Label lust: Zakary le Stele

Hi guys,
My love of oversized chunky jewellery (as big and gold as possible, in fact!) continues unabated. I have stuck to my New Year's Resolution not to buy any more cheap jewellery: I haven't been inside the Topshop or H&M jewellery departments once! But that doesn't mean I'm not still as obsessed as ever with oversized bling: it's just my jewellery habit is becoming increasingly more expensive!

When I was sent over this lookbook from accessories designer Zakary le Stele I immediately fell in love. That could, of course, be because it features gorgeous French model Priscilla Miegemolle Dime and was shot on the streets of Paris (my favourite city in the world). But it's more likely to be because I immediately wanted to add the oversized cuffs to my jewellery box, then buy as many of the shoes, followed by the gorgeous digital print frocks as possible!



This is the designer's first complete womenswear collection, and it will be available this autumn/winter. Entitled 'L'ardeur' the print-heavy collection features pieces infused with sexual intensity and drama (according to the blurb!). Since I saw the first Matthew Williamson collection featuring them, I fell in love with digital prints so I have a soft spot for them, whatever the designer. And the soft structure of this collection really did capture my imagination!

I should really have prefaced this post with the disclaimer that you shouldn't fall in love with this collection too quickly, like I did. Unless you all have a secret you're not telling me, sadly the collection is far too expensive for we ordinary girls to afford. As in, high end couture prices. It's probably too late. But it's nice to dream!!

Love Tor x

PS - Don't forget to enter the amazing COMPETITION where you could win a whole outfit from Fashionpony.co.uk

Obsession: Tatty Devine and Eley Kishimoto jewellery

Hi guys,

As soon as this press release landed in my inbox, I knew I was going to have to write about it. I took one look at the images, and became completely obsessed. Eley Kishimoto, famous for contemporary print and pattern design, have invited cult jewellery brand Tatty Devine to create a range of jewellery inspired by their latest prints: Batmosphere, Rush and Star Struck.

Tatty Devine have picked out individual elements from each print and recreated them in three-dimensional, shiny perspex, so they appear to pop right out of the original pattern. Materials include dazzling glitter and mirror perspex, with the addition of Swarovski crystals.

My favourites, by far, are the Batmosphere designs, which their oversized Batman bats and gold and pearl embellishments. I'm also slightly in love with those gorgeous bat tights. In fact, if I could just have this whole outfit delivered to my door by tomorrow, that would be super!

I love oversized jewellery: it's perfect for making a statement, especially if you're a plain dresser like me. Wear a simple white tee with harem trousers or a plain black dress then add oversized jewellery to look like you've made a big effort, when really you've just rolled out of bed and thrown on whatever was closest. Ahhh, my usual Saturday morning routine!

Love, Tor xx

Claires Accessories Press Day

Hi guys,
For me, Claire's Accessories is a tween brand that sells cheap (mostly plastic jewellery) to pre-teens who love boybands. I had my ears pieced there, for the second time, when I was fourteen. You remember brands like Claire's, when you get a tiny bit older, with the same fondness I remember Just 17 magazine and Top of the Pops. So I promise you, i'm as surprised as you are that i'm writing this. But....There was much at the Claire's Accessories press day to lust over, and plenty I would definitely buy!

Claire's are trying to reposition themselves at the minute, and move away from their teenybopper reputation, and instead compete with the adult costume jewellery market. Their new collections are inspired by tribal, insects, and British heritage. Here's what it looks like:




I love almost all of the jewellery in the third picture, in particular the owl cuff, and the oversized gemstone ring. Can you believe this is Claire's and not Topshop or Accessorize?! No, neither can I.....
Love, Tor x

My vintage charms: Make your own jewellery

Have you ever been looking for a piece of jewellery to go with an outift, but nothing in the shops is quite right? Or wanted to wear a piece of jewellery that you know you won't see on anyone else? There's nothing nicer than that feeling that something you've wearing is unique to you. And I also love the feeling of having made something myself: I make a lot of my own headbands, and am always taking charms off old necklaces to make new ones.

