Piaget Partners With Designer Michael Bastian For Fashion Show

Can you have a fashion show with models looking incomplete? I don’t think so. In addition to the clothes, styles must be complete with watches when merited. The latest Fashion Week saw designer Michael Bastian choosing Piaget as the watch brand of choice for his models while displaying his Spring men’s fashion collection.
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Jaeger-LeCoultre And Fashion Designer Suneet Varma Pay Homage To La Belle Epoque

La Belle Epoque was an era and an aesthetic. Consider it a precursor to Art Deco that started in Europe in the late 19th century. The popularity of Art Deco often times over shadows the attractive designs and forms that defined the era before it among the fashionably aware. Recently, Indian clothes designer Suneet Varma created a brand new collection of La Belle Epoque influenced fashions and chose to pair them with Jaeger-LeCoultre watches. Varma is an Indian national, but studied fashion in the UK.

The partnership was a success, as many of the more traditional Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces matched the designs being classically inspired themselves. Interestingly enough, La Belle Epoque designs also meld well with some of the traditional Indian fashions, with Varma’s designs looking like a polished hybrid of the two. Accordingly, you saw a slew of saris and lehngas on the catwalk in the new collection. Continue Reading… »

IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Rose Gold Watch

A timepiece such as this makes the same type of sense that a decadently appointed off-road worthy SUV does. Why do you gild a device meant to go off the beaten track and be exposed to the elements? Just as most Cadillac Escalade owners don’t tread their pampered big-wheelers off road, such is the case with the owners of gold cased IWC Aquatimer Chronograph watches. “Strong enough for the sea, but made for cruising in the Bentley,” as I say.

The watch is still pretty as sin though, and for this Ref. IW3769 watch, IWC gave it their in-house made automatic caliber 89360 chronograph movement – beautifully decorated and finished as visible through the caseback window. The chronograph is special because it has a bi-compax array of subdials, but retains timing of up to 12 hours. The top subsidiary dial has two counter hands in it, for the chronograph minutes and for the hours. The chronograph hands are in all red for clarity, while the lower subdial is for the watch seconds and also has an integrated date window. Continue Reading… »

2009 Costume Institute Gala

Fashion and Hollywood came together this week to celebrate the 2009 Costume Institute Gala. The annual event celebrates the opening of a new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and this year’s theme was Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion. The exhibit illustrates fashion’s contribution and influence on popular culture over the years, and the gala saw designers and their muses celebrating hand in hand.

The Costume Institute Gala is a veritable who’s who, and who’s WEARING whom event, and is considered to be THE fashion event of the season. Many celebrities are accompanied by the designer who has created their ensemble (perhaps hoping they were in fact the Muse!) Typically at this event, designers tend to favor edgy, over the top couture, and yes, some even look downright costumey. For all of the playfulness and daring in the designs, the jewelry seems to present the serious and glamorous side of couture. Where celebrities may be cautious on a red carpet or at a premiere, there are no such holds barred at this event. In terms of jewelry, it is more like the Academy Awards, meets the Super Bowl of Fashion, meets the Cover of Vogue!

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Cameron Diaz – Jewelry Retrospective

Since the days of The Mask, Cameron Diaz has been one of the It girls in Hollywood. She’s done movie after movie, from My Best Friend’s Wedding to Shrek to Charlie’s Angels to The Holiday and now, What Happens in Vegas…. Co starring Ashton Kutcher, What Happens in Vegas… is about Diaz’s character ending up married to Kutcher in Vegas and hitting the jackpot. A prank fest ensues, as both Diaz and Kutcher’s characters try to get the other to file for divorce to keep the winnings. Since this movie could be big hit for summer, we’re going to dissect Miss Diaz’s fashion and jewelry hits. Continue Reading… »

