This Week's Most Wanted

Balenciaga Panier straw bag, $1,119 on matchesfashion.com

This Week's Most Wanted

Proenza Schouler Ps1 suede satchel, $1595, ssense.com

New from Anaikka

It was almost a year ago that the accessories and clothing brand Anaikka launched with their fantastic jewelry pieces. Now, in addition to lust-worthy items, like an intricately-decorated gold shoulder harness (scroll down), the clothing is a beautiful reflection of the same craftsmanship with which the jewelry is made. The sculptural shapes of the designs, balanced with an unexpected edginess found in the pieces' details, like armor-type metal embellishments, make Anaikka a brand ideal for any woman looking for the next great under-the-radar clothing line.

For more info: anaikka.com

A Shoe Lover's Dream

Customization has become the norm for everything from laptops and cellphones to bespoke clothing, to the point which all of these services are readily available online, but there is one area which so far has remained untouched: the made-to-order shoe. Even though the cult of the "it bag" has given way to the "it shoe", somehow neither Manolo or Christian have taken custom shoes to the next level by offering an online custom shoe service. After all, custom suits can be ordered online from Hong Kong, so why not a pair of fashionable heels? Now the website Shoes of Prey has made this quick and easy, offering a service that allows you to design your own pair of custom shoes and have them shipped to your door.

The interface for building your shoe is easy to use and fun. You can select the style of shoe first, such as ballet flat, bootie, gladiator or peeptoe pump then select materials and colors. As you go through the process, you can choose from approximately 75 different kinds of leather ranging from snakeskin to patent leather, in a variety of different colors. In fact, there are so many choices, it's difficult to decide on just one style or color.

A finished pair of customized shoes

  If you're curious as to how close the actual shoe will look to your design and more information on how the design process works, check out this first-hand account from Beverly. 

Recycled Jewelry by Anita Quansah

Photo: Charl Marais

London-based Anita Quansah is a textile designer that reworks recycled cloths into beautifully intricate fabrics which are used in haute couture collections, as well as her own clothing designs. She also utilizes this same sense of sustainable creativity when designing necklaces, incorporating found beads, chains and fabrics in innovative ways. In fact, her necklaces are  more like wearable art than jewelry and proof that clever upcycling can yield amazing results.

Tegan necklace

Tiah necklace

Calisto necklace

Arete necklace

Jewelry photos from Anita Quansah's Flickr

The Return of the Muse: Shingai Shoniwa

There has been something missing from fashion for quite some time. I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I saw Shingai Shoniwa, lead singer of the Noisettes, in a photograph wearing a hot pink vintage bolero and a pair of orange jean shorts a few months ago, an odd combination and yet, she made it work. It was then that it occurred to me what fashion needs more of- individuality. If you look at photos of Shigai she is an absolute individual, and unafraid to take chances: she wears everything from established designers like Vivienne Westwood and Matthew Williamson, to newbies like David Koma, Ana Sekularac and Georgina Hardinge. She also mixes in vintage and afro-centric pieces into her wardrobe, and is unabashed about being photographed twice in the same piece- daring indeed.

I think back to great style mavens like Jackie O or Audrey Hepburn and wonder what this generation's equivalent might be. I know that it's not possible for everyone to create their own interesting style of dress, but with the availability of new trend information from street fashion blogs, and access to independent designers on site like Etsy, we certainly have the opportunity to express ourselves with our clothing.

What do you think- in an age of stylists who carefully curate celebrity images and a sea of trends has the sense of individuality in fashion been lost? 

GET SOME SHINGAI-INSPIRED STYLE

Boxing Kitten

 Vintage-inspired silhouettes made from African fabrics.

Market Publique

Well-edited selection of vintage clothing and accessories- think eBay without all the junk.

Elizabeth Cole Jewelry 

Unique costume jewelry.

The Noisettes 'Wild Young Hearts' from Philip Clyde-Smith on Vimeo.

Shoe Art from Etsy

Vintage shoes, artwork by Ndeur 

Two years ago, Style Gourmand featured the maginificent designs of young graphic artist Ndeur, which included graffiti-type designs done on vintage shoes. When Ndeur decided to move on and focus on other art projects, I thought my source for one-of-a-kind piece of shoe art was was, but luckily I have found "shoe artists" to fill the void. 

Here are some of the best from Etsy sellers:

Obsessions Hand-painted shoes by cocopunkz

Kamikaze Hand-painted shoes by cocopunkz

Bubble gum girl Hand-painted heels by Studio Jellyfish

Sole Trippin by taylorsays 

You can also try making your own footwear masterpiece: checkout this how-to video from Bobsmade.

