Fabulous in Fuscia

Celebs are shedding their winter blues for brighter shades of fuscia and raspberry reports US weekly magazine. Red carpet divas like Selena Gomez, Ginnifer Goodwin, Mischa Barton, Nicole Kidman, and Sara Jessica Parker were all spotted this season wearing dark pink gowns in a variety of lengths and styles.

Something else that is fabulous in fuscia is our silvertone pink flamingo ornament filled with bright pink epoxy. There is still time to find him and our other collectible ornaments at a retailer near you!

We will be closed for the holidays from December 23rd through January 4th, but we wish you and yours a merry season and a happy new year!

Colors of the Season

The New York Times Sunday style section featured a beautiful color-blocked street fashion spread, inspired by the colors of nature. Central park is aglow with red, orange and lavender and the women of the city are shedding their black and gray for bolder colors.

The colors found in nature have always been my greatest inspiration when designing new collections and packaging. In fact, our Angels of the Season collection, available in stores now, was a concept based on the changing of the seasons and the new colors that each one brings.


The angels are packaged in collectible story boxes in shimmering metallics paired with bold hues, and each angel design represents a changing season and the joy it brings.

To find a retailer, please visit www.gloriaduchin.com

Angels Amongst Us

As described in scripture, Angels are messengers and mediators, sometimes appearing in human form, sometime in spiritual form. Some people today claim to have seen an angel at some point in their lives, but a personal encounter is not necessary to believe.
from the American Bible Society's, Angels and Miracles

The importance of angels always swells during the holiday season as we celebrate the wonders that only Christmas can bring: faith, togetherness, and giving. Our new 2009 angel collection, Angels to Watch Over You, includes six individual designs, a perfect gift for someone you know who may need an angel this year.


The six designs are Love, Protection, Serentity, Prosperity, Dreams and Guidance, and each one is packaged in a collectible story box with inspirational scripture from the Bible. The collection is available at CVS stores for only $5.99 each.

All About Baby

I just received the latest issue of the New York Times Style magazine and discovered it was all about baby, showcasing the latest in high-end children's fashions and gifts.

Designer Cynthia Rowley was featured in a two-page spread that focused on her family life and her exclusive baby collection at Babies R Us that includes adorable silver sneakers and tuxedo bibs.


Some of the other hot winter gifts included a therapeutic stuffed hippo by Renate Muller, a retro owl clock by the Vitra Design Museum and adorable monster boots and shorts available at kidorable.com and sweetwilliamltd.com respectively.

If you're looking for a silver shoe to put on baby's tree instead of his feet, check out our silvertone baby bootie keepsake available at walmart.com.

A Night for Frights

Halloween came and went this past weekend, bringing with it the beginning of the fall and winter holiday season. Children and adults alike, dressed in their scariest costumes to indulge in tricks and treats.

On Sunday, the New York Times published their favorite photos from Christmas in New York. The residents of Chelsea, lined their stoops with candle lit Jack-o-Lanterns while Bergdorf Goodman's Fifth avenue window glittered with a crystal spider web. A wrought iron balcony in Gramercy Park is a veritable city-style pumpkin patch.

Hallweeen may have passed for another year, but there is no reason you cannot keep a piece of it with you. Our black glitter cat keyring is great for any time of year with a glittering stone collar. Available at select CVS stores.

Modern Goddesses

The Wall Street Journal style section featured an article this past Sunday on the re-emergence of Grecian style gowns appearing in droves on the fashion runways and red carpet events. Designers such as Donna Karan and Monique Lhuillier presented their modern version of the toga during New York Fashion Week last month, the dresses characterized by draped or pleated fabric and ruching.

The popularity of Grecian gowns are due to their ability to flatter almost any body style and their comfortable femininity which is why celebrities like Hilary Swank have chosen to wear them for their premiere events.

Our latest collection of angel ornaments, the Angels of Inspiration, are crafted in similar gowns, with flowing bottoms and bunched sleeves. To find a retailer, please visit our website.

It's Never too Early...

