With such characteristics as sparkle, gleam and shine, jewelry is eye-catching. Add motion to a piece of jewelry, and its appeal is almost irresistible. Jewelry designs that incorporate movement are not pieces for someone who needs to convey a conservative professional appearance – indeed, they can be quite distracting. Rather, these designs are about freedom and fun!
How appropriate that the current crop of fringed jewelry designs reportedly takes inspiration from a host of sources. One inspiration is fashion of the American West – a renewed interest in all manner of fringe as adornment, including iconic fringed leather.
Illustration: An ad for Guess from the February 2010 issue of Marie Claire.
Illustration: Fringe earrings by Iosselliani pictured in the March 2010 issue of Lucky magazine.
Another influence is rock and roll, reminiscent of the hippie style of the 1960s. In her blog on January 21, 2010, celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe applauds the “less-expected take on hippie-cool” seen in fringed jewelry, and in this fringed waterfall ring of Solange Azagury-Partridge in particular:
According to the December 2009 issue of Marie Claire magazine, designer Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel looked to feathers, one of Coco Chanel’s original motifs, as inspiration for the fringe motif seen in the embellishment on garments as well as jewelry designs this season.
Illustrations: Some of Chanel’s fringed designs pictured in the December 2009 issue of Marie Claire.
Some of the designs appear to be a continuation of the many tangled jewelry designs we saw all through 2009.
Illustration: Chanel cuff pictured in the October 2009 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.
And then there’s this comment, from the March 2010 issue of Lucky: “if you like studs, you’ll love chains.” For those who take their fun with edge, this ensemble from Moschino with chain-adorned jacket and double tassel necklace, epitomizes the style, so very much on the fringe.
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