I found this website called my vintage charms where you can buy all manner of charms perfect for making DIY jewellery: they're divided into categories such as circus, wonderland, paris, oz, and many more. They also sell the chains (which are only 65p each) and fastenings to secure your charms to your necklace. Another idea I love is to just thread the charms onto ribbon for a cutesy homemade feel. (I always get carried away when there's DIY to be done!)

I've ordered lots of stuff from the Alice collection to make personalised necklaces for each of my hens on my hen 'do: i'm also stitching little pouches to put each necklace in. I think it's a much better gift than the usual pile of plastic willies you usually get at these things!!

They're really easy to make (you can even simplify it further by threading the charms straight onto the chain without using the jumprings, with no extra work) and the charms are pretty inexpensive too: by making them yourself your necklaces will be much cheaper than by buying them from the highstreet! You could also use all of the charms to make bracelets, and even earrings: a little bit of creativity and a few pounds spent, and the world is your oyster. (That's the jewellery world of course, not the whole world, which I think is a little more expensive!) I can't wait for my supplies to arrive and get started: i'll show you what I make!

Love, Tor xx

Artisan jewellery: Novica gives Etsy a run for their money!

I was really delighted last week when I got an email drawing my attention to the handmade jewellery from Novica. What with my obsession with the handmade jewellery section on Etsy, a website where I could buy handmade jewellery straight from the creators from all around the world was bound to attract my attention.

The concept of the site is actually really clever, and they cite themselves as one of the leading fair trade websites. They work with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents: there are artists from Thailand, Mexico and Indian who work with silver and precious and semi precious stones.

I was especially in love with with the necklace section (I am known for my love of wearing at least 3 necklaces at any given time) and there is plenty to tempt you. Some of the designs are really simple, which I find myself attracted to, but there are also some really over the top ornate designs. They also sell artisan furniture and wookword, which although isn't to my taste is really beautiful, and you can really tell that it's good quality.

Novica kindly offered me a $150 dollar gift voucher so I could try the site, and I have ordered beautiful necklaces for my sisters (as bridesmaids presents) which I am really excited about arriving: this is the only downside of the site. Delivery takes 18 days plus (which is understandable given the pieces are being shipped half way around the world) but means that this isn't a great site to order things from if you're in a hurry. But if you're looking for something beautiful and original (all the pieces are bespoke and made by hand) then I would recommend checking it out!

Love, Tor

Dorothy Perkins and Faith: time to bag a bargain

I don't think the mid-season sales this season have been anything to write home about, and the Dorothy Perkins sale seems like a prime example of this: with just four rails of sale clothes in the store (and this is the big Oxford street store) there was more sale jewellery available than there were sale clothes.

I really like the peachy flats (although at £20 the original price was only £25, so it's not a massive discount!) and there were some great earrings on the jewellery racks: I think the best bargains can be found if you're looking for new costume jewellery. In terms of the clothes, knitwear was well represented, and if you like Dorothy Perkins jeans you have the potential to pick up a pair very cheaply! There were also some lovely soft cullote type shorts in various colours and patterns: these were the best buy for wearing for the coming season, and came in at just £12.

On Friday the news was announced that Faith had gone into administration: the latest victim of the recession we're slowly coming out of, this is more bad news for the British high street. However in the short term it can be good news for your wardrobe and especially good news for your feet:

The window grandly declares discounts of 50%, however in reality there are only about 8 designs which have 50% off (their normal seasonal sale) The rest of the stock in the store has 10% off: this is still a decent discount if you were looking to buy new shoes anyway, but if not then my advice is to do what i'm doing: wait and see if the discounts get bigger!

I don't really need any new shoes, so i'm only buying them if they're an absolute bargain, however there are so really gorgeous sandals in store so it's definitely worth checking out if you need new season shoes! You have to do into the store though: because the store has gone into administration the website has been suspended.

Have a great day!

Tor xx

Exposure press day: Wellies and jewellery galore!

Hey guys,

I've been pretty lax in writing up my press days, but i'll get there in the end and lets be honest, winter is a long way away, so we're in no great rush (this is my excuse and i'm sticking to it!) Next up is Exposure: this isn't a comprehensive look at all the brands they represent, just the things that held my interest enough that I took pictures of them!

