Fashion Week Jewelry: Take 1

With the Fashion World still nursing their hangovers from yesterday’s Fashion’s Night Out festivities, there are a few jewelry tidbits worth highlighting for you while we wait for the major designers to show later this weekend.

1. Statement Necklaces

Red carpet designer, Monique Luillier, featured the (by now) ubiquitous statement necklace with her spring ready-to-wear line. Is this anything new? Not really. Just further proof that you can keep your signature pieces at the ready for the next 6 months.

2. Bangles

Vena Cava featured Tiffany jewelry on her runway this season and stacked a series of black bangles with almost every streamlined outfit. A good thought to keep on the back burner if you’re ever wondering how to jewel up an outfit.

3. Layers

Gwen Stefani’s seven-year-old line L.A.M.B is still going strong with Bannanarama meets Blondie 80s rock looks for Spring 2010. In true 80s style, Stefani opted to layer each piece with long necklace strands in every incarnation – from pearls to gold and more.

So that’s just a taste of the Fall Fashion Week mayhem to come. Here’s hoping for some new trends to liven things up a bit. So far – I’m not impressed.

Paris Hilton Falls for Cartier

When guys find themselves in the doghouse, buying jewelry may seem patronizing and trite, but let’s face it: diamonds do things to a jewelry hound that are beyond our control.

Exhibit A: Paris Hilton. She and her reality TV star beau, Doug Reinhardt, broke it off in June after an argument, but the dapper duo was spotted walking the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival this week looking cozy, cute and very much a couple.

What gives? Cartier. And lots of it.

Reinhardt was spotted whipping out his Black Amex at the Cartier store in Venice where he purchased not one simple diamond. No. He bought the ENTIRE Panther line of rings, necklaces and bracelets for his beloved. Yes, THE Panther Collection that Rachel Zoe and all the fashionistas have been coveting of late.

So will the rekindled romance last? The jury is out – especially since Hilton was spotted canoodling with soccer stud, Cristiano Ronaldo, this summer - one fella who just might trump a Cartier windfall. Yum.

What do you guys think? Have you ever been wooed by jewelry? Or is the gesture just a lame attempt to buy your love? Weigh in!

Jewelry Inspired by the Silver Screen

We all know the film industry doesn’t just make money selling overpriced tickets and stale popcorn. For anyone who has ever owned a Princess Leia figurine or Leo Titantic shirt (you know who you are), you’re well aware that Tinseltown is happy to throw movie-related merch our way to fill their coffers (and eventually our Good Will donation boxes).

The good news is: there are some worthy movie-related jewelry lines that are set to debut this fall – some from hip, high-end designers that usually only the chosen few can afford.

First, the no-brainer. Nordstrom is launching a Twilight: New Moon clothing and accessory line in October – one month before the entire tween population bum-rushes a movie theater near them for the movie's release.

“I love Edward” and “I love Jacob” heart pendants and charm bracelets featuring film-related icons are just some of the silver and gold-plated offerings. Prices will be right in line with the youngster budget.

A not-so-obvious jewelry line comes to us from the mind of hipster designer, Pamela Love, who was tapped to create jewels inspired by the film, Where the Wild Things Are. Known for her goth style (crow heads, claws and bones are just a few of her inspirations), the 27-year-old worked with director, Spike Jonze to create the pieces that will be available soon through hipster clothing outlet, Opening Ceremony.

And finally, a taste of couture. Tom Binns, known for his avant-garde design style and for adorning our First Lady with eye-catching statement necklaces, is working with Disney to create high-end jewelry inspired by Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Yup. The same Alice in Wonderland starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Anne Hathaway as the Ice Queen.

The 35-piece line has price points that are considerably less than the normal Binns piece ($100 - $500 available in department stores) with six pieces retailing from $1,000 - $2,000 (sold in luxury boutiques). The Tom Binns for Walt Disney signature line will, like the movie, debut in Spring 2010.

So for jewelry hounds and movie buffs (and I openly put myself in both categories), there is no shortage of suited folks in the studio system who understand our passions. Have any of you ever purchased jewelry inspired by a movie? If not, would you? And which movie? Weigh in!