The rich, the excentrique & the arty

Or the Ethnique, the British and the Modern. You may, of course, do your own combinations of the above as may suit your taste, mood and imagination, but if we are to listen to style forecasters Elizabeth Leriche and Vasken Yeghiayan, it’s Ethnique Riche, British Excentrique and Modern Arty for this season’s jewelry and fashion accessories. It’s the French twist to the current spirit in fashion, which is all about travel to distant lands, freedom and loosening up: a counterculture of sorts and a tribute to lazy summer days. The words and the influences seem to be contradictory, but it’s the contradictions that make these perennial themes fresh again and give them a new currency.

Ethnique Riche

Travel and shopping can be addicting and after many trips we can accumulate a lot of material as well as spiritual baggage. Hence the need to be selective and thoughtful in what we choose to retain. It will simply not suffice to pile on all the wood, shell, horn and other ethnic beads that have caught our fancy through the years. Restringing of old finds is an option, mixing it with new pieces like scraps from a favorite Hermés scarf that happened to be Muffy’s idea of a midafternoon snack treat. Or at least combining the humble with the gold and the glitz that we were so ashamed of resurrecting for some time. Whichever combination you choose, the finale has to be a rich, refined look. The Ethnique Riche woman, after all, is a sophisticated, cultivated city dweller with the soul of a traveler. Calm, luxury and voluptuousness are key words as she indulges in rich fabrics worked excessively and blends Byzantine and African inspirations with contemporary influences for a new elegance.

This palette highlights warm, natural colors blended with metallic effects like ivory, ebony, sand, old rose, old gold, copper, earth and brick.

The silhouette to wear with this type of jewelry is exemplified by a rhinestone and sequin-embroidered tunic worn over a full petticoat and flat sandals.

Materials used were gold, bronze and copper that was engraved, cut out, hammered, inlaid, textured, worked with rhinestones, semi-precious stones, beads, mother of pearl, feathers, leather, and wood.

Ethnique riche pieces included a bib-front necklace, mixed long necklaces, accumulated bracelets, multiple rings, giant "gypsy" earrings, and jewelled belts.

A standout of the ethnique riche look is the collection of Erickson Beamon, jeweler to fashion stars like John Galliano, Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen. Their African Valentino collection combines suede and clay beads with huge emerald-cut and marquise stones in all the jewel colors. This is the only way a Valentino girl will adorn herself with anything ethnic as she steps on to her yacht at Costa Smeralda. The Alibaba collection in turquoise, coral and gold will bring shivers down a Manhattan Maharani’s spine. Rigaux also delivered with supersized sculptural pieces in bronze and pewter mixed with wood, porcelain and semiprecious stones. Filipino exporters at the Bijorhca show, Avatar and Jim Castler had a strong showing of rich, chunky pieces in wood, shell and horn mixed with pearls and crystals which were right on the mark if the queue of buyers at their booths was any indication.

British Excentrique

British inspiration has been invading the fashion imagination for the past seasons and is ever present in Paris with London just a tunnel away, but it’s always interesting to see how it is tweaked by the French, who nonchalantly shake up British classics with their signature iconoclastic style. This season it is the eccentric Brit who reigns, with her explosive, rebellious rock-and-kitsch side. Everything is done to make that stiff upper lip quiver with delight.

Colors included feminine pastels contrasted with sober masculine classics. Think candy pink, white, blue, almond green, navy, beige, brown and gray.

The silhouette was a shift from traditional clothing: a nipped-in spencer worn over visible, eyelet-embroidered lingerie, paired with gabardine riding pants.

Materials included gold and patinated metal, cultured pearls, semi-precious stones, ribbons, lace, crochets, and feathers.

What jewelry constitutes British Excentrique? Family jewels, tiaras, charm bracelets, medals and medallions. Also on display were long, mixed-bead necklaces, crests, brooches and animal motifs.

A leading example of the British Excentrique style is the jewelry of Jean-Daniel Brami who utilizes cameos reminiscent of Wedgwood porcelain mixed with patinated gold chains and pearls. His earrings of huge pearl hoops are humorously mismatched with tiny wicker baskets, among other surprises. His crocodile cuffs have clusters of crests and other vintage findings straight out of Portobello road to give a very individual look. Pilgrim exaggerates the lengths of the ribbons in their tartan and cameo brooches as a naughty wink to that Scottish institution.

Modern Arty

There are rumblings among fashion insiders who are veering away from embellished excess and favoring a return to modern minimalism. Not that it ever really left, it has just been reinterpreted with a new kind of restraint which the Leriche-Yeghiayan tandem proposes for the independent, creative woman who likes contemporary art, from David Hockney colors to Vasarely motifs. Unlike the stark minimalism of the Nineties, the new minimalism is not as serious, with more color and femininity and ultimately more fun than its joyless predecessor.

This style featured a range of vibrant, urban colors in color blocks: vitamin-charged orange, swimming-pool blue, fuchsia pink, sun yellow, petrol blue and chlorophyll green.

The silhouette was simply shaped, unstructured, asymmetric, in layered colors with a chic, relaxed appeal; shoes to wear were platform sandals.

Materials employed were Plexiglas, resin, glass, wood and lacquered metal, plus enamel.

Jewelry included graphic pieces with a ’60s mood, long or thick necklaces with giant, brightly colored beads, layered cuff bracelets, geometric brooches and rings.

Alexandre Stripp’s collection of enameled and embossed geometrics exemplified this look with bold patterns and colors. Sobral also had a fun collection with rainbow Plexi components for necklaces and cuffs, experimenting with nylon netting mixed with quartz crystals and mother-of-pearl discs.

Counterculture as these style suggestions seem to be, there is no doubt that beauty and elegance are still the status quo, but never, ever to be taken too seriously. As always, with adornment, it is best to approach it with humor and impertinence. Have fun piling it on (and peeling it off as necessary) this summer!