New additions to the Fall Collection. Classically vintage with a dash of daring and a twist of cool historical revisionism! Take a peek at the new handmade necklaces and earrings in the Fall Collection. Among them are:
Edited: October 19th, 2009
In LA, the pomegranates are ripening. I would never have known this except that I visited with a friend who gave me one from her garden. Now, I’ve never eaten a pomegranate before; it is not only delicious but extremely beautiful—the deep red color of the seeds is reminiscent of garnets. And so as usual one thing led to another, and via the wonders of the internet, I discovered that garnets were actually named for the pomegranate, the word garnet coming from the Latin Garanatus meaning seed-like.
Garnets were used for adornment as far back as 3000 BC. The Egyptians hypothesized that these deep red stones were a curative. The ancient Greeks were also fond of garnets. In Greek mythology, Hades gave Persephone a pomegranate before she made her departure to assure her swift return, this led to the garnet signifying a way to reunite lovers. Garnets, given when setting forth on a journey, were considered an endowment of love, and regarded as an aid in the quest to find your cherished partner. Garnets were also worn in Medieval times where they symbolized passion, friendship, fidelity and devotion. The energy emanating from them was said to strengthen truth, faith, perception and courage. More recently, simply for their sheer beauty and richness of color, garnets were popular in Europe in 18th and 19th centuries.
Bohemian garnet jewelry (like the one above) became highly desirable during the Victorian era.
I found a lovely antique brooch of deep wine colored Bohemian garnets in the back room of dusty old antique store here in LA. It was missing a few stones, which I was happy to fill in with amber Swarovsky crystals, giving it a more spritely air (the photograph below, while wonderful does not do it total justice). The vintage rhinestone flower and vintage bird on the wing complete the pendant, which is suspended from a vintage chain set with pearly Czech glass beads. In keeping with the idea of love, passion and faith, I named it Du Chastel D’Amour, from a medieval poem—
And . . . meanwhile back to the pomegranate . . . which I found is native to Iran, spread to the Himalayas in northern India and was cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. The tree was introduced into California by Spanish settlers in 1769, and now they grow quite happily here—and especially in my friend Mary’s garden.
Edited: October 6th, 2009
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Wikipedia asserts that fashion illustration has been around for 500 years — but I would argue that its been longer than that — as every image painted or drawn on wood, canvas, paper or vases, of women in their frocks, could in a sense be called fashion illustration. After all, how did the ladies in ancient Greece know what was the hot new peplos to wear? Following are some gorgeous examples of “fashion illustration” beginning with the relative present and going back to the mists of time —
Tanya Ling for Jill Sander, 2009 —
Marko Matysik for Dior, 2007 —
Jean-Phillipe Delhomme for Chanel, 2003
Francois Berthold, 2002 —
Antonio Lopez for British Vogue, 1970 —
The magnificent Vertes, for Shiaparelli, 1943 —
Going back a little further — George Wolf Plank for Vogue, 1924 —
Flapper Fashion! —
Way back to Botticelli in the 15th century and this lady in her deep crimson gown and beautiful turquoise necklace —
Christine Depisan, 1390 — lady with sword as accessory —
In ancient Greece, ladies had to depend on vase paintings — this from the 4th century B.C. —
And sculptures for their fashion fixes —
Edited: October 1st, 2009