Gabriella Handbags launches new autumn/winter collection
The runaway success of the Gabriella handbag collection has continued and accelerated in 2010, with sales rocketing beyond 2009 sales before the end of spring.
Designer Gaby Novelli has revealed her new collection, confirming the Gabriella signature for flair, strong themed and fashion-led designs. Autumn introduces flowers, ruffles and frills, some with chain or zip edging, eyelets and stud detailing. The palette ranges from bold teal, red and purple, to subtle grey and mushroom, along with textured black and a little chocolate brown. Straps and pockets contrast, side pocket zips run diagonally and shapes are curvaceous.
More bags are medium-sized, though Gabriella retains a handful of larger day bags that have become synonymous with the brand since its launch in 2008. Another highlight is a trio of glamorous evening bags, featuring sequin roses, bow design and diamante bracelet straps.
The websites for Gaby's and Gabriella Handbags have been updated to allow online ordering, visit www.gabysfashion.com or www.gabrillahandbags.com.
Posted: 31 August 2010
Zandra Rhodes flies the accessories flag
Just recently we visited Pure London, which took place at the Olympia and had a great time meeting many of those who contribute to Attire Accessories Magazine.
Pure London offered an inspirational line up of content, which included insights from leading fashion gurus from the world of TV, the internet, high street and independent retailing. One particular icon who took part in an interview with Vogue.com was Zandra Rhodes - pictured here with Attire Accessories editor, Emma Zücker.
During the catwalk chat, Zandra discussed her career in fashion while showing off the new bag range ? a completely new venture for the imminent septuagenarian ? and telling the crowd how all bags have to be practical. "There's no use having a gorgeous bag if you can't fit everything in it,? she explained.
Along with her recent shoe range by Strutt Couture, Zandra is certainly flying the accessories flag. "It's all very well having clothes," she told Vogue.com, "but we need shoes to walk in and bags to carry things, so they're just as important." Our sentiments exactly!
Posted: 23 August 2010
Hetty Rose launches collection at event for London Fashion Week
Bespoke shoe designer Hetty Rose will be launching her Ready to Wear collection, as part of new event the Fashion Lounge, for London Fashion Week.
Award winning Nolcha, in association with BelEsprit, will host The Fashion Lounge simultaneously to London Fashion Week to showcase top tier independent fashion designers. The event will take place on 20th September, from 12pm to 4pm, at Trafalgar Hotel - as recognised by Harpers Bazaar and Tatler - which is 10 minutes from Somerset House and in the centre of the London Fashion Week buzz.
The Fashion Lounge welcomes editors, retailers, stylists and industry figures to preview independent fashion designers from around the globe in the pop up showroom, when you can enjoy a relaxing foot rub and freshen up their look in the Aveda beauty oasis while indulging in signature cocktails and delicious canapés.
Hetty said: "The Ready to Wear range takes the essence of our bespoke, handmade shoes in our signature vintage kimono fabric style and makes them more accessible, so clients can buy without the six-to-eight week wait for bespoke shoes. Clients can own a precious piece of designer footwear at a more affordable price point."
For further information on Hetty Rose, visit www.hettyrose.co.uk or call the designer directly on +44 (0)7905 083 745.
Posted: 18 August 2010
Myka Designs lands in the UK
Over the past 19 years Myka Designs has become well known in North America for its varied collection of large stone and jewel pieces, beautiful art deco designs, modern and antique-look jewellery, and the brand has now arrived in the UK.
Autumn/winter 2010 sees Myka expands its successful Charmed collection by introducing bold, detachable designs with larger stones in a myriad of fabulous colours and shapes. Crystallized by Swarovski, the Myka Charmed collection offers a contemporary and artistic approach to the ever popular charm concept.
"For our autumn/winter 2010 collection, our inspiration came from many influences including great artists, architecture, historical costume design, current fashion, interior design, celebrities or interesting textiles," says the brand's Maja Bremer.
"Tying all of these ideas together we were able to express our love of detail and the combination of unusual materials to create the designs Myka has become known for."
To find out more telephone +44 (0)7771 537 768.
Posted: 11 August 2010
Dyrberg Kern celebrates 25th anniversary
Danish jewellery brand Dyrberg Kern celebrates its 25th anniversary in style this year with a stunning new collection that its fans are sure to love.
The fantastic Monogram Collection is the 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition, 'Celebrating 25 years of Jewellery Love.' The brand is honouring 25 years of creativity with this special, limited edition line of jewellery featuring a commemorative Dyrberg/Kern Monogram coin with a unique DK motif.
The collection is comprised of chunky necklaces, heavy charm bracelets, hoop earrings and chains belts. Each item is available in an impressive array of enticing colours, including stunning crystal pieces made with CRYSTALLIZED TM Swarovski Elements.
For further information telephone +44 (0)800 169 3647 or access
www.dyrbergkern.com.
Posted: 5 August 2010
Royds solicitors and International Jewellery London join forces to create PIPR
City solicitors Royds LLP together with International Jewellery London (IJL) has created a new initiative, 'Promoting Intellectual Property Rights' (PIPR) which will be launched at IJL at Earl's Court from 5th - 8th September 2010.
PIPR will highlight the value of intellectual property rights and provide a visual warning to would-be copiers of designs that IJL will not condone any form of infringing conduct at its shows. Exhibitors and visitors alike will be comforted by the pro-active stance adopted by the exhibition organisers at IJL, and the fact that specialist copyright lawyers are involved.