Claire's accessories: once home to plastic jewellery for pre-teens (and the place I had my ears pierced when I was 13) Claires is now making a move to become a contender in the high street costume jewellery market and their a/w collection is not disimilar to that you would see in Topshop or H&M. And the price points are so much lower! Only time will tell on the quality front, but it definitely looks like it will be worth checking out:

Hunter: I'm not a wearer or owner of wellies, but I think if I were going to a festival a quilted, wedges or crocodile print pair from Hunter would be at the top of my list. They actually look comfortable too! The quilted ones below are cut at an angle so they would look like riding boots:

Globetrotter: If I were a millionaire that could travel the world I would be doing it with Globetrotter luggage. That's all there is to say about that really: it's truly beautiful!


Exposure also represent a host of beautiful luxury fashion brands, but these really deserve a post of their own. I have more press day highlights to share: but so far I predict that it's going to be a very stylish autumn and winter next year!

Love, Tor x

Etsy obsession of the week: Mysilverpie

The etsy obsession comes a little late this week and I was going to give it a miss, but when I stumbled across these family necklaces from my silver pie in a relaxing trawl across the site last night (it's fast becoming one of my favourites!) I knew I had to share! My boss has one of these necklaces with the names of her children on it, which is why the listing caught my attention, and I realised what a sweet way it was to honour your family whilst still being fashion conscious: much better than the seemingly obligatory mum/kids name tattoos!

Mysilverpie makes bracelets, necklaces and even rings which can have names or any other words you choose added to them. All the pieces are handcrafted from silver in the sellers home studio. Each piece is made especially for you once you place your order, so you can have whatever words or names you like, no matter how unusual! My mum will only wear gold jewellery (because she has very sensitive skin) which is a shame, because this would be a perfect present for a mummy and something really thoughtful to give a friend who's just had a baby (am I the only one that seems to have a lot of those lately!?)

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The Topshop sale starts today and a quick peek at the website shows massive discounts on some really pretty stuff: I'm heading down there this afternoon to have a proper look, and obviously I will be taking my camera with me to share the best bits with you guys!

Love, Tor xx

Jewellery: Keeping it in the family

Today, I am feeling very special and important (make do Kate might say superior!) I am feeling this way because I am wearing a beautiful necklace, bespokely made just for me and presented to me yesterday, quite by suprise. No other necklace like this one exists in the whole world, and that's enough to make anyone feel pretty great. My incredible crafty and talented little sister Lucy made this necklace just for me. It is silver and the beads are glass; each bead is a slightly different colour and shape, making it even more unique. She is making a range of increasingly bautiful and complicated jewellery in her back bedroom, and I anticipate her gifts with glee.
She also made the festive little box the necklace was presented in. Although she doesn't sell her jewellery (I keep telling her she should!) you can check out more of Lucy's crafts on her fairly new blog, Munyip Makes. I know that I will be keeping this safe, and that it feels even more special knowing not only that it was made just for me, but also because it was made with love.
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Sorry for the posting gap, but I took a break to spend some time with my family, who all came to London and gathered in my house for some wonderful family fun! Normal service will resume now though!
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Love, Tor xxx

Etsy obsession of the week: teeny tiny skulls

Hi guys,

I came across this etsy store via the Style Child blog last week, but I can't stop thinking about it and looking at it. A necklace from Moon Raven Designs is now firmly on the top of my wish list. And before I attempt to use inadequate words to explain why, i'm going to show you: The pieces from top to bottom are a raven's claw, a bat skull, and a crow skull. The description on the site explains how these pieces are made (this one is for the second piece, the bats skull) This hot cast bronze bat skull is made from a real brown bat that died of natural causes. It is made of solid bronze, not plated white metal. This nicely detailed skull only measures 1" long not including the bail. The easily removable lower jaw is fully articulated, opening and closing just like the original skull.
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I find anatomy fascinating and it's incredible to me that you can have a working version of something so delicate and intricate and amazing (look at me gush!) hanging from your neck. I appreciate that to some people these necklaces seem a little morbid and to others a little scary, but to me they are a fantastic celebration of the curious creatures our little planet holds.