...to start your holiday shopping. Many of our retailers have set our Christmas collections and our customers have informed us that certain styles are already sold out. The Associated Press reported that retailers are favoring more traditional holiday decor this season; with red, green and gold, tartan plaids and family-oriented gifts and merchandise.

Our recent sales reports are reflecting the same trends. Our photo ornaments are wildly popular, as well as our family hearts and stars, and our remembrance collections.


To find a retailer, please visit our website http://gloriaduchin.com/features/?id=6

Mod Gets the Nod

'With our continued interest in mid-century decor, it's no surprise to see pop art back for a visit' says Kim Cook of the Associated Press about Mod home decor making a comeback. 'Think of Roy Lichtenstein's blown-up comic book art; 2001: A Space Odyssey and Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup can.' The bright colors and sleek, space influenced designs are sure to bring a lively mood and a nostalgic feel to any space.


For some mod in your stocking this year, look for our silvertone lips keyring with red glitter and Swarovski crystal dotted "Kiss".

The Red White and Blues

As a follow-up to last week's Emmy fashion report, US magazine spotted another color trend that appeared at the event: red, white and blue. Although not intentional, the rich jewel colors that the celebs chose for their red carpet gowns make a very patriotic color statement.

This bodes well for a resurgence in Americana themed fashion and home decor for this fall and winter. Some of our most popular Christmas ornaments are from our Patriotic collection, such as our pewter glitter flag heart with Swarovski crystals and our NEW "Made in the USA" blue swirl photo frame featured below.

Emmy Fashion Trends

The weekly magazines released their Emmy fashion reports this week, forecasting several new trends in fashion and design. What I liked most about the gowns at the awards show was the use of color. Celebrities branched out from black, white and red, and incorporated fuscia, navy and shimmering gold.

Some of the other trends spotted at the event: intricate lacing as seen on Olivia Wilde's Marchesa gown, glittering stones and metallics seen on Christina Applegate and Sandra Oh, and ornate jewelry pieces such as large brooches.

When I was looking through the fashion pages at the use of color and stones, I thought about our pewter Mother heart and Father star ornaments. We updated them this year with fuscia and sapphire Swarovski crystals with matching chiffon ribbons. They make beautiful gifts for family members and add red-carpet color to your tree!

www.gloriaduchin.com

New York State of Mind

The landscape of New York is in a constant state of evolution, from the Financial District to the Upper East Side. The island of Manhattan is currently going through an architectural Renaissance, modernizing the look of the city and turning once avoided neighborhoods into shopping and dining meccas. The lastest issue of Elle Decor, describes some of the latest additions to the city including the Bowery's New Museum pictured below, designed by Japanese architecture firm SANAA.

One of my favorite new sites to visit in New York is the High Line park. The urban park is a revitalization of a 1930s elevated freight train track and just opened to the public this past June. Visitors to the city can also stay above the park in the Standard New York Hotel (featured below). Although the skyline of New York City is always changing, the city always remains on the forefront of culture, fashion, architecture and design.

Beatlemania

The remastered versions of the Beatles entire catalog was released on iTunes on 09/09/09, on the same day "The Beatles Rock Band" video game also hit store shelves. Their music has lived on for more than forty years, and their eccentric fashion sense that expressed the creativity and individuality of their songs has also proved the test of time.

Source: Design-Options.com

Bright colors, shimmering fabrics, sequins, glitter and military style fashion jackets are still seen on celebrities today. The Fab Four broke all of the rules in fashion and never stopped experimenting with their own style. Express yourself with some unique designs in your home, on yourself, or even on your Christmas tree this season.

Pewter butterfly with psychadelic yellow glitter epoxy by Gloria Duchin.

A Day at the Met

This past weekend, my husband and I took a trip to New York City, to view two great exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first was a photography exhibit entitled Napoleon III and Paris. Taken from the museum's personal collection, the photographs told the story of the changing landcape in Paris during the Second Empire. The city's narrow streets and medieval buildings were transformed into the broad boulevards and grand public works that define Paris today. The story of the revitalization was told through the photographs.

