Fashionable Christmas Gifts – Scarves
Posted: December 16, 2011 Filed under: accessories, Fashionable Christmas Gifts | Tags: Fabryan, Liberty, Richard Weston, silk scarves, Yaelle 7 Comments »Welcome to the last of my ‘Fashionable Christmas Gifts’ series! These past few months I’ve discovered three very interesting scarf designers that are all well worth having a look at. All of them are British and I’m sure would make mums and girlfriends very happy at Christmas.
WESTON SCARVES
Weston Scarves: Blue Forest Scarf £205, Red Jasper Print Scarf £165, Agate Print Scarf £165 - all at liberty.co.uk
I first discovered Richard Weston’s work on Britain’s Next Big Thing, a BBC2 programme, where he pitched his designs to Liberty’s. I remember being convinced from the start that his will be one of the few products to actually make it into a shop. In fact, I loved Richard’s scarves so much that I got in touch with him and he happily provided me with images and background information (even about a few seriously cool non-fashion projects). Richard, a prize-winning architect and landscape designer, who by the way is LOVELY to chat to, collects minerals and has spent a fortune on them in the past years. One day he tried to scan them and thought the resulting patterns were beautiful enough to print on silk and make into scarves. Needless to say, the team at Liberty wanted his designs in their store. The new preSS12 collection focuses on two themes ‘the familiar images/details from minerals and some pictorial images that use these as ‘digital paint’ with which to render other images of nature – in this case trees,’ says Richard.
Weston Scarves are available at Liberty’s and Net A Porter!
YAELLE
Yaelle: Hamsa Purple, Russian Doll Mix White, Papillon Blue - all £145 at yaelle.co.uk
Yaelle Caplan, on the other hand, found me and I’m very happy she did! Not only do I think her work is fantastic, what stands out to me are the little charms for good luck and prosperity she attaches to her scarves. Her inspiration comes from the glamour of Cannes and Monaco and the rich diversity of Tunisia which makes Yaelle’s work very playful with the most beautiful use of colour. All of her designs are hand-drawn and then digitally printed onto the finest silk. A bespoke service is also available in case you want to give something really personal and unique.
Yaelle’s scarves are available from her new website www.yaelle.co.uk. They come in two sizes: 100x100cm (£145) and 40x160cm (£85). Hurry up and get 20% off your order until next Sunday (18 December 2011)!
FABRYAN
Fabryan: Foxglove £100, Rainbow £100, Paint Splash Orange £80 - all at fabryan.com
Fabryan is the youngest of the three scarf designers featured today. Samantha-Jane started her Kingston up Thames-based label a little over a year ago. The beauty of the Kew Gardens in South-West London inspired her to add an accessories line to her already established womenswear business. Each scarf is handrolled with hemmed edges and is made with 100% organic silk. Fabryan scarves are digitally printed with bold colour splashes and abstract flourishes. They are in fact so colourful, the range was called the Psychedelic Collection.
Scarves from the Psychedelic Collection are available online at www.fabryan.com and prices run between £70 and £100 (90x90cm).
Happy giving!
Fashionable Christmas Gifts – Jewellery by Pyrrha
Posted: December 15, 2011 Filed under: accessories, classics re-imagined, Fashionable Christmas Gifts, jewellery | Tags: Danielle Wilmore, fashion, Pyrrha, reclaimed silver, Vancouver, Wade Papin, wax seal 2 Comments »
Vanity Multi Seal Cuff $1,200 and Fidelity Narrow Wax Seal Cuff $510
I just discovered Pyrrha a few days ago but instantly knew their designs had to go on my Christmas list, both as a wish and a recommendation. Designers Wade Papin and Danielle Wilmore handcraft a unique range of jewellery inspired by antique wax seals in their Vancouver studio. Reclaimed silver, bronze and 14k gold are cast into cuffs, pendants and earrings. Because of the intrinsic symbolism of the original seals, every piece takes on a meaning by itself. The result are pieces of ravishing beauty that mostly lies in the fact that nothing is too perfect. To me they almost feel like you’ve stumbled across an amazing find on a flea market and remind me of an old Roman Agrippa-coin my mum used to wear when I was little. I remember being absolutely mesmerised by it!
Hammered circles with a mini fleur de lis shield
Pyrrha jewellery is a great gift for just about anyone in my book. It can be worn by men and women alike and is always personal through the nature of its symbols alone.
14k Mini Lion Wax Seal Necklace $872
To order any of the pieces above (and many, many more) or to find out more about Wade and Danielle’s work, please go to www.pyrrha.com!
Fashionable Christmas Gifts – Madeleine Thompson Beanies
Posted: November 28, 2011 Filed under: accessories, autumn/winter, Fashionable Christmas Gifts, knitwear | Tags: beanie, cashmere, Christmas gifts, fashion, Madeleine Thompson 1 Comment »
Madeleine Thompson: Disco Beanie (left) and Maddy Beanie (middle & right)
With Thanksgiving behind us here in the US, I’m finally starting to feel a little christmas-y! So I’ve started to look around for fashionable gifts and stocking fillers. First up are Madeleine Thompson’s gorgeous cashmere beanies. The Maddy Beanie is super-soft and cosy and the simpler version of the hat if you will. The Disco Beanie is a little jazzier with its sparkly sequins but equally cute and comfy.
Check Madeleine’s website for stockists and while you’re there, don’t forget to have a look at her pretty knit dresses and cardigans too!