Emmy Rossum – Chopard Diamonds at Costume Institute Gala

Emmy Rossum attended the Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art last night, wearing this exquisitely detailed Phi black and white dress. Accessorized with 70 carats of brilliant Chopard diamonds on a three strand necklace and drop diamond earrings, Emmy is quite the sight. Her look is elegant with a bit of complication and detail mixed in – a perfect combination for a singer-actress who took a brief break from film to work on her musician side. She is set for four films during 2008, including Dragonball, based on the popular Japanese anime. Continue Reading… »

Giorgio Armani Rated as a Top Luxury Brand

In a recent luxury survey published in the Time Magazine Style & Design Spring 2008 issue, the shopping interests and trends of two key luxury groups were revealed with Giorigio Armani rated as one of the top brands named by the younger group as being a “luxury brand.” Giorgio Armani was rated highly in recognition among Millenials, those born between 1980 and 2000, and their mothers, women of the Baby Boom generation.  Continue Reading… »

Swarovski Opens Flagship Store in Tokyo

In an effort to tap in to the lucrative albeit already competitive Japanese luxury market, Swarovski has opened a two-story flagship store in the upscale central Ginza district.

This is the fourth international flagship boutique for the Swiss crystal jeweler. The three previous stores include Boston, Hong Kong and London.

A primary design element of the Ginza store is the crystal staircase made from steel and thousands of faceted crystals illuminated by background lighting – a purely remarkable sight.

Also, among their jewelry and items on display, will be the facade of the store called Crystal Forest created by Japanses designer Tokujin Yoshioka using thousands of prisms. The prisms reflect the scenes which cut across them. Due to the variety of angles of the prisms, more reflections from varying angles will be reflected. The Swarovski logo – a swan – is displayed on top of the reflective prisms. His signature work are glasswork tables and chairs that give the appearance of being covered in water.

Not to be forgotten are the dazzling crystals built into the stone floor, the chandelier creating a waterfall of crystal light effect and the “Shooting Star” installation on the second floor in which crystals make a design of shooting stars. The “Star” exhibit will only be presented in the store for a limited time.

The Swarovski Ginza Tokyo flagship store opened on Marach 29, 2008. Based on the incredible decor, the Swarovki store is promising of great things to come in the future.

Teri Hatcher and Badgley Mischka Partner in New Ad Campaign

Former Superman love interest and current Housewife Teri Hatcher is the new face and vitality of fashion design duo Badgley Mischka. In addition to their growing design house, the two have delved into the world of jewelry – both low end and high end jewelry. Last year, they worked with Sequin, a fashion jeweler, to create a vintage-inspired costume jewelry.

This year, they have stepped up their game with a whole new plan of attack. They chose to reveal their new high-end luxury jewelry at the New York Fashion Week – and on the actual runway! Jewelry on the runway is typically unheard of. Since the focus is meant to be on the fashion (clothing, hats, handbags, eyewear), many designers intentionally leave out any glimmer of jewelry. Badgley Mischka has tossed that notion out, choosing instead to incorporate their new line to get the word out. The Badgley Mischka jewelry is so new in fact that it is not even on their own website yet!

The jewel of the runway was a 123 carat oval ruby cabochon drop surrounded by white diamonds set in 18k yellow gold with matching earrings. This exotic necklace was paired with a black satin shirt-waisted dress.

This months issue of Vogue has a one page layout featuring the jewelry. It includes a long necklace with stations of black jeweles accented with the diamond-studded yellow gold rings, black pear-shaped jewel dangle earrings set in yellow gold and even a watch with a big balck jewel flower design for the case on a leather strap. The black and gold pieces are modern updates of classic jewelry styles.

We can’t wait to see more of the Badgley Mischka jewelry!

Photo courtesy of Pacific Coast News.�

Michael Kors Gold Necklace

If you are looking for an exotic, luxurious gold necklace, then you will definately want to check out this Michael Kors Gold Necklace. This necklace is remniscent of the ancient Egyption necklaces and chest pieces worn by the kings and queens. The added detail of this necklace is the darker spot at the bottom of the oval — it attracts the eye right to it. This Michael Kors necklace is adjustable so that you can make sure it sits at the right place on your neck.