and my bedroom with dramatic earrings, while the walls are virtually bare. Whenever my mom takes pity on my painting-free apartment, offering me a scented candle to up the ambience, I try to convince her that Kenneth Jay Lane cuffs make better sculptures, that vintage Chanel jewelry is its own brand of French Romanticism, and that a TOM BINNS necklace emits a fervor that will burn much longer than 24 hours.

Eventually I’ll get to the wall art, but for now, I’m focused on perfecting the neck, ear, and wrist art.

--Suzanne

Where the Wild Things Are Jewelry: For the Lovable Monster Inside of You

 
Just like Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers did a gorgeous, decidedly grown-up re-telling (please read this review from the NYT if you haven’t) of Maurice Sendak’s1963 children’s classic Where the Wild Things Are, Pamela Love and Opening Ceremony have taken iconography from the story and turned it into a standout jewelry collection that’s definitely not for kids.

Though these limited-edition pieces make reference to Max’s mystical journey, they do so in clever, subtle ways, never veering into kitschy, obvious territory. (Not that we’d expect any less from a collaborative effort between indie film luminary Spike Jonze, hipster outpost Opening Ceremony, and fashion editor darling Pamela Love.) Take the Douglas Feather Cuff and the Judith Single Claw Necklace for example: signature pieces in their own right, they manage to speak to both your nostalgia for that time of endless discovery we call childhood and your adult self’s critical eye for pieces of enduring style.(P.S. Where the Wild Things Are jewelry is only available online at Shopbop and Opening Ceremony.)

--Maureen
Shopbop Shoptalk

First Fashion: Pade Vavra Jewelry

Pade Vavra is part of a new wave of designers I’m completely enamored with: those that do high-fashion fine jewelry with an artist’s sensibility. Her signature (other than her use of 50-million-year-old shark teeth) is to translate a nature-informed-by-music aesthetic into gold, platinum, precious-stone, and fine-crystal masterpieces.
	Beautiful, brilliant, breathtaking. The intricacies of this vintage-inflected piece demand up-close inspection. Pade Vavra - Starburst Necklace
	How cool is it to have a gold-dipped lava bead pendant? Great with a print Diane von Furstenberg dress now, or with a white bikini during resort season. Pade Vavra - Black Lava Necklace
	A gorgeous bangle trifecta, I love that I can wear these alone or mix and match them with all my other wrist candy. Pade Vavra - Mixed Bangle Set
Discover your (new) most beloved bauble in What’s New. --Suzanne

As Seen on the Today Show: DANNIJO Jewelry

When we fall for a piece of jewelry, all the work that went into creating it is the furthest thing from our minds. But the Today Show’s peek at the designers behind DANNIJO jewelry illustrated what goes into making those favorites, from the first sketches to those covetable pieces that make their way to Shopbop. (Hint: it involves cramped quarters, harried phone calls, and sorting through vast roomfuls of raw materials.)

Co-founded by sisters Danielle and Jodie Snyder, DANNIJO began as a brick-and-mortar store in Jacksonville, Florida, before the duo took their chance in the big city and launched their line in New York in 2008. DANNIJO jewelry is a reflection of the sisters’ personalities: ladylike, sophisticated Jodie is seen in classic, feminine pieces, and Danielle’s vivacious, bohemian sensibility is reflected in eclectic, whimsical designs. A true creative endeavor, the line is a collage of rough-hewn stones, chains, and studs contrasted with floral motifs and dainty rose gold, hitting the spot between edgy and feminine and letting every fashionista express her unique personality.

--Tonya

First Fashion: ACB by Annie Costello Brown

Style-savvy girls need an eclectic collection of jewelry that’s just as runway-ready as the rest of their closet and, per usual, Shopbop designers do not disappoint. Witness the handiwork of ACB by Annie Costello Brown, a new line that blends intricate, artisan-quality construction with tribal influences and a feminine edge.
	Dramatic enough to fill in a plunging V neck on a black-tie LBD, yet versatile enough to class-up a slouchy tank and demolished skinnies. ACB by Annie Costello Brown - V Neck Fringe Necklace
	Perfect for fall’s femme fatale, try mixing this with a ladylike blouse, wool pencil skirt, and bombshell heels. ACB by Annie Costello Brown - Covered Chain Braided Necklace
	A piece befitting a modern-day outlaw, this necklace is an intense study in rugged desert grit. ACB by Annie Costello Brown - Fringe Necklace
Elevate your jewelry box from style amateur to fashion professional with pieces from What’s New. --Suzanne