The second exhibit was Roxy Paine on the Roof: Mailstrom, a 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless steel sculpture created for the roof garden. The impressive sculpture gives visitors the impression of being immersed within nature.

Our last adventure in New York was to see the documentary, The September Issue, directed by R.J. Cutler about Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine. September is the Janury of fashion, so R.J. Cutler exposed the process of creating the September 2007 issue of Vogue Magazine that weighed almost five pounds. Currently the movie is only playing in New York City, but the national release is scheduled for this Friday. If you have any interest in the fashion industry, I would recommend seeing it.

Amethyst

The deep and rich hue of Amethyst is taking the stage this fall in fashion, home decor and accessories. The latest issue of Elle Decor magazine published a feature on the regal color with samples of fabrics, evening gowns, rings and even drawer pulls all in the fabulous shade of purple.



Of course, here at Gloria Duchin, we spotted the growing amethyst trend last year and designed our new box for this season in a deep purple with a beautiful filigree design. Be sure to look for our ornaments in our new box at a mass market retailer near you this Christmas!

Zip it up

On the trend pages of the new Star magazine, I found a new style emerging in fashion from shorts, to bags, to bracelets and shoes. Extraneous zippers are appearing in straight lines to zig zags, making a biker-inspired statement.



Looking for more biker-chic accessories? Try our pewter motorcycle keyring featured below.

To find a retailer, visit our website at www.gloriaduchin.com

Travels Near and Far

For this year's vacation, my family and I took an Alaskan cruise and sailed the Inside Passage to the Hubbard Glacier. Glacier ice is greatly compressed and when up close, it has an amazing bright blue hue that appears to almost be layered throught the ice.

The water is pure, and the area attracts wonderful sea life like otters, seals and whales that we were able to view in their natural habitat. The scenery was breathtaking, and I was inspired by nature's palette of vibrant colors: sky blue, emerald green forest, and crystal white ice.

The shimmering crystal of a Winter Wonderland will be a popular decor theme for this season, featuring sparkling stones and pale sky blues, silver and white. Our new Winter Wonderland snowman collection will be hitting the shelves this season. The assortment features six adorable snowman designs, each packaged in a collectible story box.

Matte Gold Jewelry

This week, I spotted a new trend in jewelry in the lastest issue of In Style magazine with cover model, Katherine Heigl. Bracelets, bangles, earrings and necklaces are turning gold, crafted in ornate filigree designs with bright stones and pearl accents. The pieces are large, and add a regal element to an outfit without costing a fortune.

Some of my favorite pieces for the holidays are from our matte gold collection as well. Below is our matte gold filigree cross ornament with a Swarovski crystal in the center, available at www.gloriaduchin.com.

Stay Cool in the Shade

For hot summer trends nothing is more appropriate to report on then fun in the sun shades. In Life and Style Magazine this week, they feature a page of celebrity sunglasses.

The large plastic frames speak to the 70's and 80's, and the bright colors of turquoise, pink and purple make them fun accessories to coordinate with summer fashions. I also like that you can purchase a pair for yourself for around $10.


Life and Style suggests:
Women with a round or oval face look great in trendy Wayfarers, while shield styles flatter those with square or heart-shaped faces.

Still don't think you could pull off a pair of hot pink shades? Then accessorize more subtley with our genuine pewter cat eye glasses pin with Swarovski crystals!

Musical Influences

I often discuss the great influence that celebrity culture has over fashion and decor, and the musical stars of our time have probably inspired more styles than any other.

The latest issue of Elle magazine is their music issue, and they point out several fashion movements over the decades that can be directly related to the pop charts. There was the 70's inspired peasant tops, the 80's inspired spandex and leather, the 90's flannel shirts and tattered jeans and today it's a mixture of everything in-between. Many designers and celebs are cashing in on this musical influence as well, such as Elle cover girl Gwen Stefani with her L.A.M.B. fashion line and Marc Jacobs with his rock and roll designs.



