JCKstyle - January 13, 2006
The "unusual bedfellow" idea (H&M and Karl Lagerfeld! Demi and Ashton! Target and Isaac Mizrahi! Tom and Katie! H&M and Stella McCartney!) has been so done it is beginning to generate more yawns than yeahs.
Always ahead of the curve, H. Stern, however, has such an unexpected new partner that even the most jaded style watcher is taking notice. In
Los Angeles this week, making the most of the media frenzy surrounding the buildup to Monday's Golden Globe Awards, H. Stern introduced a new, limited-edition collection designed in cahoots with hair and beauty guru Frédéric Fekkai.
Though some might exploit such an odd partnership simply for self-promotion, this is no TomKat relationship. Between Fekkai's knowledge of hair and beauty, and
H. Stern's outside-the-box approach to jewelry design, they've come up with a collection that somehow makes hair and jewelry design feel like a genuinely amorous match.
Take H. Stern's Noble Gold, a soft-hued alloy that imitates and complements skin tones; Fekkai's focus on hair qualities like texture, curl, and shine; and add the underlying theme for both that fashion and beauty be effortless, and the result is this 15-piece diamond collection. There are clips and combs to be worn in the hair and cuffs that resemble the gentle sweep of an elegant updo, but the highlight of the line (perhaps best illustrating the collaboration between Fekkai and Stern) is a necklace of graduating diamonds in tones from blond to brunette, finished with suede ribbons that make it versatile enough to be worn as a necklace, bracelet, or headband.
The only drawbacks? Unlike other
H. Stern products, this line will only be available starting in April at the jeweler's New York City flagship store and, unlike Fekkai's other goods, there's nothing here to do anything for split ends.
Weekly Gem:
The Fashion Group International's Rising Stars awards, an indication of how those in the fashion industry view jewelry design (they nabbed Anthony Nak, for example, long before many jewelers discovered the brand), has announced its 2006 nominees. In the fine jewelry category, they are Roberto Faraone Mennella and Amedeo Scognamiglio of Faraone Mennella, Amrita Singh of Amrita Singh Jewelry, Janet Mavec of J. Mavec & Co., and Jennifer McCurry of jojo Designs. The awards will be presented Jan. 26 in New York.
