The Italian Fashion Round Up

By Paige McKirahan

 

Ciao, fashion-forward travelers! This week, we went wheels up on the runway towards Italy just in time for heels to touch down next week during Milan Fashion Week! In a place with such rich artistic history in endless amounts of creative industries, it is no surprise that some of the most followed fashionistas on Instagram hail from Italian states like Milan and Rome. After all, Italy did give us Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Prada, Armani, Fendi, Diesel....and the list goes on. Bloggers in this landscape have an affinity for creating a personable brand that is both authentic and fabulous, making their reach go beyond Itay's cobblestone streets. To gear up for Milan Fashion Week, check out who to follow for a first hand look at all of the runway's best fashion moments!

 

Chiara Ferragni

 

 

 

As a blogger and influencer that has risen to global fame, this Italian fashionista has been named one of the most influential bloggers in the world by Forbes. Her 15 million followers have transformed her brand, The Blond Salad, from a small blog created in 2009 to a million dollar business today.

 

Veronica Ferraro 

 

 

This top-tier influencer founded one of Italy’s most enigmatic blogs, The Fashion Fruit, in 2010. After making her way into the Instagram spotlight, she has been known to grace the pages of well-known publications like Marie Claire, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar along with appearances in a variety of luxury advertising campaigns. Find her in the rows all fashion month long!

 

Erika Boldrin

 

This Italian model’s boho-chic style is framed by picturesque locals all around the globe. All of her best looks can be seen on the traveling fashionista's blog, My Free Choice, where she combines her two interests and displays them in a perfectly curated feed that has garnered close to half a million followers. 

 

Nicolette Reggio

 

 

Reggio is an emphatic stylist and creative director behind her site Scent of Obsession; her sleek style and focus on design, photography, and travel shows why she has one of the most visually appealing social media feeds in the industry.

 

Valentina Coco

 

 

 

An all-in-one PR professional, marketing manager, and blogger is what you get with the multitalented Coco. Her motivational tone and attention to detail on her blog, Zagufashion, makes her an Italian fashion favorite that has near half a million followers.

Now that we know who to follow for all of the hottest looks in Milan, let’s see which Italian designers and labels are going to be worth featuring on these blogs among brands like Bottega Veneta and Ferragamo!

 

Pomellato

 

As this brand is already loved by Italian jewelry enthusiasts, they have no problem partnering with influencers like Chiara Ferragni when promoting their contemporary designs. Their Instagram bio boasts their global stance in the luxury market, and we see them finding widespread fame with their stackable, glamorous designs.

 

 

Your one-stop-shop for all things handmade, this brand creates delicate accessories set in simple silver or bronze constructions. Placing a twist on classic pieces like bangles and rings, these designs can be paired with any aesthetic.

 

Bea Bongiasca 

 

This designer's creations are anything but ordinary; her designs are colorful, whimsical, and in a league of their own in terms of construction. This brand is one of our favorite new discoveries and their creative marketing campaigns make them an easy follow! 

 

Calling All Columbus Readers!

By Paige McKirahan

 

If you have found yourself in Ohio for the holidays, you may be left wondering how to spend your last week of the year in the Buckeye State. As one of the nation’s top three fashion capitals, Columbus has seemingly crept to the top of this elite list while no one was watching. According to Columbus Monthly, Columbus employs more fashion designers than ANY other city in the United States outside of New York City and Los Angeles. Our state’s capital is chock full of small boutiques working alongside huge fashion giants like Victoria’s Secret, Lane Bryant, Express, Abercrombie & Fitch, and previously Henri Bendel. Other popular, locally-grown shops like Homage are also gaining great visibility and contributing to the area’s reputation as a vibrant, evolving capital. We hope all of our Columbus fans bought some local goods for all of those on your list this season, because we sure do love being a part of this amazing network of fashion innovators!

 

Now that Holiday shopping days are over, though, what else does this amazing city have to offer? Does the cold weather and the holidays have you or your family feeling a little stir crazy this Christmas season? Well, grab you jackets and get ready for a full day of fun at Columbus’ greatest attractions on December 29^th for FREE!

Thanks to The Columbus Foundation, local residents can spend their Saturday exploring central Ohio via free COTA rides all day long. The Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio History Connection, Franklin Park Conservatory, and COSI are all participating in the free general admission event. The Columbus Museum of Art is also partaking in the winter fun; our CEO and one of our favorite designers, Charles Kleibacker, have both held positions at that venue. Be sure to check out all of the beautiful art they have to offer!

Whatever you spend the rest of your 2018 doing, we here at TalkingFashion want to wish all of our readers a Happy New Year and a FABULOUS New Years Eve! When picking out that perfect outfit for your night on the town, don’t forget to end 2018 wearing what YOU love and continue doing so for all of 2019!

Sources:

We're Number Three: Columbus' flourishing fashion industry. (2016, March 30). Retrieved from http://www.columbusmonthly.com/lifestyle/20160323/were-number-three-columbus-flourishing-fashion-industry

Staff, N. (2018, December 13). Columbus Foundation celebrates 75th anniversary with free COTA rides, other freebies. Retrieved from https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus-foundation-celebrates-75th-anniversary-with-free-cota-rides-other-freebies/1657569111

Timmy Woods: A Fascinating Figural Designer

By Paige McKirahan

 

On the topic of figural designs that are both modern and vintage, our favorite current designer that is adopting this unique motif is Timmy Woods. Hailing from Beverly Hills, this handbag aficionado has gained international fame for her original, one-of-a-kind pieces that can be seen on televisions, in prints, on runways, in stores, and on red carpets all around the globe.