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My boyfriend rarely reads this lil blog (having zero to no interest in fashion!) but I am not so secretly hoping that nearer the festive period he checks it out for gift ideas and finds this neatly wrapped up post complete with link sitting and waiting for him. Like KD, it's the bats skull that I love most, by the way (cough, cough, hint, hint!)

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Yours not-so-subtly, Tor xx

Fabfrocks loves: Fairytales and Post it notes

I first heard about fairytales and post it notes when I saw some of their whimsical jewellery on the Kingdom of style blog. Then they popped up in the left side bar somewhere as one of the project wonderful advertisers, and I knew it was time to give their website a good look over. And boy, did I like what I saw!
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I've already said it, but whimsical is the first word that springs to mind when you see this jewellery. You could also use quirky, but i'm not a big fan of that word: it's been too overused! Anyway, i'm rambling, and what I should be doing is showing you jewels you would sell your grandma for. Not that you would need to sell your grandma: this stuff is available for pocket money prices!
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Here are the most covetable pieces:

Divers helmet necklace, £18
Curiouser and curiouser ring, £6.50 (this is by far my favourite!)

Birdcage necklace, £16
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The blurb on the site sums it up better than I can: "Taking inspiration from all that is Vintage, Romantic and Mischievous we spend our time creating pretty pieces of jewellery " The whole website is like a walk in wonderland.

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As Alice in Wonderland becomes more and more in vogue (thank you Tim Burton and beautiful Johnny Depp) I think the popularity of this kind of jewellery can only increase; perfect for dressing up and dressing down and always making a statement. And that can only be a good thing!

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Love, Tor x

Daily wear;a dirty city gent!

Continuing my theme of daily wears from the random and mundane places I spend my weekdays, today I bring you the ikea car park:

Tshirt dress; topshop, bag; warehouse, long necklaces;warren james/oasis, name necklace; my name necklace.

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I was thinking of Mary Quant when I got dressed this morning; of how the men she referred to as "bowler hats" inspired her to use tweed in her dresses and use the fabrics usually kept for men. This of course explains the bowler hat, and the union jack t shirt further emphasises the "cool brittania" sixties feel. But in a really frubby rocker way, obviously. Despite being really disapointed with Mary Quant when I interviewed her, I appreciate wholeheartedly the influence she had on the era to which I have dedicated my academic life. Putting too much thought into my outfit? Probably!!

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And how amazing is my blog name necklace?! It arrived this morning! When the lovely folks at My Name Necklace asked if I would like them to make me a necklace, I immediately said yes: i'd always loved the name necklace that Carrie wears in Sex and the city. But my name is too short and pathetic to turn into a necklace. What to do?! Why have the blog name turned into a necklace of course! Shameless self promotion are us! Still, it's a great way of showing that those clever folks really can do any name you want! I love it!!

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The important question now is where will next weeks daily wear post come from? Tescos? KFC? The local pub carpark? Maybe I should start a weekly quiz complete with a winners prize! Whereever it is, you can be sure it will be another shocking insight into my wholly unglamourous life!

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Love, Tor xx

Sweet like candy

Feeding my inner 15 year old, I am kind of in love with this website. Lunacy clothing stock an indecent amount of jewellery that looks like foodstuffs and not only is it making me hungry for pick and mix, it's making me hungry for shopping too!

I stumbled across the website thanks to google whilst looking for quirky gifts to give to my sisters to thank them for coming to my graduation. (because they already sat through it once, and didn't sign up for me making them do it all again!)

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Although I know these aren't to their tastes, just looking at them invokes memories of a child hood spent rather seriously debating the merits of a custard cream versus a bourbon, and various types of pick'n'mix. I used to be a big fan of the gummy bears, but my favourites were the fizzy sweets, covered in sugar! Of course at 25, i'm far to old and important to get excited by sweets! Ahem.

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Anyway. I am so glad I stumbled across this website; not only do they stock the candy jewels, they also have a great range of sailor and tatoo themed jewellery my heart desires, great fashions, and homewares that have got me in a tizz!

A cake stand made out of an old record? That, my friends, is for my kind of kitchen...if I ever get round to learning to cook, of course!

