Necklace jewellery fashion trends Spring/Summer 2012

Posted on May 15, 2012 by glam-net.com

Seashell, feathers, tassels, mixed media, bib, collar – all key jewellery trends for Spring/Summer 2012 and a great way of updating your look.  Here is my edit of Glam-net’s statement designer necklaces keeping in mind current jewellery fashion, click on the images to shop.

Shell Jewellery

The sea was a big theme at both the Chanel and Versace Spring/Summer 2012 runway shows. So it transpires that seashells, starfish and seahorse inspired jewellery is a strong trend for accessories this summer – just see Miu Miu’s crystal encrusted seahorse sandals.

This shell pendant necklace hits three 2012 jewellery trends - shell, tassels, mixed media.

Mixed Media

The beauty of mixed media jewellery is its individuality and edginess.  Designers get to play with different textures and materials: wood, fabric, leather, metals, beading, tassels – you name it.

Blue silk print necklace by British designer Kate Hasted.

Sloane red silk print necklace by British jewellery designer Kate Hasted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collar Necklaces

A huge trend in 2012 and a firm favourite among celebrities and fashion editors, with Vogue’s Anna Wintour choosing a bejewelled collar necklace to wear to the 2012 Met Gala Ball last week.

Silver metallic collar necklace by Orly Genger by Jaclyn Mayer

Gold metallic rope collar necklace by New York design team Orly Genger by Jaclyn Mayer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bib Necklaces

This jewellery trend has been around a while but is still going strong in 2012.  It’s a great statement necklace – a little bit tricky to wear but looks brilliant teamed over a simple white top.  Remember a bib necklace should be the focal point of your outfit so tone down the rest of your jewellery.  I love this pic of uber-blogger Olivia Palermo, showing how it’s done.

Mixed media bib necklace by Italian designers Moovy.

 

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith.

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A fashion photographer’s summer beach escape

Posted on May 14, 2012 by glam-net.com

 

Image by Diego Diaz Marin - nautical fashion, love these shorts.

Here’s something to get you in a sizzling hot mood for Summer:  I just got sent these luscious images by Spanish fashion photographer Diego Diaz Marin.  Currently based in Florence he has worked with Just Cavalli, Schield Collection and upcoming brand Aquazzura shoes; his photographs have appeared in Vogue, Elle and Style.com.  Diego tells me his biggest inspiration is his hometown, Torre del Mar, ‘in my pictures I love to reflect the Spanish culture: sexy, strong and full of colour’.

I love the turquoise blues and kaleidoscopic imagery – this set of photographs is from a shoot called ‘Out of Paparazzi’ featuring his muse, model Fabiola Gomez.  It’s about an American girl who runs away to an Italian resort town (think the Riviera) and is saturated with colour, feminine sexuality and irony.

Enjoy, as ever. xx

 

Image by Diego Diaz Marin

 

 

Image by Diego Diaz Marin

Leather look swimsuit and blue trench jacket. Owl statement necklace by the Schield Collection. Image by Diego Diaz Marin

Image by Diego Diaz Marin

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith

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Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exhibition 2012

Posted on May 7, 2012 by glam-net.com

How to follow last year’s record-breaking Savage Beauty McQueen exhibition? The Met has turned to ‘Ugly Chic’, surreal style, skeleton dresses and torn flesh.

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations is the title of The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2012 exhibition; launching this week with the annual Met Gala Ball tonight.  Featuring 90 designs and 30 accessories by Elsa Schiaparelli spanning the 1920s – 1950s and Miuccia Prada covering the 1980s to the present; the exhibition explores how the two designers subvert our notions of taste, beauty and glamour.

Elsa Schiaparelli, eclipsed by her rival Coco Chanel in our collective memory, is enjoying a popular revival at the moment with the Met exhibition and ‘The Hunger Games’.  One of the biggest box office hits ever, the film heavily references her 1930s haute couture in its Capitol Citizens’ costumes.  This is all good news for Diego della Valle, the chief executive of Tod’s, who bought the Schiaparelli brand in 2007 with plans to relaunch it with an accessories and perfume line.

Although in reality she never really went away – so many conventions of modern fashion were started by Schiaparelli:  ready-to-wear collections; runway shows using tall, thin models; the wedge heel; the colour ‘hot pink’; even Jean Paul Gaultier’s torso shaped perfume bottle is a modern version of Schiaparelli’s ‘Shocking’ perfume bottle from the 1930s.

