Soon-to-be brides rejoice! J.Crew's debut bridal jewelry collection, which launches in May at its new Manhattan bridal store as well as online, was previewed at the Core Club on Monday and after seeing the capsule collection designed with the mindset of Miriam Haskell--America's original couture costume jeweler--I'm loving the results! The 34 pieces range in price from $150 to $1,400 and feature necklaces, rings, bracelets, brooches and earrings. Truth be told, they'll look great whether you're wearing Oscar de la Renta or Filene's Basement! J.Crew's done some incredible collaboration with its men's wear and accessories; it's nice to see the brand take things up a notch for women as well. Each piece of jewelry is hand-made and made to order in New York and features either a few or a combination of such materials as baroque glass pearls, crystal rose montees, gold-plates filigrees, Swarovski crystals and vintage Miriam Haskell materials. While the necklaces are certainly chunky and weighty (solo strands of pearls aside), the rest of the collection is surprisingly lightweight yet very expensive looking. The detail in the designs is refreshing. My favorites, aside from the pearl necklaces, had to be the brooches. I'd love to see those re-worked as haircombs (next season perhaps?). Very chic! What I love most is that the collection can be worn by non-brides too! There's nothing that screams "wedding day"--versatility was certainly not lost here.
$150 to $1,400; available at J.Crew Madison Ave. Bridal Store and www.jcrew.com
(Jewel Snob)
I'm sure that the mere mention of this particular collaboration, was highly anticipated by many, as the Miriam Haskell legacy lives on. One of the most sought after jewelry collections from it's inception, that certainly hasn't changed. I personally favor the vintage pieces, as they were always stunning, artistic statements created from a variety of elements; It's obvious that not much as changed. The pieces featured are beautiful, timeless classics.
I read somewhere that the Miriam Haskell name was "purchased" by someone a couple of years ago with a plan to continue the design aesthetic which has kept it a in the forefront of jewelry design for so many years, as well as a favorite of collectors.
