J'adore: AMERICA!

I’m proud to be an American, and I sincerely wish some of these items were free.  This post is about a month and a half late, but there are a couple of lust worthy pieces all inspired by Americana that I’ve recently fallen in love with.  I couldn’t wait until next July 4 to share.

Jeanine Payer is a San Francisco based jewelry designer with a significant celebrity following, popular for her engraved pieces featuring memorable quotes or lines from poems.  Her 18K Hepburn ring could easily be mistaken for a signet ring, but this piece is embellished with ten small diamonds around a quote by one of America’s most famous poets: Walt Whitman.  The quote reads, “I do not ask any more delight, I swim in it as a sea.”

I’m a huge history nerd, so in the process of trying to find items to decorate my new apartment I stumbled upon an antique flag dealer who specializes in procuring American flags and political memorabilia from the 19^th century.  My favorite item was the pair of framed McKinley/Roosevelt & Bryan/Stevenson campaign flags from the 1900 election.  For something more moderately priced, there prints from an artist on Etsy of five different presidents each battling zombies, big foot or riding a grizzly bear.

Another great Etsy find is the t-shirt by urban clothing designer Culture Attack.  Though President Lincoln is barely recognizable beneath the eye patch and bandanna, the portrait of everyone’s favorite abolitionist is available on four different colored cotton shirts.  At $26 a piece, it’s a steal compared to the D&G tanks that are equally fantastic.

Though D&G is an Italian fashion house, they have a knack for putting American icons on clothing.  My favorite from this season is the Steve McQueen tank, and the Elvis shirt from last season.  Both are sold out, but LUISAVIAROMA has an interesting selection of Kylie Minogue shirts left.

J'adore: August

Over the course of the summer there have been a few lustworthy items that have truly caught my eye.

Though the iPad is an electronic, it’s also a functional, sleek accessory.  Just like a bag, shoes or jewelry, the case covering an iPad is a way for the owner to express themselves.  For something basic there’s Apple’s signature black cover, for a more fashionable option there’s Burberry’s leather metallic cover, for a classic look Smythson offers bright crocodile covers.  For iPad owners who want something with a bit of character, Twelve South has created a handmade, hardback case for the iPad that looks like a vintage, leather bound book.  At $69 it’s a bargain.

Handmade in Columbia with fine Spanish cotton, Salua Lingerie’s boyfriend nightshirt is a flattering and comfortable sleepwear option. Each season they offer a number of different designs including dresses, shirts and separates, and unlike men’s clothing, Salua’s designs are lightweight, soft and tailored for women. Whenever I wear this shirt I try to find a reason to stay at home and not change into normal clothes.

Me & Ro jewelry designer Robin Renzi operates her business out of her New York City workroom, and attracted celebrity clientele including Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Charlize Theron. The half-inch heart pendent is made of hand-carved fossilized ivory, and set in 18K gold. The necklace is on the pricey end, but be layered beautifully with other necklaces and is a piece that remains in a woman’s jewelry collection for life


An eye-catching t-shirt can easily transform a dull outfit into one that’s chic and interesting.  I’ve recently fallen in love with three different t-shirt designers, one from Argentina and two from France, each with very different aesthetics. French brand Maison Labiche pays tribute to music stars with line drawings of album covers on their t-shirts.  One of their more simple designs features the names of iconic figures in literature, like Gatsby and Holden Caufield, and movie characters like Luke Skywalker. Drug Money Art, is the creation of Argentine surfer Tin Ojeda. Each shirt is hand painted or screened, featuring sayings like, “Beauty is Boring,” photos of Great White sharks, or Ojeda’s drawings.  The young French street brand Quatre Cent Quinze offers a small selection of unisex shirts with eye-popping screen prints.

The small cross body bag has become rather popular over the past year, offering a less cumbersome option for those who like the small compact nature of a clutch, but prefer to have their hands free.  The Mini Miss Wu is Jason Wu’s new cross body bag.  The python purse is available in the three primary colors, but the cobalt is by far the most striking choice.  Diane Kruger was spotted earlier this month wearing the scarlet red mini bag.

Royal Wedding Recap

Prince William's cousin is frightening.  But that hat...

I sincerely hope that the next hot internet meme is the girl in the bottom left corner of this photo.  Grace van Cutsem is Prince William's goddaughter.