Coincidentally, millions of fans are in Los Angeles today to celebrate the life and mourn the passing of one of the most influential pop stars of our time, Michael Jackson. His red leather jacket and single-sequined glove started a worldwide fashion movement that will never be forgotten.

On the Streets of San Francisco

I missed my blog posting last week because I was out of town, taking in the styles and trends of glorious San Francisco. The mood was upbeat and the residents wore their summer cheer on the outside in the form of bright neon colors in day-glo green, orange and pink. Coincidentally, the latest issue of People magazine features a spread on neon fashions, which after my trip, I would have to say is most likely inspired by the streets of San Francisco.



One of the more popular icons I saw was the Peace sign. Seeing young fashionistas with their peace symbol necklaces reminded me of the Haight-Ashbury district in the 60's. When I returned to Gloria Duchin, I took out our genuine pewter peace sign ornament, shown below, that looks exactly like some of the pendants I saw on the west coast.

We also had the great pleasure of seeing the Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It was interesting to see the similarities between the two artists impressions of nature, through paint and photography. If you are in the Northern California area this summer, I would make it a point to stop by.

Turning to Turquoise

Turquoise is a trend that we haven't seen in a while, but it appears the bold and bright, blue-green hue is making a comeback. In Touch Weekly spotted celebs across the red carpet wearing mini dresses and jumpers in various shades of turquoise. The magazine suggests that you pair it with muted colors such as gold, black, and white to achieve the Hollywood look.

You can do the same for your Christmas tree with this year. Wrap your tree with gold wire ribbon and fill in holes with shatterproof gold bulbs. Then dress it up with our hand silk-screened turquoise and lavendar bulb ornament!

A French Wedding

It's June so wedding season is in full swing. In the latest issue of Veranda magazine, they covered the wedding of New York interior decorator and stylist Kelly (Kapika) d'Halluin to Nicolas d'Halluin that took place in the quaint countryside outside of Paris.

The couple's color scheme was green and brown, and if you recall, last year one of our designers posted a blog about her sister's wedding that featured the same colors (A Naturally Modern Wedding). I think this shows us that naturals like brown, taupe, green and ivory are a continuing trend in the wedding world. So are natural elements. The d'Halluin wedding features a bouquet with butterfly accents, a wedding dress with feathers and table decor with log vases and model birds in their nest.


The natural aspects of the decor adds to the simplicity of an outdoor, garden wedding. Featured, below is our pewter lovebirds keepsake with crystal charm. This would have been a perfect addition to their wedding as a tie on around wine glasses or as a napkin ring.

Gloria Duchin Adds More Green to The Season

Released June 3, 2009 - East Providence, Rhode Island

Gloria Duchin, Inc continually researches new ways to improve their operations, from designing new, trend-based keepsakes and gifts to making their overall production more efficient and environmentally-friendly. This year, Gloria Duchin is proud to announce that they’ve made greener changes to their 2009 ornament boxes.

The Gloria Duchin packaging has always been made from recycled cardboard, but the new boxes utilize an alternate coating that makes them 100% recyclable as well.

“Quality and design are our top priorities at Gloria Duchin,” says company President, Robyn G. Smalletz, “We spend the majority of our time investigating trends in fashion and color as well as manufacturing so that we can provide more value to our customers.”

Several years ago, Gloria Duchin added to the design of their boxes by printing a “To and From” area on the back. With their beautiful designs, a Gloria Duchin ornament makes a great gift for under $10.00 without the use of additional wrappings or bows.

The new ornament line can be found at mass market retailers nationwide this holiday season. For more information or to locate a retailer, please visit http://www.gloriaduchin.com/.

New Gloria Duchin "Family" Photo Ornament in their New 100% Recyclable Purple Filigree Gift Box!

Lined with Stripes

It's been a while since I've seen stripes make headlines, but here they are walking down the runway and covering home furnishings from chairs to plates and even silverware.


"Thick or thin, multicolor or monochromatic, nothing brings a crisp edge to a room like a stylish array of parallel lines." says Anita Sarsidi of Elle Decor magazine.