As well as collaborating with IJL in PIPR, lawyers from Royds intellectual property unit attend the exhibition to provide on-the-spot advice to members of its client organisation British Jewellers' Association under the successful Copywatch scheme.
Sam Willoughby, event manager for International Jewellery London said: "We see honest business practice as fundamental to any effective market - and IJL is no different. As well as raising awareness and promoting PIPR before, during and after the exhibition we will enshrine the principles in all future editions of IJL."
For more information on IJL access www.jewellerylondon.com.
Posted: 26 July 2010
Newcomer wins IJL Editors Choice award
This year's International Jewellery London show is the first Jessica Jewellery Design has taken part in and designer Jessica Sherriff has received some exciting news. It has been announced that she has won the IJL Editors Choice 2010 award for the category of technical excellence. Jessica's contemporary acrylic jewellery is inspired by views that surround her. She uses her own photographic images and hand prints them on to the pieces. The jewellery is finished with a combination of polished and matt surfaces that allow the images to refract in a unique way.
This year she will be showing Alliums, the floral circular range which won her the award. Also featured will be Cartwheel Flower and Manmade which were both launched this spring. These new ranges feature delicate floral images and in contrast more industrial views. Jessica has also created some new shapes with a three piece segment bangle and pendant as well as more unusual curved pieces, and has brought out a full range of cufflinks.
"I was thrilled and surprised to hear the news that I was one of the winners," says Jessica. "I work very hard creating jewellery with an unconventional material, and pride myself on giving a fine finish to each hand made piece. It is great to receive recognition for all the hard work and think it is also a great boost for contemporary jewellery."
Jessica's work can be seen at IJL, Earls Court 2, 5th - 8th September, stand B14. For more information visit the website at
www.jessicajewellerydesign.co.uk.
Posted: 21 July 2010
Lingerie model, Sophie Anderton, appears on DMU's first lingerie and bodywear London catwalk.
Sophie Anderton made an appearance on the catwalk on Monday 14th June when Leicester's De Montfort University (DMU) staged its annual Contour Fashion Show in London for the first time in the institution's history.
Nineteen final collections from lingerie and bodywear designers of the future on both DMU's Contour Fashion and Fashion and Contour Design courses were showcased in the capital at Freemason's Hall, in Covent Garden.
A panel of judges including DMU experts and industry names from Triumph, Harriet's Muse and Stretchline, came together last month to select the final list of students.
Sue Loder, PR Consultant for Triumph International Ltd, said: "It was pleasing to see the high technical standard of the students' collections. The most successful were those that were able to show off their skill, whilst producing detailed and originally designed pieces that will make them stand out as real prospects for the future in the industry."
Sophie Anderton, wears Penny Newton's collection. Image courtesy of www.simonarmstrong.com
Posted: 16 June 2010
Bonhams to sell Biba memorabilia
An eclectic collection of furniture created by British designer Steven Thomas for the legendary 1960s and 1970s fashion store Biba is to be sold at Bonhams, Knightsbridge as part of its Vision 21 sale on 30th June 2010 at 1pm.
Many of the pieces were originally sold by Bonhams on 4th October 1975 in the Good-Bye Ken High! sale. The auction followed the closure of Big Biba, the final and most impressive Biba shop, which occupied five floors in the former Derry and Toms department store on High Street Kensington.
Founded by Barbara Hulanicki in 1964 as a mail order company, Biba opened as a shop in the same year in Abingdon Road, Kensington before relocating to a bigger shop on Church Street. In 1969 Biba moved to High Street Kensington where it remained for four years, before its last move to the site of the Derry and Toms department store, also on High Street Kensington, in 1973. Designer Steven Thomas, whose other projects include designing Sir Paul McCartney's studio in Scotland, was employed to design the interiors, the graphics and the packaging of this final store.
Highlights in this sale include an unique display stand entitled Othello (estimate £5,000 - 7,000), which was designed for the Food Hall; a cellulose mannequin (estimate £500 - 700); and a mirrored shop sign (estimate £600 - 800).
The sale also features a set of library steps (estimate £600 - 800); a pair of double sided cheval mirrors (estimate £500 - 700); a massive lighting unit (estimate £800 - 1,200); and a mirrored glass till surround (estimate £600 - 800).
Visit www.bonhams.com/vision21 for more information.
Posted: 9 June 2010
Sex & the City meets Blowing in the Wind
The pretty Blowing in the Wind jewellery collection has cleverly incorporated lucky four leaf clover pendants, just like Carrie's in Sex and the City 2.
As well as mimicking the jewellery choice of style icon Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, an added attraction of the pendant is that the clovers are real.
The clovers are available in silver or a vintage gold finish and can be worn on a 16" or 24" chain. The pendants are about 20mmx25mm in size, although this varies slightly as the clovers have been hand picked for the Blowing in the Wind collection.
These delicate clovers are a hand crafted piece of wearable art and go through several stages to be preserved and presentable. Firstly, each clover is checked for imperfections, fitted with an electrical contact point and hand painted with a copper solution. Once this has dried, the clovers are placed in an electrolytic solution which has microscopic particles of 24k gold, which is nickel free. The electrical contact attracts the particles of gold and the metal builds up on the clover to the perfect thickness, which preserves even the most intricate surface details. Finally, the clovers are cleaned and quality checked again, as the shiny new coatings magnify any tiny imperfections.
These unique designs are an ideal choice for any fashionista and Sex and the City 2 fan, and, as Blowing in the Wind has said, the pendants could be lucky too!
For more information visit www.balagan.co.uk
Posted: 2 June 2010