Fashion Facets

Israeli artist and silversmith Drora Meron believes that a person is shaped by his or her homeland, thus the history of the land of Israel figures prominently in her designs.

Meron began designing jewelry after making decorations on silverware for various jewelers in the late 1960s. In the early 1970s, after graduating from art studies, she joined the Maskit workshops in Israel. She founded her own shop in 1985.

Her designs encompass symbols of the varied cultures that have passed through or made their homes in Israel today.

Drora Meron, Six Uziel St., Holon 58343, Israel (972-3) 556-0573 telephone and fax.

An informal "man on the street" survey conducted by Inverness Corp., manufacturer of ear piercing equipment, found that six out of 10 men who have pierced ears did not use a sterile -- let alone professional -- implement to do the deed. The survey showed that an overwhelming majority (70%) of guys surveyed had a buddy pierce their ear(s). Sixty percent of respondents said they did it using someone else's earring that had been "sterilized" by alcohol of the potable, not medical, variety.

Male ear piercing dates back to at least the 1500s, says Inverness, but that's no reason to use Stone-Age methods today. In addition to professional systems available for jewelry retailers, the company offers a Personal Ear Piercer that allows consumers to pierce their own ears at home, safely and germ-free. Call (800) 631-0860 for information.

Along with the resurgence of '70s influences and luxury labels in other areas of the marketplace, designer jeans are making a comeback.

Famous and not-so-famous fannies are again sporting top-dollar denim labels such as Ralph Lauren, Todd Oldham, Dolce & Gabbana, Romeo Gigli and, of course, Calvin Klein. This market also appeals to the all-important status-striver market, those who can't afford couture clothes but can splurge on smaller luxuries such as designer jeans.

Denim in general is flying out the proverbial retail door. According to figures reported in The Fashion Newsletter, 511.9 million pairs of jeans were sold in the U.S. last year, up 6% from 483.3 million the year before.

In addition to designer duds, innovations such as butt-boosting jeans are attracting customers who want a rounder silhouette, hip labels such as Diesel and Guess are going strong and still there is the eternal worldwide appeal of good ol' classic Levis.

To watch: The Fashion Newsletter predicts the faded look may fade out as denims go dark, dark indigo. And always remember that denim and diamonds do go together! So does denim and pearls, denim and silver, denim and gold. Get the picture?