Schiaparelli provoked and scandalised 1930s society – I think if Schiaparelli was still alive she would find a natural affinity with Lady Gaga and Miuccia Prada; her shoe hat and tear dress were equally shocking in their time as Nicola Formichetti’s meat dress is today.

 

George Hoyningen-Huené (Russian, 1900–1968) Portrait of Elsa Schiaparelli, 1932 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hoyningen-Huené/Vogue; © Condé Nast

Guido Harari (Italian, born Cairo, 1952) Portrait of Miuccia Prada, 1999 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guido Harari/Contrasto/Redux

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wallis Simpson in Elsa Schiaparelli, Vogue, June 1, 1937 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Cecil Beaton, Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby's

Miuccia Prada, spring/summer 2011 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by © David Sims

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diana Vreeland in Elsa Schiaparelli, Harper’s Bazaar, April 1937 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Louise Dahl-Wolfe Louise Dahl-Wolfe Archive / © 2012 Center for Creative Photography, Arizona Board of Regents 6. Miuccia Prada, spring/summer 2005 Courtesy of

Miuccia Prada, spring/summer 2005 Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by © Toby McFarlan Pond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations runs from May 10 – August 19, 2012 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Posted by Christine Babington Smith.

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Royal Jubilee union jack basket tote bags

Posted on May 3, 2012 by glam-net.com

Mafana Union Jack denim blue beach bag, click image to shop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love it when the sun comes out in London; everyone looks happy and suddenly goes all continental, dining al fresco at pavement cafés in Charlotte Street and Covent Garden. This summer the buzz in London will be immense – so here is something from glam-net to get you in the spirit for June’s Royal Jubilee weekend and the 2012 Olympics.

Glam-net just took delivery of these cute union jack shopper bags by Mafana which means ‘hot’ in Malagasy (the language of Madagascar).  The brand sets out to improve the lives of people living in poverty in Madagascar by providing regular fair paid work. In addition Marfana gives a proportion of its income to charities based in Madagascar directly involved in building schools and medical centres or bringing fresh water to rural communities.

They also do some gorgeous nautical stripe and polka dot raffia beach bags – so who knew Fair Trade could also be fun!

Mafana pink Union Jack beach bag, click image to shop

Mafana Matelot nautical blue stripe beach bag, click image to shop.

Mafana Dottie Blue beach bag, click image to shop.

Mafana Matelot Green stripe beach bag, click image to shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith

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Christian Louboutin capsule shoe collection London 2012

Posted on May 2, 2012 by glam-net.com

 

Christian Louboutin red soles

 

Congratulations Monsieur Louboutin! 2012 sees Christian Louboutin celebrate 20 years in fashion with a new capsule collection and an exhibition at London’s Design Museum.

Glam-net’s owner Joanne was at the press preview earlier this week and took some photos for the blog.  It’s very fetishistic and you can see Louboutin’s theatrical roots in burlesque: he started his career at the Folies Bergères cabaret in Paris and apprenticed with Roger Vivier.  I just read Louboutin’s biography online – what an incredible life!

At the core of the exhibition is an exploration of Louboutin’s design process, revealing how a shoe is constructed, from the initial drawing through to production in the factory.  There are also lots of gorgeous shoes on display; from stilettos, lace-up boots, studded sneakers to bejewelled pumps.

These Christian Louboutin stilettos in yellow are so feminine.

 

Love these Louboutin stilettos in mauve velvet - really decadent Moulin Rouge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gold studded Christian Louboutins

Christian Louboutins in this season's colour - cobalt blue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asteroid - Christian Louboutin 20th anniversary capsule collection 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The exhibition runs from 01 May – 09 July, visit http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2012/christian-louboutin for more details.

As usual I have uploaded lots more images from the exhibition on glamyou’s flickr feed.

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith.

 


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Ernestomeda meets Edra – Milan Design Week 2012

Posted on April 26, 2012 by glam-net.com

 

Salone Mobile - Milan Design Week 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More funky images from Milan Design Week 2012 as promised.  The main Salone Mobile exhibition is overwhelming in size, it’s the biggest of its kind in the world, so much that it makes you feel rather small.  There were so many people there, particularly on the main walks linking the exhibition halls that at one point I really did feel like an ant.

This is my edit of the more stylish, funky, outré, beautiful, quirky and inspiring exhibits at the main show and fuorisalone in Via Tortona.