Stylish Ways to Support Haiti

 

14k Yellow Gold Vintage Jade & Ruby Nugget Ring from 18kjewelers

10% of the final sale price will be donated to the Red Cross

Through eBay Giving Works, bid on products from 

sellers that will contribute a percentage of the final 

sale price to Haitian relief efforts, sell your own items
 and choose to donate up to 100% of the profit to a  charity

 of your choice or make a charitable donation through Paypal.

In addition to giving a pair of shoes to a child in need for every 

pair sold, Toms Shoes will also donate $5 for each item purchased 

from now until January 16 to support disaster relief in Haiti.

Fashionable Earth is selling limited edition t-shirts 

made from recycled clothing. All proceeds from

  Revolution t-shirts will be donated to UNICEF.

Earrings by Voleur de Bijoux 

(donating 25% of all sales in January to UNICEF) 

A group of sellers on Etsy are contributing 

a portion of their sales for the month of 
January to the Hatian relief effort.

   Here is a full list of participating Etsy sellers.

Time to Shine

The holidays means gifts, decorations and lots of parties. Sequins and glitter are the perfect way to spruce up last year's outfit or just give you that extra twinkle. Whether you'd like to add some luster to a little black dress or go for a full on glamour girl gleam, here are some recommendations for adding a little sparkle to your holiday season.

Touch of Tinsel Clockwise from top left: Crushed Glitter Satin Clutch,
jcrew.com; Hair Clip, H&M ; Stone Mesh Bracelet, coach.com;

Kat Von D Lightning Sheer Lip Gloss, sephora.com; Cala Sequin

  Heel, ralphlauren.com;  Yellow Dream Dangle earrings, Sterling

Silver Flower Bud earrings, both available at jewelryartdesigns.com

Clockwise from top left: Amici Accessories Sequin Fedora,

nordstrom.com; Sequin Belt, H&M ; Sephora Brand Glitter Spray, 

amazon.com;  Christian Louboutin Straratata 140 Glitter Sandals,

mytheresa.com ; Make Up Forever Glitter, sephora.com

 Maximum Wattage Left to right: Fast Sequin Dress, frenchconnection.com;
  Gryphon Silver Sequin Short-sleeve Mini Dress, 25park.com


 

Anaikka Jewelry

Anaikka is taking the phrase "statement necklace" to the next level. The line of apparel and accessories which will launch this spring in stores around the world features distinctive handmade jewelry from India that is both edgy and luxurious; a nod to both tradition and modern dressing. In addition to bracelets and necklaces, there are also more unexpected pieces like a silver harness (below) that crosses at the chest. Like all of the other jewelry from Anaikka, it compliments the clean silhouettes of the clothing in the collection.

If you can't wait until spring to get your hands on some of these one-of-a-kind accessories, Anaikka will be having a Spring 2010 Accessories Trunk Show at Henri Bendel 712 Fifth Avenue this Sunday November 22 and Monday November 23 from 12-8PM

All photos courtesy of Anaikka

Spat On: How to Make that Old Shoe Look New Again

Spats are leather or cloth coverings that can be strapped onto the upper part of a shoe and a clever way to give a plain pair of shoes a makeover. This nifty accessory can be found in almost every shape, color and fabric on Etsy, and some seller's even take custom orders. Below is a list of my faves all from Etsy.

Ivory Leather Flower Spats by joiacouture


Turquoise Leather Viviana Cut Out Spats by Ashes and Empires


Royal Blue Leather Spat from Leather Made Nice


Lisette Herringbone Spats with Brass Studs & Scallop
detail by Ashes and Empire


Gizelle Herringbone Spats with Leather Ruffles
& Buttons by Ashes and Empires

Make Them Green With Envy

Earth day and Earth Week may have passed, but here are some eco-chic basics to add to your wardrobe without sacrificing an ounce of style

Japanese paper vegan handbag by matt & nat,
179 euros at uniquenature.com
















Canvas vegan sandals by Cri de Coeur
95 pounds at fashionconscience.com






Sustainable bamboo sunglasses by Kayu,
150 pounds at fashionconscience.com



Sustainable cotton sneakers by Converse,
35 pounds at fashionconscience.com





Organic cotton jeans by Ascension Clothing,
15 pounds at adili.com

The New "It" Bag: A Digital Clutch

The Digital Clutch from HP, designed by Vivienne Tam, $699.99 at hp.com

The It bag is over. Cue the hit shoe

By Suzy Menkes, International Herald Tribune

Balenciaga shoes, farfetch.com


















PARIS: Like an attention-grabbing wild child who finally grew up, the handbag has resumed its former role as a polite appendage to the family of fashion.

