Friday, March 11, 2011

A Shopping Mission: Complete

Yesterday, I made my seasonal pilgrimage to New York City’s wholesale market to not only educate myself on the latest jewelry trends, but to stock up as well. This “pilgrimage” is unlike any other. It’s not the kind of outing where you shop, sit down for a meal in a fancy restaurant, and meet up with an old friend. No, with me it’s strictly business.


When inviting along a friend on one of my excursions or in yesterday’s case, my Personal Assistant, I prepare them well in advance to get down and dirty, that the pace is at an über-rate and we will likely have Gyros for lunch. Sound exhausting? Not for me. For me it’s a total adrenaline rush, it’s the excitement of the unknown and the pure bliss of visual stimulation, and with yesterday’s “trip” it was the most intense “shopping high” to date!


I would call yesterday’s high a serendipitous “sugar rush.” The stores displays were choc-full of candy colored bracelets and rings, from enamel, lucite, plastic and wood. The once natural bamboo and wood trends have turned a corner and are now vividly hand painted, dipped or plated in jeweled tones such as gold silver, platinum and rose colored gold and are wrapped in natural roping and micro embellishments. The seemingly endless linear rows, brimming with enamel bracelets were brilliantly displayed in every color under the sun and in every shape and size. It was Hermes’ enamel meets Gucci-esque “link” and “bit” prints and Pucci meets Grecian goddess. Bubbly plastic bangles mimicked tortoise shell, bamboo and the ever-so retro look of Bakelite.


As if you thought chandelier earring couldn’t get any longer, they have. The perimeter of the shops was covered with lengthy oversized earrings. I would call it bohemian elegance meets Moroccan bazaar. Earrings were dripping with coins, rhinestones and retro eclectic shapes. But the most prevalent and eye-catching was the use of feathers. Feathers were found on earrings, necklaces, bracelets and headbands.


Like a kid in a candy store, the over-stocked racks and walls of arm, finger and ear candy left me with a toothache and an empty piggy bank. Shopping Mission Complete!


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