First Fashion: Fall Jewelry

There’s been much ado about today’s date, but rather than subscribe to the internet prattle about ominous significance, I’m declaring 09/09/09 my own personal bauble day. I’ve been slowly building my fall wardrobe, and today, I’m starting work on the jewelry department. Three of my favorite new finds:
	My jewelry box is very quickly becoming an ode to Gemma Redux. I find a can’t-live-without piece (or two) in each new batch of arrivals. Gemma Redux - Jac Necklace
	Karen Walker sunglasses are an equation for paparazzi-worthy cool, but Karen Walker jewelry? That’s whimsy in a sweet silver package. This little caterpillar is my new everyday necklace. Karen Walker - Caterpillar Necklace
	Worldly, socially aware, and a sweet price point to boot. I’m in love with this first offering from JADEtribe and can’t wait to see what we get next. JADEtribe - Beaded Cuff Bracelet
Make today your own fashion holiday with must-have fall finds from What’s New. --Amie

iron maiden: jewelry as beautifully wicked body armor

I was perusing Couture Week snaps on Pipeline the other day when the intensity of the Givenchy jewelry nearly caused my PC to crash. Lethally spiked rings and cuffs recalling medieval torture devices somehow meshed seamlessly with the show’s Matrix-by-way-of-Morocco theme. The adornments on this catwalk were a bit over-the-top for the sidewalk, but slightly less brutal versions of the industrial, body armor look are all the rage, giving new meaning to building a jewelry arsenal.

Dynamic doesn’t even scratch the surface when it comes to describing Fallon Jewelry. The forceful Slater Mixed Choker (pictured) has all the makings of an ultimate tangled necklace: heavy-duty mixed chains, dripping fringe, and a few polite crystal strands thrown in for a feminine touch. The Mixed Deadly Pearls Necklace also plays up the pretty/sinister paradox, fusing ladylike pearls and crystals with enslaving chains and faux barbwire. Either would be electric with a body-con strapless dress.

Here’s a haute Molotov cocktail: B&W striped jersey top + destroyed black jeans + the Givenchy Platform Cuff Sandals + a Giles & Brother and/or DANNIJO cuff. For a more modest expression of heavy metal angst, incorporate the flutter by Jill Golden Odeon Ring (pictured) or the Made Her Think Knuckle Buster Ring into your repertoire.

--Suzanne

style it: body jewelry

Seeing the unique body jewelry that’s been coming into shopbop lately, I’m reminded of a line cooed by Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes when she’s confronted with an exquisite tiara: “I just love finding new places to wear diamonds!” I have the same reaction when I see a piece of jewelry that’s meant to be worn somewhere other than the usual wrist/neck/ears.

The trick is figuring out the styling. Usually I accessorize around my outfits, but these unique pieces deserve to have outfits built around them. And with jewelry this innovative it pays to call in the pros for styling tips, in this case, shopbop Senior Stylist Morgan.

The first time I saw a body chain I was equal parts baffled and intrigued. How could anyone pull off such a dramatic piece, but at the same time, how could anyone see such a standout and not give it a shot? Here’s Morgan’s advice for the sartorially adventurous: “This looks AWESOME over a bikini top or with a super stretched-out tank and baggy sweater or BF shorts. The key here is not to be too serious about how you wear it. Don’t wear it with a tight mini dress or something too polished.”

As for the Low Luv x Erin Wasson head piece above, Morgan says “Keep the rest of your jewelry to a minimum–maybe just a ring or your friendship bracelets–when wearing this. It speaks for itself, so let it talk. You can easily look overstyled piling this on top of a layered jewelry look.”

I’d love to pair the Victorian Hippie head piece above with a bohemian blouse by Antik Batik (or a gold bicep bangle by Adina Reyter with a flowing maxi dress), but what about you? Would you wear these pieces, and how would you style them?

--Tonya,

first fashion:

Our Favorites from What's New
I’m an accessories junkie. During my sojourn in France, I learned to appreciate the pashmina and have since accumulated an impressive collection of scarves; I have more shoes than will fit in my closet’s shoe rack; I’ve collected a lovely lineup of sunglasses that perch in their cases on top of one of my bookshelves; and I have jewelry scattered about every table, desk, dresser, and counter in my apartment (the pieces never seem to make it into my jewelry box). And yet, I still want more. (I blame our designer dresses sale, where I picked up a couple new frocks just begging for pieces to accent them.)
	I’ve wanted one of everything in Elizabeth and James’s collection since it arrived at shopbop, and now that they’re making shoes, my wish list just got longer. This pair is go-anywhere perfection. Elizabeth and James - Edge Huarache Sandals
	One of those jewelry pieces that will add instant glam to any ensemble. I’ll throw these on when I feel the need to add a little luxe to my look. Bing Bang - Joan of Arc Earrings
	I’ve been trying to work yellow into my wardrobe for ages, and these may just be the perfect statement-making style to do it. Ray-Ban - Wayfarer Sunglasses
Add to your accessories collection with finds from What’s New. --Amie