GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAFY

. . . with thoughts still lingering on the sandy shores of bora bora, it is no surprise that, on this late-winter day, drawn to the sea-inspired creations of jeweller, sarah brown, whose irregular and beautiful compositions, woven together of island legends and tales of creatures beneath the sea, come together in collections of enchanting, evocative pieces drenched in a sense of curiosity and the unknown . . .

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. . . two lovely things : the autumn weight of classic herringbone, beautifully set off by the seeming weightlessness of always glamorous gold, and perfectly polished in taupe, paired with delicate and elegant bands of gold . . .

Often, accessories are added afterward, to accentuate outfits, adding glimmering touches here and there. In the case of LA-based CC Skye, however, the accessories she designs do not merely accent outfits, but rather, create them.



Unlike most fashion lines that are influenced by big cities like New York or Paris, CC Skye was born out of a six-month study abroad program that the designer did in Nepal. Traveling only with a backpack containing the bare essentials, CC, a true LA Girl at heart, missed the fashions she would find in the pages of Vogue while living in Kathmandu.



After some time, she decided to trade in her hiking boots and ended up in the silk stalls of Kathmandu, buying silk used for Tibetan Temples to make dresses with the help of local seamstresses, and started to work with gems and metals . . .



According to the designer, "...living in Nepal made me stop and learn how to to create my vision with my hands and use my resources rather than just go out and buy something, which is what we are all so used to doing in a consumer-based culture. It [Nepal] was a self-sustained culture in which you grew your own food, made your own utensils out of bamboo or wood, and ultimately, you made your own spring wardrobe".



CC Skye, who has been called "consistently ahead of the trends" by Women's Wear Daily, merges uptown sophistication with downtown glamour in her jewelry and handbag collection. A favourite of the most fashionable celebrities, including Eva Mendes and Nicole Richie, CC Skye's line was nominated for Best New Accessory Designer by GEN ART.



This week, we ask the designer:

. . . at this moment, a lovely little love knot . . .

{pavé diamond love knot, finn jewelry via brooklyn bride}

. . . have been having a wonderful time dreaming up holiday gift ideas, and quite adore self-taught san francisco bay area-based metalsmith andrea bonelli's beautifully simple and classic handmade jewelry line -- filled with diamond stacking bands and glittering moissanite studs, the collection is also eco friendly, using recycled and ethically mined diamonds and gems and would be the perfect gifts, boxed and wrapped in gold paper and tied with velvet ribbon, or, if you can not bear to part with them, equally perfect with silk-taffeta one-shouldered dresses for upcoming holiday parties . . .

{images: andrea bonelli jewelry}

. . . and for all those upcoming holiday parties under glittering garlands and the twinkle of fairy lights, or romantic dinner dates on nights of softly falling snow, rings made of gold dust and pendants filled with a million shooting stars . . .

{p.s.} also perfect as gifts for your sister, best friend, {or yourself}

{also} previous at the shops:
* lulu frost
* ralph lauren, paris
* neology by mina, brooklyn
* mrs. press, australia


{images: dollybird design one of a kind handmade artisan jewelry. , also here via oh hello friend}

. . . have fallen in love with these ultra-stylish and ever-so-thin gold & silver handmade rings and the beautiful way they stack and twist . . .

{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* mrs. press, australia
* rothschild & bickers, uk
* billy bride, australia
* satomi kawakita, new york

images: neology by mina on etsy via hip hip gin gin}

. . . having quite a love affair with all things australian lately, with katie and natasha, and now these incredibly beautiful rings by billy bride, handcrafted from naturally occurring materials such as citrine, lapis lazuli, quartz, and the stunning, champagne aura, a metaphysical stone created when quartz is bonded with vaporized gold . . .

{p.s.}
* more minerals: carly waito, oil on masonite
* previous at the shops: satomi kawakita, new york

{images: billy bride via the shiny squirrel}

. . . could spend hours browsing the rings and things at satomi kawakita jewelry, with its wonderfully organic sense of beauty -- there are tiny gold flowers, intricate & lacy details and delicate bangles, and most of all, exotic and startling beautiful gray diamonds . . .

{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* the society inc.
* crucial trading

{images: satomi kawakita jewelry via wit & delight}

. . . good morning! hope you had a lovely, lovely weekend; had the wonderful privilege of spending a perfect few days soaking up sunny rays on a terrace in the country, taking breaks only for ice cream at old stone cottages and glasses of chardonnay on wrought iron chairs at quaint cafés by the river . . . and today is so stunningly beautiful and summer-like, abandoning the indoors for a while for a few moments in the sun {such a lovely time of year!}, leaving you with soft and elegant, and always classic, shades of buttercream . . .

à bientôt & hope your week is off to a beautiful start,
xo

{p.s.} two new posts from late last week you may have missed:
* inspiration: summer, summer, summer
* two lovely things: entryways

* & one more day for the diamond give-away . . .


{images: 1&2 - gabrielle kai; 3 - country home may 2005 via greige}