Indonesian Fashion Spot!

(Source: whowhatweardaily.com)

Accessories play a major role this season, from hair clips, belt buckles, bangles, oversized clutches to necklaces. They’re big, oversized, whimsical and definitely making a statement to your whole look. With the latest influences of eclectic art, hippie revival and tribal trend, among a few, have somehow contributed to this whole accessory trend. One of the key pieces of this trend is necklace. Over the top necklaces have been seen on the runways since last Fall 2007 and we keep on seeing them on the latest runways of Spring and Fall 08, from Marni, Missoni, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Philip Lim to Dries Van Noten. So what to expect from this statement necklace trend? They definitely look great on the catwalks and magazine editorials, but what about the real way?

(Source: fashionverbatim.net)

These past few seasons, we’ve seen enough of charm jewelries, chunky bead/stone necklaces, big chains, layered necklaces, chandelier earrings, victorian cameo brooches, vintage/herloom/costume jewelries, cocktail rings, chunky bangles, the 80’s and 60’s MOD accessory revival, and many..many.. more. Honestly, I got tired of them. Don’t get me wrong, I was quite excited when they first came out and was constantly chasing them everywhere. But after seeing all these jewelries around, I couldn’t stand them anymore. I was overwhelmed, it was too much! And I started to only wear simple and plain necklaces with small pendant, and no earrings, or no jewelries at all…

SADLY, it didn’t last that long. Realizing how statement necklaces are becoming the season’s-it-piece, I went over my jewelry box to find something that I would be able to recycle and rework them again. My chunky bead necklaces could go with the tribal/safari look but they’re just too ethnic, my charm and cameo jewelries are still cute but they’re too victorian and don’t fit into the latest romantic floral look, my dangling and chandelier earrings could give that bohemian/hippie revival feeling but I don’t see myself wearing those earrings anymore, they look too Bollywood… I couldn’t find anything that I thought would work again, I felt the same with my vintage brooches and everything inside my jewelry box.

(Source: Elle accessories, elle.com)

Until one day I visited the MOMA Store in Soho. I had a glance to their beautiful accessory collection and discovered Frank Lloyd Wright collection for MOMA (umbrellas, scarves, etc). I instantly felt in love with the geometrical print and color combination on his scarf, and started to remember the big Art Deco influence in the runways of Fall 07 which seem to reappear on the Spring 08 runways.

(top: Marc Jacobs F/W 07 art-deco inspired accessories, source: style.com, confashions.blogspot.com, bottom: Missoni Spring 08 RTW, source: style.com)

(Art deco-inspired jewelries from Forever 21, courtesy of threadtrend.com)

They’re bold and fresh, and I certainly love their color blocks and geometrical shapes. Aha.. they would make a great statement necklace! I’ve always been a fan of the Art Deco period, the architecture, the fonts /typhography, the artists.. Frank Lloyd Wright, Tamara de Lempicka, Bernhard Fashion, .. and now implementing them into fashion would definitely be a joy! Since then, I’ve been hunting for more. I found some of them at Loehmann’s. And Forever 21 seems to have an affordable collection of Art-deco inspired necklaces. My husband calls them “the Pimp necklace”, and I still can’t get enough of them yet *I may get bored of them one day for sure just like the rest of my jewelry collection.. =D They add a touch to a simple look. Simply pair it with a plain basic top or dress, and you’re all set. If you’re brave enough, you could mix it with a printed top/dress, or even with anything that have embellishments, intricate details around the neck etc.

(left pic: statement necklace with bold print dress, source: elle.com, right pic: a classic black turtleneck with an art-deco style necklace from Marc Jacobs F/W 07, source: style.com)

Sources & images courtesy of: elle.com, whowhatweardaily.com, fashionverbatim.net, style.com, threadtrend.com, momastore.org, confashions.blogspot.com, fonts.com, goodart.org, char.txa.cornell.edu