Jewelry Shines at Chanel

Jewelry at Paris Fashion Week always play second fiddle to funny hats. I don't know what it is about those french fashionistas, but they just love themselves a crazy chapeau - especially that John Galliano.

But my jewelry prayers were finally answered with Karl Lagerfeld's surreal 20-minute catwalk creation for Chanel that brought back the statement jewel in refreshing new ways.

Fashion reviewers from the New York Times and Style.com raved about the jagged-edges and feathery silhouettes for Chanel's Spring 2011 ready-to-wear line. But I'm loving the emergence of a jewelry category we haven't seen much of lately - shoulder-duster earrings.

Sure, there are blingy bib necklaces akimbo from Mr. Lagerfeld, but the earring choice is fashion-forward at its finest.  I have been trying to find out more about the history of this style (jewelry buffs, weigh in!), but with statement earrings surging on the awards show circuit, I'm sure we'll get our fill of daring dusters in the months to come. Stay tuned.

What do you all think of the swinging shoulder style? Designers? Do you have some in your coffers you'd like to share? Weigh in!

Paris Haute Couture Fall/Winter - A Jewelry Recap

As promised, jewelry hounds, here is a recap of all the jewelry worth drooling over from the 2010 Fall/Winter Paris Haute Couture shows.

Today, Haute Joaillierie lit up the Place Vendome - including Chanel's feathery diamond collection (remember Diane Kruger rocking this look at Cannes?):

Dior's Bollywood-inspired jewels:


and Van Cleef & Arpels' Les Voyages Extraordinaires collection:

Catwalk carats included these crazy cuffs from Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel show:



Armani's sculptural styles made from metal and wood:


And these mirrored fairy tale creations from Jean Paul Gaultier's collection:


But this is just a small sampling of the sparkle. You can find a complete gallery of Paris Fashion Week finds on the Jewelry.com Facebook Page. In the meantime, how amazing is that Dior serpent ring? I gotta say it again: ' J'adore Dior!

Weigh in with your favs!

Sarah Jessica’s Statement Necklace

Rejoice, jewelry hounds! High jewelry season is upon us.

As if to signal all the glorious fashion that is set to befall us, Sarah Jessica is back on the streets of New York shooting Sex and the City 2 – giving us die-hards a glimpse of the fabulous frocks we’ve come to expect from the show.

Looks like the statement necklace is a trend SATC stylist, Patricia Field, is keeping in our vocabulary, as The SJP was spotted wearing a Solange Azagury-Partridge gemstone piece to complement her Halston Heritage dress and cooler-than-thou gold Christian Louboutin pumps (with a gold Chanel clutch to match).

And Heidi Klum may have given up her clover jewelry line, but Carrie Bradshaw is keeping the category alive and well with this little gem to go with her purple Halston number.

Oh, but this is just the beginning, my bling-obsessed brethren. Stay tuned for my Venice Film Festival jewelry coverage (so far, nothing major to report despite a gorgeous Eva Mendez making a red carpet appearance) and NY Fashion Week is but a mere 8 days away.

Fall may be the time when summer’s fruits die on the vine, but its ‘back to school’ vibe for all things shiny gets my jewelry juices flowing like no other season.

Don't you agree?

Jewelry Explodes in Paris

The Paris couture shows are taking the runways by storm this week, and while folks generally take a gander at the often-outrageous looks and wonder who on earth would ever wear such nonsense, I find couture gawking the perfect indulgence – especially in these trying times. It’s like rolling around in a vat of Cherry Garcia or having that third - ok fourth - margarita.

So imagine my dismay when I came across the Karl Lagerfeld show for Chanel. It’s all white. It’s suit skirts. It’s a jewelry wasteland. Of course there were fabulously intricate white hats that dazzled the well-heeled crowd, but I’m not in the mood for white right now, Karl. This economy blows. I’m no longer getting my hair highlighted. I want an escape, not a reminder of how bland life is now that I'm off the $4 lattes.

























Thankfully, Christian Lacroix is my new ‘white’ knight in shining couture. Not only are there colors exploding all over his catwalk, but the jewelry is an over-the-top display of decadence the likes of which I’ve never seen before. It’s like going down a bauble-filled rabbit hole on crack.
















































Dinner plate-sized hoop earrings, stacks of mismatched lacquer and crystal cuffs, multiple layerings of giant necklaces, gilded heart-shaped lockets, faux fronds of coral, beaded everything but the kitchen sink… Clearly, words don’t do the show justice, but Style.com’s reviewer comes close:

“(The show) was a pleasure to witness and something to be inspired by. Even if only the very few will own a part of this collection, there's an idea in there for every fashion watcher: If you've got jewelry, it's time to bring it out and try piling it on all at once.”

























So perhaps we mere mortals can take a lesson from the ivory tower of runway fashion. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Anything goes. If you’ve still got those rubber bangles from the 80s, put 'em on with your diamond necklace and that beaded choker you're afraid to wear for fear it makes you look 'easy'.

I may be getting a little couture-crazed, but if you don't want to scare the neighbors, you at least have to get the full effect of the Lacroix jewelry dreamscape by checking out the dizzying pics on Style.com. And be sure to pair your viewing with a nice pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk. You’ll thank me for it later.