Pair stripes with coordinating patterns or solids to give motion to your decor, and for Christmas try hanging your ornaments from your tree with multi color stripe ribbon.

Gloria Duchin silvertone initial "A" ornament with pink and brown striped ribbon.

Sparkle Up Your Space

I apologize for not updating the blog last week, but I was out of town for the better part of the week. While I was out, I did find the time to glance through the latest issue of People though and found a great upcoming home decor trend from Dress My Nest's Thom Filicia.

I've noted several times in my blog that metallics are a hot runway trend(Metallics Continue to Shine). Filicia made the same observation and provides some suggestions on how to translate the red carpet into home decor.

Thom says, "Silver shoes bring that pop to an outfit. Silver home accents do the same for your interior."

How about bringing a little POP to your Christmas tree this season as well. Below is our dapped silvertone angel ornament. Look for her and more of our shimmering ornaments at great pricing this summer on Kmart.com and Sears.com!

The Names Have Changed

This past weekend we celebrated Mother's Day, and as a mother, it is interesting to me to know what the newest moms are naming their babies. On Friday, the Social Security Administration released the top baby names of 2008 and Emma took the number 1 spot, leaping over Emily, which has been the leader for some time. I often comment on how pop culture influences fashion and decor, but the baby name list shows how it also influences our lives, or at least the names of our children.

The name Khloe made the largest leap of any name in the top 1,000. The "K" version of the name took a rocket ride from 667 to 196 last year which the SSA mused in a statement that reality TV star Khloe Kardashian was the reason for the Khloe climb. The name Miley also climed 100 spots to number 127 on the list. For boys, not a single name in the boys' top five changed positions: Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua and Daniel all kept their places from 2007.

Just for fun, we've printed the top baby names from today and 50 years ago on the back of our Initial Impressions packaging for our silvertone initial ornaments. If you think the changes from year to year are interesting, look at what's happened in naming over the last 50.

To purchase, visit www.gloriaduchin.com or your local Menard's store this holiday season.

Coral's Making a Splash

The latest issue of Elle Home Decor predicts that coral will make its way from the runway into the home. Branching patterns are woven into fabrics that take the form of tablecloths and curtains. Orange accent chairs have a smooth and natural, waterlike movement and walls are splashed with reddish hued paint.


If the evolution of trends stays the course then we are likely to see coral moving into the mass market segments by next year and possibly the holiday season with the warm autumn colors expanding into winter.

Grey Gardens

If you haven't already seen the HBO original movie, Grey Gardens, I recommend that you do. The film is based on the lives of "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, two charming eccentrics who were relatives of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. They led an interesting riches to rags life, ending up in almost total isolation in a decaying, 28-room mansion in East Hampton

While I was watching the film, I was enchanted by the decor of the mansion before the ladies ended up in squalor. The rooms were decorated in ornate, Art Deco style furnishings in rich purple and gold. This week's People magazine feature a snapshot of one of the rooms shown below.



I've mentioned time and time again that purple is a lead color in today's fashion and home decor trends. For a Grey Garden's style Christmas, look to our collection of matte gold ornaments, like the partridge in a pear tree featured above and tie it to your tree with rich purple ribbon.

Bo Knows

Although the First Puppy will be officially introduced tomorrow, the news of the new addition to the White House has already been leaked. Senator Ted Kennedy presented "Bo", a portugese water dog to the Obama girls yesterday, and apparently he is a hit with the whole family.

Animal organizations are already predicting a surge in popularity for the curly haired pups, but before you start the hunt for one of your own, you can learn more about the breed on Petfinder.org and look for rescue dogs while you're there.

The Obama family will be busy outfitting the White House with the necessary toys, beds and aceessories for Bo. Some of my favorite pet places to shop are GWlittle.com and FetchDog.com, where you can get everything from personalized pet beds to 14K gold dog tags.

For Christmas, we suggest the Obamas hang Bo's photo from their tree in our pewter hydrant photo frame, NEW this year, filled with bright red epoxy and inscribed with "Little Stinker".

You can get one for your dog too this Christmas at one of our retailers!