After its decade in the limelight, the It bag is finally over. That does not mean that purses, holdalls and totes are finished. How could we live without them? But that the focus is on other accessories: designer jewelry, broad bangles, wide belts and madly creative shoes.

The bag is now blending with an outfit as though it no longer wants to show off its voluptuous shape, rattle its heavy metal chains, or be a one-season wonder that is then auctioned on eBay to pay for the next hot design.

The deflation of the bag's status is partly from fashion fatigue. When a Victoria Beckham, a Paris Hilton or any reed-thin Hollywood star wears a uniform of skinny jeans and sexy top, jazzed up with a vast bag, there has to be change to entice customers to buy.

Judging by the designer offerings displayed in post-sale shop windows, shoes are out to steal the limelight, with mighty platforms, carved heels, cages of straps and all sorts of decoration, from feathers to beading.

Since the "model wobble" was a feature of the recent runways, the concept of "falling for" a pair of these pricey pieces is going to take on a whole new meaning. Yet, to some extent, the It shoe makes sense, in that it is a rare piece of footwear that survives the assaults of uneven sidewalks, heel-trapping grids and wet weather. Only flats - and they are the least fancy styles on offer - tend to linger in the closet.

A bag can give lasting pleasure, maybe even be passed down from mother to daughter, as were the Hermès Kelly, Chanel's classic quilted purse or even - in the pre-Tom-Ford era - Gucci's bar-and-bit bags.

Inevitably, classicism is on the way back in a jittery financial climate that is encouraging customers to look for lasting value. So there is also an emotional and intellectual reason to look for a fresh fashion start after the dramatic end of the bling-bling era.

Clothes themselves, after taking a modest position during the era of star accessories, have become more substantial. So bags become polite partners, not flashy competition, to a leather dress or to black and white patterned pajamas, both color and texture folding in together.

The concept of sustainability, a conscience about a wasteful society and the pertinent problem of finding the money for new purchases, all contribute to a mind-set where the It bag seems frivolous.

Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2009 shoe
photo: International Herald Tribune
Luxury companies have anticipated the change. Where there are logos, they tend to be quiet and classic - the Stephen Sprouse collaboration with Louis Vuitton excepted. And the more familiar LV logo canvas or Damier patterns make up the main stock.

Bags have also become smaller, with the clutch or traditional purse competing with the vast empty space in which a woman's life - phone, wallet, makeup, scarf, sneakers, change of hose, food and water - is hurled.

It all adds up to good sense, and sensibility to changing times. And if there is also a history of a recession producing wild design, well, those fantasy shoes, where design and craftsmanship are compressed into such a small space, could add a springtime fillip to clothes recycled from the closet for another season.

Fashion has a brand new bag

I recently saw an ad on New York Craigslist selling Anya Hindmarch's now infamous "I am not a Plastic Bag" for $149. Despite the fact that the lucky few who stood in line for hours were able purchase one for a mere $15, the price of one of these "it" bags has gone as high as $250 on Ebay.
Although Anya Hindmarch has gained the most press for her eco-accessory, there are other options for those of you that wish to be environmentally responsible and stylish at the same time, here are some suggestions

He convinced indie girls everywhere to trade in their leather handbags for cute graphic totes. Now Marc Jacobs offers roomier versions for shopping and lugging, with the city in which it was purchased printed on the side.

Available only at Marc Jacobs stores, $12
For further info and store locations marcjacobs.com


The Hermes silky pop bag has more than just a cute name. It comes in four exclusive Hermes designs and is made of the finest silk. Best of all it collapses into a leather case about the size of a wallet. A tres chic emergency carryall bag for an unexpected trip to the store!

$960 at Hermes boutiques
See hermes.com for more information



Part of the Destination: Berlin collection spotlighting German designers at the Museum of Modern Art store in New York, this leather shopper is simple and utilitarian. Its design is that of a simple plastic bag, but a stylish reinterpretation done in supple leather.

$395 at the MoMa store
Buy online at momastore.org

The Romero bag is made from recycled seat belts, coats and bicycle inner tube. Maybe it's not large enough for groceries, but it definitely affords more space than a handbag and is more durable.
Costs approx $130 Available at terraplana.com