Kusch - Past, Present, Future at the Temporary Museum for New Design

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s clear from trawling the stands at Eurocucina, current Kitchen design trends have two branches: white minimalist or outrageous bling.  At one end you have Ernestomeda, Gaggenau and Scavolini and at the other there is The Great Italian Kitchen.  Personally I prefer the spare minimalist style, but for sheer spectacle bling rules.

Diesel Successful Living Kitchen by Scavolini

 

 

 

Ernestomeda wine fridge - mine would always be empty though!

The Great Italian Kitchen, I think the butler is an optional extra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onto the Design pavilions, here a myriad of premium furniture brands presented their designs for living space.  While most designers conform to the mode for a clean contemporary look, Italian brand Edra has always followed its own path.  This year Edra celebrates 25 years of unique and quirky furniture design, with pieces like this Alice chair by Jacopo Foggini, made from polycarbonate and the classic velvet Boa sofa by Fernando and Humberto Campana.

Edra Alice chair, Salone Mobile 2012

Edra Boa sofa, Milan Design Week 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fuorisalone exhibition in Via Tortona is more an art installation than furniture showroom; a highlight was the Foscarini Inspire cinema room with its fragmented screens by Vincente Garcia Jimenez and Massimo Gardone.  I also liked the Kusch hanging chairs in the Temporary Museum for New Design and this suspended chair by Spanish design team Planeta Edriel.  Many thanks to the designer Mercedes for sending me the image, and explaining that the chair is unfinished – the structure will eventually be covered in white leather.

Kusch chair installation, Temporary Museum for New Design

 

 

 

 

Armadilium chair by Planeta Edriel, image courtesy of designer Mercedes Eirin Gallardo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to see more images from the exhibitions I have posted them on glamyou’s flickr feed.  As always, enjoy xx.

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith

 

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Lighting the way – Fuorisalone Milan Design Week 2012

Posted on April 23, 2012 by glam-net.com

Last week was Milan Design Week 2012, where the whole city celebrates modern furniture design.  This year I went to both the official exhibition, more about that later, and the funkier Fuorisalone event in Via Tortona.

I love going to the Tortona area of Milan, it’s a cool part of the city with lots of boutiques, design studios and coffee shops – plus I used to live there.  The exhibition itself is more avant-garde than the official fair, with lots of private spaces open to the public with weird and wonderful mini-exhibits.  You never know what you might find as you explore old factory buildings, warehouse space and private courtyards.

This year lighting was a big theme, I fell in love with this hand-crafted ‘luminous sculpture’ by Adriana Lohmann, an ex-model from Brazil and now successful lighting designer based in Milan.

Luminous sculpture by Adriana Lohmann, additional sculptures by Stefano Grecchi of Gruppo Sintesi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved the dramatic effect of this fibre optic lighting designed for nightclubs and hotels, I also saw it used on cushions and soft furnishings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another lighting sculpture which caught my eye was this glass and steel Arabesque style lamp from VGnewtrend.  Part of a lavish set at The Fiction Hotel exhibition inspired by Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, and recalling the luxury of 1930s telefoni bianchi films.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A chance meeting at lunch with Lee Gibson, an interior design student at Parsons in New York, led me to a crowd-sourced concept club (bit of alliteration overkill for you there).  Lee is one of nineteen student designers selected by the Heineken Ideas Brewery to design a pop-up night-club as part of an initiative to encourage new talent.  Any club-goer will tell you that lighting is a key element in the clubbing experience – here the beer bottles change as you go from one room to the other (it’s all in the colour lighting used in each environment).  My favourite thing was the bar area – and not because there were free drinks on offer.  The bar surface was interactive: lighting up when you order a drink and when the bottles communicate with each other.

Mine's a beer please

Heineken beer bottles talking to each other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another interactive lighting effect, this time at the Home Spa Design 2012 exhibition space, was this autumn leaves floor projection by Nemes.  As you walk across, the leaves magically move out of your way as if blown by the wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My final lighting find was this amazing installation by melogranoblu, part of their Hydra collection of blown glass shapes.

melogranoblu lighting installation at the Temporary Museum for New Design, Fuorisalone 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s it for now, will post more funky finds later.

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith

 

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Farewell to Marrakech at the Riad El Fenn

Posted on April 16, 2012 by glam-net.com

 

Riad El Fenn, central courtyard. Image courtesy of El Fenn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m back in Milan now, last night was my final evening in Marrakech and we decided to head to the Jamaa el-Fna square in the medina.  At night the square is full of food stalls touting for customers, story-tellers, drumming musicians, beggars, tourists and locals doing a Moroccan style passeggiata.