What wasn't to love about the wedding?  Kate's dress, her hair, the tiara and mini bouquet.  My favorite part was her make up.  As someone with pale skin and dark hair I can appreciate good make up when I see it.  It turns out the bride took lessons from Arabella Preston, and then did her own make up for the big day.

One of the vergers at Westminster Abbey was so overjoyed by the ceremony that he began doing cartwheels down the aisle after everyone had left.  When I'm having a good day this is how I react.

Lulu Frost

Accessories, more particularly jewelry, can make the most conventional outfit truly eye-catching.  For this reason, I think it's the most important part of any look, especially when being paired with neutrals or solids. 

One of greatest parts of shopping is discovering a new designer or look, and picking up items that are unique to anything found in a mall.  My favorite jewelry designers include the more mainstream Solange Azagury-Partridge and Tom Binns, as well as less under the radar designers Miss Bibi, Gemma Redux, Servane Gaxotte and Pyrrha.  The newest designer I'm in love with is Lulu Frost. 

Oops...I did it again.

What is Serena Williams wearing?  Below are some images of Serena's previous hits on the court.

     

J'adore: Paris edition

A visit to France would not be complete without some shopping, or in certain cases, a lot of shopping.  Every store is on top of the trends months before they hit the states, and the Parisians shop, lunch, pick up groceries, walk the dog, etc. in Chanel.

Below are some items and trends I fell in love with during my visit to Paris.

Ex-girlfriend jeans?

First came the wildly unflattering boyfriend jeans for girls, and now there's the ex-girlfriend jeans for boys.  I can't decide if I'm really uncomfortable with boy skinny jeans, or if I kind of love them.  Or a little bit of both.  Either way, if an ex stole a pair of my jeans I'd be pretty upset.

Wild thing

For the last couple of years I've been in love with the jewelry designed by Solange Azagury-Partridge, and someday I'll be able to afford a couple of pieces.  My favorte items are the 3-carrot ring, and the Bleeding Heart.

Later this month she's releasing a line of Chinese Zodiac rings that are truly lust worthy.

Best Dressed

"Modern Family" is one of my favorite TV shows, so I'm always pleased when it wins at the many award shows that happen throughout the year.  At tonight's SAG awards Sofia Vergara (Gloria) wore a stunning brilliant blue/cerulean Roberto Cavalli.  Brunettes always look better in bright colors, yet most ready-to-wear clothing comes in neutrals, or pastels.  Life is so hard. 

I digress.  Sofia Vergara has my vote for Best Dressed of the night.

Worst Dressed

It looks like Natalie Portman is going to win an Academy Award next month.  Tonight she picked up a SAG award for her role in "Black Swan," which is usually a good indication who takes home an Oscar in the acting catagories.

I don't know how qualified I am to have an opinion on couture fashion, but I disliked Portman's dress SO much I had to comment.  Her Golden Globes dress was a silk tent, with a rose applique, and her SAG dress (pictured above) was an extremely clingy Azzaro sheath.  The color was not at all flattering, and it appeared under the bright lights as if you could almost see through her dress.  As she made her way on stage to accept her award it stuck to all the wrong places, especially her sunken in navel.  I'm curious to know if she has a stylist, because it appears as if she chose this dress months before she got pregnant. 

I sincerely hope that if she wins the Oscar for Best Actress that she finds someone who can help her choose a better outfit.

J’Adore: The Travel Edition

Christmas is next Saturday, and though the holiday is not about getting material things, it’s hard to resist choosing a few items to lust after.  There are a lot of people I know who have MAJOR travel plans brewing for 2011 (studying abroad, honeymoon, etc.) so I found a couple of things that any jetsetter would be happy to find under the tree.  Some are meant to make the flight less daunting, while others transform being a tourist from cheesy to chic.

It’s impossible to remember every single type of charger for every type of electronic needed on a trip.  And when traveling abroad, it’s a hassle to make sure to bring various types of adapters needed for the electrical outlets.  JuiceBar has created a multi-device solar charger that uses clean energy to fuel cell phones and iPods.  On a full charge it gives iPods up to fifteen hours of music listening, and can fully charge phones twice over.  It’s a great buy for under $50.

