{ the new leisure suit }

{ lanvin for h+m sunnies, kelly framel jet leaf earrings and crystal meridian ring, helmut lang blazer, primary | new york silk t-shirt, alexander wang shorts (now on sale!) }

this may simply be a part of getting older, but more and more i feel most comfortable in clothes that are at once perfectly pulled-together and still totally relaxed. for instance, a great tailored jacket feels casual-as-can-be (but still appropriate anywhere), when paired with slouchy, statement-making shorts (instead of the more-expected skirt or pants). it feels grown-up but not uptight; therefore, just right.

{ shop the glamourai } transcendenjewel

just added some supernatural new stones to shop.theglamourai.com ~ CLICK HERE to have a look!

{ as promised }

new in the store!!!

{ rock pop }

been a busy bee this week, crafting and adding newly-made jewels to the shop. click the picture to have a gander!

{ above: amethyst amulet necklaces (only $60!) hang on a homemade cork-board in my studio }

{ newly jewelly } midsummer statements

after two tumultuous months of packing, moving, and a head-spinning schedule of freelance projects, i've somehow eked out the time to unpack and rebuild anew my jewelry studio. the first fruits of my work/life relocation have just arrived in the shop ~ it feels so good to finally be fashioning fancy new fripperies again! we couldn't let bunny have all the fun, now could we?!

{ hearts on fire }

i quite cockily imagine that all who add glamourai jewelry to their wardrobes must be a pretty chic bunch, but actually seeing the pieces come to life on my real-life clients is really more touching and humbling. it's such an honor! i seriously squealed when this photo of fabulously fierce jemina popped up in my inbox. how incredible does she look in her graphic, draped dress, cat eye sunnies, pop of blue bag, and one-of-a-kind hearts on fire necklace?!
i have been (and will continue to be) running a bit behind on posting & producing this week, as i'm transitioning into a new home & design studio. as such, i'm having a little moving sale in the shop: use code 'MOVING10' for 10% off any order until sunday, june 6th!

{ shop the glamourai } gypset jewels

i'm always inspired by the mysteries of the far east. this preoccupation manifests itself in my work in myriad ways, but is increasingly obvious come summertime. as this post suggests, i'm especially apt to channel jet-set gypsies as the weather warms up.

accordingly, i've just spun a special series of sun-bleached silver sundries, all superb for bathing on the beaches of bali. actually, they'll work wherever your warm weather wanderings may take you ~ even if you're only headed as far as the local swimming hole!

{ click any pic to see them all }

{ bijou jangles }

since the inception of spring, i've enjoyed wearing loads of jangly bracelets (as recently evidenced here and here). compound to that the fact that last week, at an antique accessory exhibition, i fell hard for a tassel-trimmed number (with an achingly intimidating four-figure price tag) ~ and what you've got this week is a clangor of bangles (also a few new necklaces) in the collection!

tis the season to start stacking!!
{ click here to peruse }

{ inspiration and outcome } a magic carpet ride

remember the exotic porcelain urn that i found on my last trip to texas? i just went crazy when first i spotted it in a frill-free flea market booth! getting it home was a bit of a hassle, but well worth the trouble, for it immediately inspired me to make a medley of mediterranean marvels:

taking cues from the vase, i sourced stones in cerulean, turquoise and white magnesite, chains in ivory and gold, and smooth polished pearls. i imagined the world this porcelain piece might have originally belonged to (something quite like THIS) ~ and contemplated the lady who lived there. what could i possibly make that would befit this majestic mirage?

i'm thrilled by the resulting pastiche of turkish delights; don't they just teem of far east seas?! it's amazing what a jolt of inspiration will do ~ even from a source as unlikely as a cookie jar.

{ click any image to see item in store / all are available now at shop.theglamourai.com }
[ still life photos by me / fashion by steven meisel ]

{ daisy chain }

as promised, i've just finished my riff on this season's botanic pannier baskets ~ and i dare say made the look thoroughly my own!

i found this simple bamboo frame bag years ago in my great grandmother's attic. it's not terribly practical, but i held onto it simply because it was so interesting, and i loved that she had it. when chanel sent their own interpretation of this antique novelty down their spring 2010 runway, i knew exactly where their inspiration came from! i liked the way they adorned their version with desaturated silk and cotton flowers, like a rustic schoolgirl's picnic basket. it inspired me to pull out my own family heirloom ~ though for months afterward it just sat in my studio, untouched.

on the first warm day we had this season, i found myself irresistibly lured into a sunny antiques shop, where i stumbled upon the prettiest pile of waxed canvas flowers. they spoke to me. i picked up the whole lot, brought them back to my wee workshop, and began playing around with them. they started to become rings and things (as first seen here), and as i finished each new piece i instinctively tossed it into my great grandmother's bag for safekeeping. they gradually piled up, and i realized i'd inadvertently made my own ode to chanel's haute bohemian baskets.

though they look so wonderful all strung together, the fruits of this daisy chain of inspiration are now available individually at shop.theglamourai.com!

{ click any image to hop to shop! }

{ aeries }

seeing as my penchant is for serious statement jewelry ~ ostentatiously oversized, blindingly blingy baubles ~ many have asked if i'll ever make more understated options. well, i've done my darndest! i wouldn't be so disingenuous as to call these au courant creations discreet, but in the scheme of things, they are at least more versatile and unvarnished than ever before. this is my kind of minimalism.

{ first resort }

last week's surprisingly springlike weather had me hankering for a holiday ~ and fancying fresh jewels to pack along! thinking of rattan beach chairs, coral sands and bronzed skin begat gold-flecked mesh, tortoise-shell teardrops, nautical cording and spice-route cinnabar baubles.
clear here to join the journey.

shop { dot } the glamourai { dot com }

ye olde glamporium is now defunct. at long last, i've got a home of my own:

i've moved over only the best of the best of my previous works, and added in a slew of new cocktail rings ~ the quality of which exceeds any i've been able to offer before. this day has long been in my dreams; i am so excited to give you Shop.TheGlamourai.com