A Year of Pretty - February 17, 2014

Mmmmmm, the beauty of pearls. I know this is not the first post of pearls I have done. And I know it will also not be the last. 

The reason I like pearls so much is that they can be both simple and complex ... at the same time. This round, unassuming orb which changes colour in different lights; which can be either warm or cool to the touch. More than any precious gemstone (while not actually a stone), pearls seem to have the most life in them without having to apply heat or faceting. They are simple sophistication all on their own.

A Year of Pretty - February 04, 2014

A few years ago I started with making jewellery. Nothing super complicated of fancy; mainly just beads on string. One of the designs I did a lot of were these three strand "freedom" necklaces. I designed them because my Oma was starting to have troubles with opening and closing traditional lobster-claw clasps. This "freedom" necklace let her just loop the strands around and not have to fuss with tiny closures.

Sometimes she would wear just one strand, sometimes all three. Or, she would take one strand from one set (pink) and mix it with two strands from another set (black and grey). She would make these intricate loops and twists and a lot of people would comment on how put together her jewellery always looked.

Today's Pretty Post reminds me of when I was first starting out to design, the technical stuff I had to work out. Which type of string to use. Would it be strong enough. Would tiger tail wire be better (it was). Would it be flexible enough (not really, but it beats having all the beads spill all over the floor when the silk/nylon thread broke).

I still have one or two of these necklace sets left. One is in freshwater pearls and pink rose quartz; very much like the one shown here. I also have a jet black and crystal one that I like to wear with a simple little black dress. My mom has a blue one with Murano glass beads, blue pearls and crystals; which she wears either with a men's dress shirt and jeans or with a dark blazer and slacks when teaching.

This photo also presents a different way to wear such a necklace, and is very much in keeping with the Great Gatsby Inspiration project I am working on. Perhaps I'll pull out my two necklace sets to accessorize my garments as the sashay down the runway.

A Year of Pretty - January 25, 2014

Today's Pretty Post . . . is sheer beauty. The blouse, the pearls, the necklace, the brooches, the hair, the make-up . . .even the texture and simplicity of the backdrop. Just beautiful.

So the necklace is supposed to be the focus of the picture. I know, "wait, she's wearing a necklace?"

Yes, she is. And it's by Canadian-based designer Charlotte Hosten.

From the designer's website:
"Charlotte Hosten is a jewelry and accessories designer who offers her clients fantasy and feminity. Her famous fabric necklaces have reversed the usual cycle of dressing up. Women tend to wear a Charlotte Hosten jewel as the base for the outfit : creating their look around the necklace.
Born and raised in Belgium but now living in Montreal, Charlotte has traveled the world. A self-made designer, she instinctively learned to create jewelry at the age of 15. The idea of mounting a piece onto fabric was introduced in 2008,  when she couldn't find a clasp she liked to support her creations : she then started to embroider beads onto fabric. Ever since, her necklaces have become luxurious sculptures; sometimes made of one of a kind antique jewelry pieces or, for the custom made pieces, with the treasures her clients bring her. Charlotte Hosten's work was recently featured in Elle Québec, Fashion, The Gazette and Châtelaine, just to name a few. Her necklaces are now distributed everywhere in Canada.

What is unique about Ms Hosten's creations is that she is very aware of the efforts to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle within her company. Most of the trimming waste is kept to be reused; and some of the necklaces (the sari collection for example) have been elaborated using almost only trimming waste. She uses a lot of vintage beads, brooches and necklaces to which a second life is given.

Charlotte Hosten's Atelier Boutique is at 122 Bernard W. in Montréal (514)274-8511