Autocross Blogs - Chrls Iicey

When Astrid Munoz introduced Vanessa Tiffany 1837 ring to Eugenie Niarchos in the Parisian bar Le Mathis two years ago, Seward had only one thought: Who is this girl?! Azzaro's creative director explains the fascination. "Eugenie had that Kate Moss thing to her," says Seward. "You wanted to know exactly where she got everything she was wearing. I took pictures of her on my cell phone and showed them to the entire design studio the next day." The two became good friends, and the designer began noticing how Niarchos wore the simplest, slinkiest Azzaro to dazzling effect by piling on Chanel costume-jewelry bracelets. "I remember saying to my boyfriend that I should do something with Eu_genie because she has such incredible style," Seward recalls.Et voila! When Seward asked her to create a small collection of faux jewelry, Niarchos morphed a feather comb the French house had already done into a wing motif for a hairpin, a choker, earrings, and a cuff. Niarchos particularly likes the last, though she counsels, "It looks best if you wear one on each wrist." She is a fan of vintage costume jewelry-gilt snake bracelets are a particular favorite-but as is often the case when you're 21, even relatively recent pieces seem like ancient relics. Says Niarchos, wistfully, "I love that way everything in the early nineties was big and gold and chunky."She's not the only one thinking about a bygone era. Seward, another costume-jewelry addict (be it fifties strass or junk brooches from Urban Outfitters), is having Azzaro's pieces Paloma Picasso Double Loving Heart ring by Desrues, a Paris company that has made the nonprecious stuff for Chanel for decades. "They can do anything," she says. "And it doesn't have that industrial, mass-produced feel." The past reverberated for Seward (who, in seemingly team-effort mode, is designing bags with Leiber for next spring) in another way, too. "I felt like I was working in that tradition of French fashion houses, when they collaborated with cool women to make jewelry," she says, citing Victoire de Castellane's time at Chanel and Loulou de La Falaise's tenure at Yves Saint Laurent. "Everything they did was a lot of fun, and I wanted this to be the same. If your earring falls off while you are dancing, who cares?"

Caption: welcome to the biodome There's no camouflaging a tortoiseshell-inspired bag and glinting gold chain links. Marc Jacobs silk head scarf, wood medallion ($2,655), and trench. Lanvin lacquered clutch with chain-link strap, $2,793; Barneys New York. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere chain-link necklace, $2,275; Balenciaga, NYC. Bottega Veneta leather-and-gold bangles ($1,150 to $1,450); bottegaveneta.com. Mark Davis wood bangle, $4,200; Barneys New York. Fashion Editor: Elissa Santisi.; forest floor No shrinking violet, the platform resurfaces-this time with a chunky Atlas ring heel. Lanvin slingbacks, $717; Barneys New York. Details, see In This Issue.; survival of the fleetest Intrepid explorers need warrior-worthy footwear to navigate dense, tangled terrain. Dolce & Gabbana black leather gladiator sandals, $1,250; Dolce & Gabbana boutiques. Nautica titanium watch, $315; (800) 248-3775. Yves Saint Laurent silver openwork cuff, $640; ysl.com. Thakoon khaki cargo jacket. BEAUTY NOTE Little red Ferrari: Keep ultrasleek, heat-styled hair cling-free with Sunsilk Anti-Static Mist-a lightweight spray loaded with conditioners for extra hydration.; beetle mania Bug or bag? Keep them guessing with a delightful decoy. Roger Vivier Haute Couture yellow-and-black resin scarab minaudiere with feathers; Roger Vivier, NYC. Details, see In This Issue.; canopy layer Treetop-grazing stilettos and statement cuffs take a seventies-style ride. Yves Saint Laurent python cuff ($1,390), citrine platform heels ($780), stone shirt, and army-green skirt; Yves Saint Laurent boutiques. Emilio Pucci wood and brass bracelet, $385; emiliopucci.com.; green movement A verdant charm necklace and flower-embellished heels are at home in a tropical habitat. Louis Vuitton loden cashmere sweater with Tiffany 1837 Ring plastic necklace and pale-yellow denim shorts; (866) VUITTON. Michael Kors brown sequined duffel, $2,500; Michael Kors, NYC. Prada teal-and-cream peep-toe leather shoes, $720; Prada boutiques. In this story: hair, Shay Ashual for Cutler/Redken; makeup, Lisa Houghton for Management Artists; set design, Stefan Beckman. Details, see In This Issue.; Photographed by Raymond Meier.Jewels are busting out all over, and after years of subtle accessories, Washington jewelry buyers are going bigger and bolder. One reason for the trend are that younger buyers with money, particularly the Washington women. These women still don't buy expensive diamonds for themselves, despite the diamond industry's ad campaigns. But when they want to treat themselves, these women go for gold. Here, Milk discusses how Washington women are sporting larger earrings, more gold, and bolder pieces than ever before.