 

Her personalized handbags have made her a household name and can match anyone’s tastes from those going to Hollywood premieres to those looking for a new, affordable addition to the accessory closet. She has been seen on screens everywhere in programs including Jupiter Shop Channel in Japan, TVSN Australia, HSN, QVC USA, and the Thai Home Shopping Network. She works with both wood and leather when designing her bags; all of them are hand carved, making them a great gift that can also be used as home décor! If you need a last minute gift for the figural fanatic on your list, check out our Timmy Woods collection!

Sources:

About Timmy Woods. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://timmywoods.com/pages/about-us-1

Designer Spotlight: Sugar Gay Isber

By Paige McKirahan

This week, we have decided to spotlight a designer that is not only prominent in our collections, but prominent in jewelry lover's collections over the globe. Gay Isber, affectionately nicknamed Sugar, is a Canadian jewelry designer based out of Austin, Texas. As a seventh generation Texan, she planted her roots in the south with Gay Isber Designs, her namesake jewelry and product design company. As the creative force propelling the business forward, she has been crafting jewelry for over 15 years; she has been featured in national and international media, and has created pieces for everyone from royals to rock stars. She has even been dubbed “a guru of the fashion and jewelry industry” in her home state, which eventually pushed her to receive the Designer of the Year award in 2016. Now that we know of her great successes, let’s learn more about her inspiration, background, and her beautiful creations!

(photo credits to shoplc.com)

Sugar is a self-proclaimed jewelry lover who advocates for conversational pieces that are enjoyed more with every wear. As a creator, she is uninterested in what other designers are producing and focuses more about how her materials inspire her or how she can continue advancing her skills; she feels that she is truly only as good as her last piece.

Gay began her amazing journey by starting off as a painter after graduating with a Master’s Degree in Humanities and Visual Arts. She wanted her paintings to be show stopping, and concluded she would stop art show traffic by creating a bracelet that emulated her artwork’s colorful aesthetic. By the show’s conclusion, she realized that most of the patrons were more interested in her bracelet than her paintings, prompting her to make the transition from art to jewelry. Despite this, she has continued painting as a hobby and many of her jewels look similar to her art.

As a full-time creator, Sugar says that she dreams about jewels and has worked with so many amazing people that make the effort worthwhile. Aside from designing pieces for Michelle Obama, Camilla and Prince Charles, Lady Gaga and Martha Stewart (to name a few), she has also created a line for Harley Davidson and have participated in fundraising events for the company benefiting breast cancer. She participates in a vast amount of charity fundraisers and sells her jewelry at those events, through The Shopping Channel, through her mailing list, and independent retailers. In addition to her career as a designer, she also has been teaching at Austin Community College since 2012 where she offers private or group classes.

Whether it be a custom piece or a simple design, Sugar’s jewelry is eye-catching and commonly features bright colors, beautiful gems, bead work or metallic accents. Looking for some Sugar of your own? We have enough to fill a candy store! Head over to our collection to find some great Gay Isber pieces that are sure to sweeten up this holiday season!

(All biographical information taken from gayisber.com)

The Met Museum Presents Jewelry: The Body Transformed

By Paige McKirahan

 

In the wake of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most successful fashion related exhibit since its conception (talking about you, Heavenly Bodies Exhibit!), we here at TalkingFashion we have been excited to see what was next for the art-filled attraction based in New York City. Lucky for us, the topic for their new display covers none other than jewelry throughout time; museum patrons will be able to view over 200 pieces from dated 2600 B.C. to the present. The exhibit, which is titled “Jewelry: The Body Transformed”, opened on November 12^th and will have a 15-week run in the iconic museum.

 

 

 

If you are lucky to see the exhibition, you will be faced with an exploration of how “jewelry acts upon and activates the body it adorns” from a historical perspective. The pieces are chiefly taken from the Met collection and many portions of the exhibit pair the jewelry with sculptures, prints, and photographs in order to enhance their story. Jewelry from around the world will be organized into galleries by the part of the body they embellish starting from the top of one’s head and hair; to the nose, lips and ears; neck and chest; and lastly waist, ankles, and feet. 

 

 

After the exhibition is separated by body part, the remaining galleries are arranged thematically. The Divine Body is focused on early conceptions of jewelry and its previous link to immortality. The Regal Body will look at the use of jewelry as a status symbol. The Transcendent Body moves away from a rank-based evaluation and looks to jewelry’s historical link to the spirit world, where it was said to conjure spirits, appease gods and conjure ancestors. The Alluring Body gallery will celebrate how jewelry evokes romance and desire and the final portion, The Resplendent Body, will focus of elegant pieces designed for luxury settings. To see other magnificent pieces currently on display, head over the The Met's exhibition page. If you are looking to do more than just appreciate historical jewelry, head over to our collection and purchase a piece beautiful enough to be in a museum!

(all image credits to metmuseum.org)