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Sadly, anything I order now won't arrive before Friday, so it's no good for me. But if you're working outside such hideous time constraints (trust me to leave everything to the last minute!) then I highly recommend you check them out, if not for the jewels (the best bit) then for the amazing dollface background to their website!

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The whole package is so sweet I don't know whether to eat it or brush my teeth!

Have a great day!

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Tor x

Prepare to bling: London Jewellery Week is coming!

8-14 June 2009 is London Jewellery Week. I know so because I saw a poster telling me all about it on the tube this morning. Maybe it's because I skim quickly over the ads in my plethora of magazines, but I find it odd that I hadn't heard of it before. Maybe i'm losing my touch!

The poster promised jewellery making classes, fashion shows, exhibitions and "much more". And so as soon as i'd dealt with the obligatory Friday morning emails, I hot footed over to the website to see how I could get involved. And find out what "much more" actually entails.

First I downloaded the printed guide. (Is this a contradiction in terms given that you're actually downloading it online and all? Who knows!) And do you know, when they said "much more" they were actually right! That almost never happens! In fact, they were a 52 page booklet full of activities worth of right.

Here is a summary of the events I think I will try to attend. These ones might not be the ones that float your boat (does anyone else simultaneously love and hate that phrase!?) But I think whatever your interests (as long as they're jewellery based of course!) you'll find at least one that your desperate to attend!

Holts Academy of Jewellery
Saturday 13 June 10 - 11am
Langdales, 5 St Cross Street EC1N 8UA
Seminar
Jewellery Through the Ages.

Hatton Garden Festival
Family Day
Saturday 13 June 11.30am - 6pm
Hatton Garden EC1N
Festival
Street festival with jewellery-making demonstrations in the street, children’s workshops, costumed actors, musicians, a fine-food market and a host of jewellery themed walks, talks and workshops – fun for the whole family!

Cockpit Arts
12 June 7 - 9pm
13 - 14 June 11am - 6pm
Holborn Incubator, Cockpit Arts, Cockpit
Yard, Northington Street WC1N 2NP
Open Studios
Make a Difference by supporting talented jewellers and designers making work in London. Find exciting new jewellery pieces and more from £5 - £5,000. See behind the scenes and enjoy fabulous free attractions Star Buys trail, Quick Collect tours, Makers Makes activities, Design Shorts screenings, Love Your Stuff evolving gallery, Meet the Team sessions and Pop-Up cafés.

And if you have a flexible job/don't work for a living (damn you all to hell!!) this seminar on the Friday (12 June) sounds really great:

The Goldsmiths’ Company
9.30am - 7.30pm
Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane EC2 6BN
Seminar
Day of Knowledge: A series of illustrated presentations by jewellers featured in The Goldsmiths’ Company’s summer exhibition, CREATION II: An Insight into the Mind of the Modern Artist-Jeweller. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the speakers directly. Tickets £10 (includes catalogue and refreshments). For tickets email promotion@thegoldsmiths.co.uk or call 0207 3675 907

And why should we all love jewellery? Well I don't need any persuading (my collection of rings and bangles is out of control, and the bigger the better) but for all the doubting thomas's amongst you, here is the blurb from the back of the guide: Jewellery is a symbol. Whether it is a fashion statement or a work of art, it is often the focus of, rather than the accessory to, an outfit. With wedding bands and anniversary jewels such as rubies or pearls, jewellery has come to symbolise eternal love – and as such, its sentimental value far exceeds the initial cost.

So there you have it; beautiful sparkly beautiful jewels and the implicit promise of a true and eternal love. You'd be crazy not to get involved!!

Love Tor x

Animal Magic!

I realised, or at least it was pointed out to me yesterday, that I have a new obsession. Well, an old obsession but one that has only just permiated my consciousness; a love of clothing and jewellery, and anything tacky with an animal on. And i'm not even fussy about which animals; from my Frances Lui scarab beetle brooch to my topshop owl ring to that delightfully tacky t shirt with a horse on it, if it shows an animal, apparently i'll wear it.

And luckily for me, fashion seems to be with me on this one at the minute. Last year the snake bracelet was everywhere (I had a black and gold one in my stocking from santa last year. This year even more animals have entered the mix. And my heart desires all of them. (Click on the image for where to buy):

This years snake bracelet is much blingier (is that a word?) than last years!

