A new shoe collection from Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu line always unleashes a frenzy of anticipation in the fashion world and the recent reveal of the Miu Miu Spring 2011 Shoe Collection is no different. The line is pure Miu Miu: inventive and quirky, retro-inspired and feminine, with focus on the details.
"A pure hand needs no glove to cover it," Nathaniel Hawthorne once said, yet people have been attracted to gloves and mittens since ancient times. The first gloves were developed to fight off the cold and later they were used for gardening and rough work. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all wore gloves. Homer wrote in The Odyssey that Laertes wore gloves while gardening to protect himself from brambles.
Italian Fashion Accessories: Fantasy and Durability
Italy is known for its big Fashion Houses, for the brands that are conquering the world, one country at a time. Designer shoes and handbags made in Italy are all the rage, they can be seen on any and all kinds of celebrities. And this trend is not new.
Italian jewelry is known all over the world for its astounding ability to find the beautiful in the simple, the aesthetic in the functional. But in our modern times, very few Italian jewelry houses create pieces that are more art than craft. Master Antonio Rando, the founder of Arando, creates timeless jewelry and watches that revolve around universal themes, expressing them according to his own unique vision.
Dolce and Gabbana Designer HandbagsDolce & Gabbana has never shied from over-the top-sexiness, and this shows up in its bags. The brand’s biggest champion is Madonna, and the designer duo have designed time and again for her tours.
As discussed in Italian Designer Handbags Part I, in the Part IV and Part V of this series we describe the Italian Designer bags that come from fashion houses that started with clothing, but have gone on to make statement handbags.
Fendi Designer Handbags When you talk about Italian handbags, Fendi is one of the first names that springs to mind. Fendi began as a family business specializing in fur and leather goods, and carried on with this expertise, till the advent of Karl Lagerfield, who turned Fendi overnight into a brand sensation. The Fendi Zucca logo became the talk of the fashion world in the late sixties, and the legend of the Fendi bags was born.
Prada Designer HandbagsPrada began as a luggage brand, but emerged into the handbag market with its prima donna, Miuccia Prada, who shot into limelight with her simple, functional yet stylish nylon bags. With the distinctive triangular label, Prada nylon bags became very popular. They retain a healthy demand even today, and have been seen on stars like Kate Winslet.
Italian Handbag Brands Part IAs mentioned in the introduction to Italian designer handbags, there are some Italian brands that began life as creators of bags or other accessories, and others that began as clothing labels which branched out later into designer handbags.In the first three parts of the article on the various Italian brands that carry designer handbags, the brands which started life as bag or accessory makers would be featured. You’ll find the clothing labels which now also create fabulous handbags in Italian designer handbag brands Part IV and Part V.
Unstable like the mood of time and transitional as vanity, the search for beauty is old as man (and obviously woman). The knowledge of cosmetics and pharmacology in the old Greece and oriental civilizations were so deep to reach unchanged the 17th century. The Romans, even though originally characterized by a certain simplicity of their local costumes, easily got seduced by their care of the body and …"to look good" (lets think about Marco Porcio Catone who regretted, during his senate speeches, the rigid application of the "Mos Maiorum" in the Pre Augustan era").
The Torrini Dynasty has its roots back in the fourteenth century when Jacopus Torrini of Scarperia, Italy began crafting fine suits of armor for the knights of the land. He registered his unique trademark in 1369 in Florence with the Guild of Iron Wrights, Armorers, and Nailmakers.
Brad Pitt chose Damiani to make his engagement ring for Jennifer Aniston and their wedding rings. Prince Emmanuel of Savoy also requested the company to make the wedding rings for his marriage to French actress Clotilde Courou. Movie stars, including Isabella Rossellini and Milla Jovovitch have proudly worn their jewelry. Beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow is proud to be their new face. The famous jewelry firm is the epitome of Italian style, elegance and innovation.
Carnival season is almost over in Venice. The splendor of the palaces along the Grand Canal, the majesty of St. Mark's Square and its gilded basilica, the bustling traffic on the waters of the lagoon are all major players, not just backdrops, which add to the unique flavor of the Venetian carnival. Magnificent costumes are paraded slowly, silently and regally through the streets and squares of Venice, pausing to allow tourists to snap numerous photographs that will help them to bring back to their places of origin memories and magic of Venice.
"Diamonds are a girl's best friend," Marilyn Monroe once quipped. The many movie stars who have been adorned with beautiful Bulgari jewels would surely agree.
While traveling through Sicily, I had the honor of meeting the creativity and brains behind Marilu Fernandez, a coral design firm that is taking the European fashion accessories industry by storm. I was introduced to the dynamic mother and son duo in their Palermo showroom for a preview party. She is a woman of elegance and refinement, but devoid of the pretentious air that often succeeds. I was taken around the showroom, where we paused at each piece and Gabriele explained, with extensive knowledge, the origin of every stone and the significance of the design. Their excitement and passion for the collection is contagious. True originality is difficult to come by, yet you will easily be surprised and charmed by Marilu's creations.
I remember my first Italian-made watch. I got it for my First Communion. I was in second grade. It was gold. It was elegant. It was so pretty. And I lost it. In the coatroom of the Catholic school I attended. My parents were so upset; but, not as upset as I was. That watch was perfect. It had a thin, bracelet strap with a ring clasp. The time face was black with gold Roman numbers. Ohhhh. How I still miss it!
I went hunting for a wallet recently. I love wallets. I guess it's because they're so close to the money, right? In this article, we'll focus on three men's wallets and three ladies' wallets - all from Italian designers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
When I was a little girl, my mother used to get so angry with me. I hated to go out in the winter with a scarf, gloves or a hat. Especially the winter hat. I didn't want to sacrifice my hair just to remain warm. Oh no. Not me.
Pearls and elegance go together. They have an undeniable appeal and celebrities have been seen wearing them recently, celebrities young and old. Not only are the classic pearl necklaces back, we are also seeing the resurgence of pearls as funky accessories. They are being won in various colors to jazz up an outfit, they are being worn in long strings to create a look of bohemian elegance---in short, pearls are back in the mainstream. Whether you are a woman of mature elegance or of abundant youth, pearls must be included in your collection of accessories.
Venetian carnival. Magnificent costumes are paraded slowly, silently and regally through the streets and squares of Venice, pausing to allow tourists to snap numerous photographs that will help them to bring back to their places of origin memories and magic of Venice.
