Of a Kind: In-Depth With Iacoli & McAllister

I had the good fortune to interview Jamie Iacoli from design firm Iacoli & McAllister. Here are some screenshots, click on ‘em for the entire series:   Continue reading »

Of A Kind: In-Depth with A Peace Treaty

I had the pleasure of interviewing A Peace Treaty designer Farah Malik for a three-piece feature on Of A Kind. Here’s a few snippets, click the images to read the full articles: Continue reading »

Fab: Q&A With Helena Rohner

Acclaimed Spanish sculptor Helena Rohner began designing handmade ceramic jewelry 15 years ago after a transformative trip to Florence, Italy. Since her not-so-humble beginnings crafting baubles for Barneys New York, Rohner has applied her artistic prowess to a wide array of genres—from kitchenware to ornaments to jewelry to the USB necklaces on sale today. We had the … Continue reading »

Idependent Handbag Awards Announces Finalists

I had the distinct pleasure of spending one lengthy birthday at the Paramount Hotel going through thousands of entries for this year’s Independent Handbag Design Awards. Thanks to the quirky judging company (Zandile Blay, Nicole Giordano, Jess Zaino, Grace Gold, Samia Grand, Sabina Ptacin, Emma Grady, Colin T. McDonald, Kathryn Finney and Lois Sakany) the … Continue reading »

WWD: Frey Wille Opens on Madison Ave.

Viennese fine jeweler Frey Wille tiptoed into the American market with the opening of its first New York flagship on Monday, on Madison Avenue. The 900-square-foot space is being subleased from handbag brand Furla. Frey Wille chief executive officer Frederich Wille said the firm was drawn to this location as it offered a four-year lease, … Continue reading »

WWD: Waris Ahluwalia Rolling Out Scarves

NEW YORK — Jewelry designer, actor and social Waris Ahluwalia is sticking his neck into the fashion circus with a colorful launch of scarves. In vivid blues, greens, pinks, yellows and grays, the wraps are in embroidered cashmere and silk and the techniques used to create them are sourced from India, where Ahluwalia was born. … Continue reading »

WWD: B Brian Atwood Steps Out

Six months after signing a licensing deal with The Jones Group Inc., Brian Atwood is ready to launch his diffusion footwear collection, B Brian Atwood. The line is priced significantly lower than typical Brian Atwood footwear, but still manages to project Atwood’s penchant for glamour. B Brian Atwood shoes come in bright jewel tones, multicolored … Continue reading »

WWD: Accessory Network Buys Kooba

NEW YORK — Accessory Network Group has acquired the rights to the Kooba brand from private equity firm Swander Pace Capital. Kooba was bought by Swander Pace in 2007. The amount ANG paid was not disclosed. Abe Chehebar, chief executive officer of ANG, said the company was approached by Sage Group, an investment banking firm, … Continue reading »

WWD: Elie Tahari Launches Emmy Rossum Handbag

After years of wearing Elie Tahari’s designs and tailoring them to her liking, actress Emmy Rossum felt she had some constructive criticism to offer. Tahari said, “I was talking to her about her style and I saw that she had good taste and she liked [my] bags. She’d say, ‘I wish it was this way, … Continue reading »

WWD: Michelle Obama Puts Kara Ross on World Stage

After almost 20 years as a niche jewelry designer, it seems Kara Ross has been called up to the major leagues — thanks to prime placement on Michelle Obama’s earlobes. The First Lady was first photographed wearing Kara Ross earrings on Nov. 26 while receiving the White House Christmas tree. Since then, she’s been spotted … Continue reading »