When I travel, I always have a checked bag because of the new carry-on rules.  I can’t travel without my specific shampoo and conditioner.  I’d be a mess.  For a long transatlantic trip, it might be useful to have a bag that’s larger than a conventional purse to store gadgets, books, magazines and a potential change of clothes.  Nancy Gonzalez has released her new travel collection, and though the crocodile teal rolling carry-on is astronomically expensive, just imagine how wonderful it would look to roll that through the airport.  For a more economical option, that is a large enough to fit a 14” Macbook, Mulberry’s Oak brown Bayswater bag can double as a purse.  It’s very similar to the Hermes Birkin, but a fraction of the coast.

I’m not huge on Apple products, but I did ask Santa for an iPad this Christmas.  There are rumors that the iPad 2 will come out this spring, possibly with a camera.  So if your loved one has patience to wait that long, I’d say hold off until spring.  If on the other hand they’re taking a trip before May, the iPad is a great substitute to lugging an entire computer around the world.  Not to mention the picture quality is extremely high, so watching movies on the iPad is preferable to the tiny screens on the back of airline seats.

The pale color of my skin should indicate that I avoid the sun and tropical places at all costs when I travel.  That doesn’t stop me from admiring the resort wear out for spring/summer 2011.  I just love Mara Hoffman’s selection of bathing suits and cover-ups.  The bathing suits are very Jonathan Saunders/Matthew Williamson, with the bright colors and geometric/psychedelic prints.  My favorite piece is the hot pink embroidered silk-chiffon kaftan.  It’s perfect for lounging by the pool, or trying to shade pasty skin from getting burned on the beach.

The Lomography Spinner 360° is a camera that takes pictures of an entire landscape.  The photographer pulls the cord attacked to the camera and releases it.  Upon doing so the camera spins in a full circle recording everything in sight.  It produces a collection of photos that are 4 times larger than a conventional landscape picture.  The Lomography website explains how to get the pictures developed and scanned to create a really unique image.  The camera costs around $150.

Royal Engagement

Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement this afternoon, and I couldn't help but notice how lovely her dress was as they answered questions for the press.  It's a selection from one of her favorite designers, Issa.  The dress's bright navy is particularly flattering to her complexion, and hair color.  Middleton wore a dress of a similiar color last month, when she attended a friend's wedding with William.

As a brunette, I search far and wide for jewel tones when I'm shopping.  Blacks and neutrals are suitable enough, but just do not compare to bright, rich colored dresses like the ones that Middleton has been spotted in. 

Below is a royal engagement inspired selection.  The Notte by Marchesa dress would be a beautiful investment piece to be worn at any formal event.  And though Middleton's ring is priceless, the Ileana Makri gold and diamond ring adds interesting sparkle to the royal blue silk-chiffon gown.  Both items can be found on Net-A-Porter.com.

Pyrrha

With the holidays just around the corner, it's difficult not to make mental notes on great fashion finds in magazines, in stores and online. 

For the fashionistas out there, Pyrrha offers unique, and thoughtful pieces metal jewelry, modeled after 19th century wax seals.  The items are crafted by hand in the designer's studio, which is located in Vancouver, Canada.  Below are a couple of my favorite pieces. 

Taylor Swift, Brad Pitt, Chloe Sevingny, Halle Berry, and Reese Witherspoon are just a few celebrity fans of Pyrrha.

The talisman pendent is approximately 1.5 inches with an 18 inch chain.  The motto reads “Dum spiro spero” meaning “While I breathe, I hope,” and the eagles are symbolic of nobility and ingenuity.

The fox heads represents wit and wisdom and are believed to be an omen of good luck.  The seals are cast in solid 14 k yellow gold, and finished by hand.

The ring is available in Bronze or Silver, and approximately 1 inch in diameter.  This crest reads “Neither Be Fearful Nor Wanting” in Latin. The Lion standing up and facing forward signifies prudence, and the Stag, regeneration.  Emma Watson can be seen wearing this ring in the December issue of Marie Claire.

The Intaglios are cast in bronze from plaster representations of Greek and Roman mythological scenes.  Centaurs were part human, part horse and were considered to be wild, lawless and inhospitable. Centurions were officers in the army and were known for their skill and courage in battle.  The pendent is approximately 2 inches square, with a 36 inch loop chain.

Look Up Stop Texting

Found a lovely necklace at Blue Tree, one of my favorite boutiques in Manhattan.  Blue Tree is owned by Phoebe Cates, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and has TONS of really unique jewelry, and housewares.  The necklace is made by LUSTbklyn.