Snake: limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous.

Must have tiger t shirt! Perfect with shiny black leggings (which, incidentally, my sister says make me look like a hippo trapped in a bin bag) and shrunken black blazer.

Tiger: large feline of forests in most of Asia having a tawny coat with black stripes; endangered You have no i-deer (ha!) how much I love these mittens!

Deer: distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers

And finally, a fella who never forgets....

Elephant: five-toed pachyderm
the symbol of the Republican Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874

Maybe it's time you let some four legged loving into your life?

Love and purrs,
Tor x

Muriel Spark Rules My Life!!!

Ahhh, bank holidays. A time to put on something pretty, hit the shops, and then while away the afternoon relaxing in a beer garden. Or not. In my case apparently you’re supposed to lock yourself like a hermit in the library wearing saggy leggings and a baggy Blondie T-shirt, because anyone spending their bank holiday indoors shouldn’t care what they look like. I’m slowly turning into a pale library troll. Yes, it’s deadline time again, and yet again I’ve left it all to the last minute. 5,000 words on what I think about Muriel Spark’s autobiography here I come! Woe is me, etc etc.

I love the way Spark looks on the cover of this book (sorry I couldn't find a bigger image)

This means that whilst I could tell you everything you didn’t want to know about Muriel Spark, I have been out of the fashion loop for a while (as you can no doubt tell from my shameless recent blogging record). So because I’m tired and this is the only ‘break’ I’m going to take for the next 3 hours, I’m going to go with what I know and write about Muriel Spark; fabulous writer, eccentric super-bitch, and worthy fashion icon.

Tight sweater, necklace with an animal pendant, and sexy tilted specs? What’s not to love??

Muriel Spark was obsessed with fashion (a woman after my own heart) and always dressed flamboyantly. It pleases me more than you can ever know to picture her zipping around Italy aged 80 in her alfa romeo and her fur coat: an image recounted in each of her obituaries, so it obviously pleased more people than just me! One journalist recorded that Spark swept in for an interview (then in her 70s) looking demure and sophisticated in a black and white Chanel suit that she had chosen to team with fluroscent pink ankle socks.

How can such a cruel woman have such a kind face?

Derek Stanford (Muriel's sworn enemy) described Muriels love of vintage jewelry and accessories; "there was generally within her wardrobe some small family property-a brooch, a clasp, a pair of earrings or her silver topped umberella- which had come from her mother or grandmother". He also wrote some lovely things about Muriel and her mothers relationship in his unofficial biography; "Mother and daughter hd a true feminine love of dress, jewelry and adornment....Whenever she visited her mother in Scotland they would do a deal or a swap with each other over some trinket or treasure. And later maybe the swap would be undone, redone"

I love this extract because it reminds me of my own relationship with my mum and especially my nan; I love going through their wardrobes picking out clothes and jewellery they haven't worn for years and trying them on all at once like a toddler. My mum is a very petite (and naturally beautiful) lady, and it breaks my balls that I can't fit into any of her couture ball gowns from the early '80s. (When i'm at home next weekend I will dig out some of the photo's and share them) And it was in part my nan (a lady who still obsesses about fashion despite being in her 70s) who inspired me to start my collection of vintage brooches-I know they aren't 'in vogue' at the moment, and it's a pretty old fashioned thing to collect, but I love them! They're sparkly delicate and garish all at the same time -what more do you need?!

Wearing things that have been worn by people I love makes me happy. My wardrobe had as many of my sisters clothes in it as it does mine; The Spark concept of fashion as a family heritage is something I can get behind.

I'm not saying that 'the Sparklet' was perfect just because she liked dresses (i've done my research!) She abandoned her son before he was a teenager, attacked anyone who crossed her loudly in the press, and was a generally 'difficult' lady (to put it nicely!) But she loved fashion and literature, just like 2 other pretty cool young ladies I know, and that makes her noteworthy at the least, and admirable at the most generous. Phew! And now I feel inspired to go and work some more on that essay......

Hope you all had a great bank holiday!

Tor xxx