My companions and I decided to take up the Andrew Zimmern challenge and made for the food stalls selling sheep’s heads. We were the only tourists sitting amongst the locals – I’m quite proud of that; other tourists tended to opt for the less hardcore grilled meat stalls. Although I must admit I don’t think I ate any sheep’s brain – it was dark – the meat was quite tasty; another experience to chalk up.

Marrakech is a city full of contrasts: from the pavement cafès and luxury hotels of the Guéliz, the city’s modern New Town, to the medieval warren like streets of the medina.  So one minute we found ourselves eating sheep’s head in a chaotic marketplace, the next we were drinking cocktails in the Riad El Fenn.

 

Balconies Riad El Fenn, Marrakech

 

 

The riad’s owner is Vanessa Branson, sister of Richard, and the place is luxurious, huge and decorated in a deep sexy red.  We loved the bar with its lamp installation by Francis Upritchard, and chatted outside for ages by the plunge pool and warming ash pit.

This is what I’ve come to expect from the medina, it’s full of surprises and hidden gems awaiting discovery, its dingy alleyways leading to beautifully restored riad hotels.

I will definitely be back, next time I quite fancy exploring the desert; maybe I might do a yoga retreat organized by Emma from the Riad Zamzam.  Who knows, got to go to Milan tomorrow!

 

Plunge pool Riad El Fenn

Courtyard pressure cooker lanterns, Riad El Fenn

 

 

 

Where we drank cocktails, image courtesy of Riad El Fenn

Red walls, image courtesy of Riad El Fenn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith

 

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Rue Yves Saint Laurent and 33 rue majorelle – fashion shopping in Marrakech

Posted on April 16, 2012 by glam-net.com

There are two reasons for any budding fashionista to visit Rue Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech: one is the famous Majorelle Garden and the other is the concept store 33 Rue Majorelle.

The botanical garden and cobalt blue atelier designed by Paul Sinoir are exotic and stunning, but the garden is small and packed with tourists.  So anyone wanting to pay homage to Yves Saint Laurent, who bought the garden in 1980 and whose ashes were scattered here, will find it hard to find time for peaceful reflection.  Apologies that all my images are of other people taking photographs – no doubt I appear in theirs too.

Atelier Majorelle Garden, Marrakech

Majorelle Garden, Marrakech.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across the street from the garden is 33 Rue Majorelle – a destination for anyone serious about shopping in Marrakech.  The concept store was set up by Monique Bresson in 2010 to collate the best of Moroccan fashion and home-ware.  It carries designs by more than 60 Moroccan designers and craftsman, and is a great source of inspiration for gifts to take back home.

Designers to look out for include Said Mahrouf, an established name in Moroccan fashion circles; Max and Jan, a Dutch design duo based in Agadir; Leo Atlante, for foulards; Lup 31, a Marrakech based designer of gorgeous home-ware and textiles; Chez Zoé, for white Egyptian cotton children’s Djellabas and burnous; and finally Amine Bendriouch, an upcoming Moroccan designer focussed on street-wear clothing.

The store also has a juice bar and salon space that regularly features exhibitions – it’s a bit like 10 Corso Como in Milan and is regularly compared to Colette in Paris.

As always I have some lovely photos for you, enjoy xx.

Downstairs in the concept store 33 rue majorelle

Hats from Le chapelier, at concept store 33 rue majorelle

Mezzanine 33 rue majorelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leo Atlante scarves, 33 rue majorelle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith.

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Atlas Mountains Kasbah Angour hotel

Posted on April 14, 2012 by glam-net.com

Atlas Mountains - view from the terrace Kasbah Angour

Just got back from a trip to the Atlas Mountains, about a 40 minute drive from Marrakech. Can’t believe the amount of development that is happening around the city – you can never have enough golf courses it seems.

Our drive took us past a Berber women’s co-operative where they produce Argan Oil the traditional way.  We stayed at the Kasbah Angour, a boutique hotel in a restored Berber castle at the foot of the mountains in Tahanaout.

Women from the Coopérative Féminine AFRA making Argan oil.

We appear to have picked the only time in Morocco when it rains, so the pool was off limits unfortunately.  We also got completely drenched on a trek; so took refuge in a local villager’s home.  Many thanks for the mint tea and the lift back to the Kasbah!

View from our balcony at the Kasbah Angour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have really come to appreciate mint tea, Berber bread and pancakes whilst in Morocco – am going to look up a recipe for Berber style pancakes when I get back to Milan.

 

Posted by Christine Babington Smith.

 

 

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