Town & Country Jewelry Awards

💍T O W N & C O U N T R Y • J E W E L R Y • A W A R D S👑

I have more childhood memories turning the pages of @townandcountrymag than I can recall. As a child, I would cut out their selected runway images and styled jewelry shoots to create my own look books. Town & Country Magazine celebrated their 2022 Jewelry Awards last month and I am in AWE!

💎🏝 We all need an escape from the craziness that continues to surround us. A dose of the fantastical into our chaotic lives. In celebration of their recent jewelry awards, @townandcountrymag did just that!

🏡🛌 The most precious accessories I use to adorn my body and my bedroom (because they truly are art!) are from my beloved designers right here in Charlotte!

🐚 When I put on the perfect pieces, they make me sparkle from the inside out. I do love them ALL but here's the thing -- they don't have to be 4-5 figure items.

No doubt, you've seen me in my favorite @twineandtwigstyle collar necklace. Their jewelry and now home accessories take me away...with their sexy tropical vibe. Who doesn't want that?! And I can't help but include @noellemunozjewlery and @kristin_hayes_jewelry in my photo shoots with brands like @_marieoliver_ and more. The silver bracelets, bling earrings....everything they craft (by hand!) is STUNNING.

When it’s time to bring on the heavy, I have my speed dial locked into @tinygodsjewelry @campbellandcharlotte and @elizabethbrunsinc for fine jewelry and more.

So, cheers to the fabulous winners from Town & Country's awards event, and to the local designers and retailers who add a spark of joy to my life!

📸 @olly.yung @maureen__stockton @ericamarkphotography

Visit my Shop My Looks page to browse some exquisite jewelry!

A Closer Look At The Fall Trend Edit + Town & Country Inspiration

Earlier this week I shared my Style Points contribution for the Fall/Winter Issue of Ballantyne Magazine.  I really enjoy this quarterly project, because it puts me in a seat where I sorta feel like the style editor of a magazine.  I can honestly say I see my work for these local and regional projects to be just as strong as the likes of InStyle Magzine, Allure, Town & Country.  I know I can do it.  I get to work with designers and their publicists to collect the proper images for my story and as a result I establish and work to build relationships with the fashion source direct.  This is a big part of being about to do my job.  I decide what the editorial piece is going to be about, I collect the images and information I need from the designers, I put it all together and then send it off to the magazine editor.  

Next, the talented art directors work their magic to put out a spread that I think looks quite impressive.  The first time I sent my work over to them I shared a similar piece from Town & Country Magazine.  Aside of my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother, filing through the fashion pages of T&C is where the style obsession all began for me.  In the early 1980's, they used to dedicated pages and pages to showcasing runway looks each fashion season.  I would cut out my favorite looks, organize and paste them into my own fashion book.  

The Ballantyne Magazine Style Points edit has been such a fun project.  Below are links to some of the hottest trends you can expect for Fall.  

Tassel Mania!  I've included a swanky belt from the uber chic and talented twin sister designers, Lizzie Fortunato, and the accessible to everyone tassel earrings sold by one of my favorite design stores on the planet, Furbish Studio.

Velvet is going to EVERYWHERE.  I included an interesting dress from my first favorite designer, Cynthia Rowley.  Not sure when it will be available to the public, but here and here are lots of great Ready To Wear designs for Fall/Winter 2016. 

Metallics.  One thing I love LOVE, including this draped front mini dress, and this Caterina Lucchi sequin pailettes calfskin backpack you can find at Our Place Boutique in Charlotte. 

Local designer Regine Bechtler rocks the puff sleeves trend just like Jean Paul Gaultier would with her eclectic handmade Peace Jackets.

I LOOOOOOVVVEEE the guitar straps this season, especially Valentino's.

The Herno lightweight puffers are simply the best.  You can find the fur lined one pictured above over at TRC W.

Novis rocks the school girl jumper so chic layered over a turtleneck.  You can find Novis in Charlotte at Capitol.

Town & Country's Glamorous Caftans

This week one of my favorite magazines since I was too little to remember, Town & Country, featured on their website their picks for The 19 Most Glamorous Caftan Moments.  I know I am not alone in my belief that caftans are one of the most amazingly wonderful wardrobe pieces of ALL TIME.  If you are looking for something to wear that says "I am fantastic,"  the caftan is it. The below model at the Japanese Silk Exhibition, Blake Lively and Rachel Zoe were just a few selected wearing gorgeous caftan designs. 

Also among those featured, Margherita Missoni, Cate Blanchett and Queen Elizabeth and Hillary Clinton. Yes, the Queen and Hillary Clinton! Not the first first lady to come to mind as a fashion icon, but she was looking quite lovely.  All of this caftan love leaves me wondering, if Town & Country had known of my Grandmother's vintage caftan, could have I rounded out the list to make it 20?  I suppose a fashion, fashionable magazine-loving little girl can always dream...