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TRENDSPOTTING: THE JEWELRY YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL SEE AND WANT THIS FALL | September 05, 2012 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—Continuing our seasonal tradition of “we read it so you don’t have to,” The Centurion Newsletter took to the sofa last weekend to browse more than 2,500 pages of fall consumer fashion magazines. Our quest was to see what your customers are seeing: i.e., find out what jewelry trends figure most prominently in consumer editorial and advertising, so jewelers can be sure they’re on top of the latest looks their customers see and will want.
It was some very heavy reading. With 914 pages, Vogue alone weighed 4.2 pounds. Harper’s Bazaar wasn’t much lighter. Vanity Fair’s “Best Dressed” issue was a little easier on the arms, but after a while it was time to just break out the iPad.
The fashion mood for fall can be summed up in two words, lavish and strong. Other descriptives include structured, ladylike, embellished, futuristic, bold, and playful. But the main point of the season is to sport either a silhouette that implies power with its bold shapes and colors, or go for baroque with more embellishment, gewgaws, and over-the-top luxury than we’ve seen since either the 1980s or The Age of Innocence. Edith Wharton and Downton Abbey both are having more than a moment of influence this season, though some of the heavy gold is more Alexis Carrington than Lady Mary.
Here, literally ripped (or, as the case may have been, cut-and-pasted) from the pages of fall's top consumer fashion magazines, are the leading fine jewelry trends:
Linked In: Big bold link chains are everywhere, from high to low and everything in between. Truly, we haven’t seen this kind of chain gang since the much-reviled Eighties. In fact, we even spotted what looks suspiciously like a gold omega chain, believe it or not!
Links, high, medium, low: Fashion and fine jewelry designer Diane Von Furstenburg's ad, above left, shows a single, statement-making gold link bracelet, while mid-tier retailer Banana Republic, above right, shows a bold link necklace in its ad. Below, fast-fashion retailer Express also features the look, left, and right, could that be an omega chain we spy on the furry-vested model? Imagine that.
Bold gold: With all this hardware, you’d think gold was trading at a modest $500, not the $1800 it’s predicted to hit by year’s end. Like the link trend, we haven’t seen this much bold gold in a season for about 25 years. Here's Elle's take, top left and right, and Harper's Bazaar's, bottom left.
Snake in the grass: Or snake on the wrist, snake on the lapel, or snake anywhere your heart desires. Whether it’s literal interpretations or a stylized version like this Bvlgari classic, or just a snakeskin or snake print strap on a watch, this style just won’t slither off the radar.
Hissy fits: Bvlgari's stylized gold, diamond, and peridot snake bracelet was featured in Elle; right, Philip Stein offers interchangeable snakeskin bands to keep up with the trend.
More is more: Forget minimalism, this is the year of the statement necklace and statement earring, preferably worn together. Despite the stubbornly bare necks and simple diamond studs sported by so many red carpet swans, fashion is having a totally over-the-top Kardashian moment. But somehow these clusters and heaps of gems and pearls—often antique (or at least antique-looking) and very feminine—just don’t seem like they ought to be called “bling.”
Left, top and bottom: Both Lanvin and Oscar de la Renta say "pile it on!" with massive statement necklaces and earrings for dress. Right top: Opulence goes biker chic in this Juicy Couture ad (note the link chain), while the bottom right ad for Macy's INC brand proves you can do massive for daytime. This otherwise tailored outfit of snake print (again!) pants and a simple white shirt gets amped up with a statement necklace and bracelet. Below, Antonini does massive in a diamond and gemstone collar.
Have some Mondrian, m’dear: The Dutch painter would be proud of all the color-blocked clothes and accessories this fall that look like one of his canvases come to life. Inlay jewelry lends itself beautifully to the trend.
At left, images from Vogue show the colorblocking trend in both malachite jewelry and a handbag by jewelry designer Ippolita, while at right, Asch-Grossbardt quietly continues to do what it's always done with color.
Bejeweled accessories: Not content with merely putting jewelry on the body, this fall designers are putting gems, gold, and pearls on handbags and shoes, too. An image from Elle is seen at the top of this article, while the trend continues below.
Left, a page from Vogue; right, a studded evening bag featured in Elle. Below, Elle's pick of a bejeweled shoe (snake!) probably isn't practical for hoofing around town, but great for holiday parties. At right, designer Emily Armenta offers a bejeweled handbag and bold chains.
Pears and antique inspirations: The pear shape continues to build traction, in diamonds, gems, and drop-shaped baubles, while earrings go feminine and lacy with gems and swirls.
Left, two trends in one: more is more, and a pear to top--or rather, bottom--it off. Brooch, Tory Burch in Elle. Right, Norman Silverman black and white diamond earrings.
Above left, fashion designer Carolina Hererra picked antique Fred Leighton amethyst earrings for a Vogue feature about her fall "must-have" pieces. At right, the antique look is executed in black diamond and white South Sea pearl in these Autore earrings, while Sethi Couture, below left, works the trend with colored and white diamonds and gold.
Big isn't for you? No worries, there's plenty of modern jewelry in a more streamlined size. Below right, an ad for True Religion jeans takes some downright delicate jewelry and combines it in layers with some more substantial but still streamlined pieces. Below left, the always-elegant Queen Latifah shows how effective a simple gemstone dangle can be.
