Dare to Accessorize

While reading the Providence Journal this weekend, I came across an interesting article about accessories. You may not have been aware that New York is host to the Accessories Council, an advocacy group dedicated to the celebration of bags, bangles and shoes. Their ACE awards have honored top accessory designers such as Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs. Karen Giberson, their President says "Accessories are adventurous. You can go from looking like a lady to rock-and-roll chic in an hour!"

As designers of "jewelry for your tree", we know just how important the smallest details can be when dressing yourself, or dressing for the holidays. In accessories, Karen says the biggest surprise is Swarovski encrusted USB drives, like the one shown below.

For Christmas, we've mentioned Swarovski as an important element as well as the color purple, which Karen also sees emerging into the mainstream.

For spring, check out our bronze filigree dragonfly with a Swarovski crystal accent and lavender chiffon ribbon. For more spring and gardening keepsakes, click here.

Women with Wings and Wisdom

I apologize for not posting an update last week, but I was out of town in Florida. While I was there, I was invited to attend the Women with Wings and Wisdom luncheon hosted by WXEL, the South Florida Public Broadcast Network. The luncheon honored accomplished women, Florence De George, Patricia Lowry, Lois Pope and Lilly Pulitzer for 50 years of a colorful life in fashion.

The event was held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in the Gold and White ballroom where we were presented with a fashion show of Lilly Pulitzer’s 2009 Spring and Summer line.(view the photos below)



One of the highlights of the luncheon was a presentation by world-renowned author and talk-show host, Suze Orman. I am a great fan of hers, so I was excited to hear her speak in person.

Suze donated her time to WXEL, presenting her “2009 Action Plan: Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound”. She spoke frankly to the audience about the current state of the economy, and left everyone with a copy of her new book. I continue to be impressed with her expertise and benevolent spirit.

Suze spent the entire afternoon at the luncheon, opening the floor to questions and mingling with the attendees. She was most generous with her time, and I enjoyed taking a photo with her below.

Photos taken by Deborah Garber

The Business of Color

Last week, I briefly touched on the business of color when I mentioned the article in the New York Times about Marissa Mayer, the lead in color, look, feel and functionality of Google.com. Over the last few days, I've seen more and more about how color influences life, from advertising to commerce.

The New York Times covered Lowe Worldwide, a London-based advertising agency with a client list that features top brands like Johnson & Johnson, Nestle, Electrolux, and Outback Steakhouse. The New York office recently moved and re-designed their office with color in mind.


"We wanted people to walk off the elevator and feel the energy of the agency.." says lead architect Charles Patten.

The feeling was achieved with brightly colored chairs like those shown below, as well as open work spaces and interchangeable color panels for employees to customize their desks.



For spring, Macy's is focusing their latest print ad campaign on color, launching into spring with a Welcome Back Color message shown below. A 2-page ad in the New York Times this weekend featured bright rainbow bands of color with images of colorful spring fashions and accessories. This also mirrors what I mentioned last week about consumers looking for a color pick-me-up after this trying season.



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Color me happy

The red carpet at the Oscar's was a mix of whimsy and elegance with celebs appearing in gowns of solid black and white to shimmering metallics and bold blues and reds. One shoulder and sleeveless gowns in fitting sillhouettes were the desired styles this year, but they were painted in every color imaginable.


Just watching the Oscar's my spirits were lifted by the vibrant colors on the carpet. A long and cold winter paired with difficult times has people looking for inspiration in fashion, boosting their spirits with bright yellow coats and purple heels.

Bill Cunningham of the New York Times, shows just this image with his photographs from the streets of New York, selected images shown below.


Color influences every aspect of our daily lives. Marissa Meyer of Google directs every color and design decision of the most widely used search engine. The spartan white design with splashes of blue, red, yellow and green mirrors her San Franciso penthouse. The design team at Google also discovered that blue links with a greenish hue are more likely to get clicked.

For a colorful tree this year, try a Miami design with brilliant pink, teal and purple and fun pink glitter Gloria Duchin Flamingo ornaments.