Kristina Taylor

How did you transition into jewelry design?

"I majored in Fashion Design and Merchandising at Wayne State University, but it was my attending the Fashion Institute of Technology that sparked my interest in becoming a designer. After graduation, I moved to New York City and experienced short stints at J. Crew, Anna Sui, and Showroom Seven before landing my “dream job” at Ralph Lauren; where I worked on the design, development, and launch of American Living, a brand developed exclusively for [the American department store] JCPenney in 2008. Initially, I made jewelry for my twin sister, friends, and myself as a hobby. After handling press for designers, attending fashion shows, and working with magazine editors, however, I was inspired to further explore my talents as a designer.

" How would you describe the look and feel of Ettiket?

"I enjoy designing clothes and accessories that tell a story and make women feel good. I featured exotic and tribal influences throughout this collection, allowing women to embrace their boho-chic style. And the necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and turbans all boast batik, ikat, and exoticprints intermingled with vibrant colors and textures." Are there any designers you admire whose careers you wouldn’t mind emulating?"I admire designers [like] Anna Sui and Tracy Reese, both Detroit natives who have an international presence in the industry. Their stories are extremely inspiring and have motivated me to pursue my dreams."

Do you design your jewelry with specific kinds of women in mind?

"Imagine a sophisticated globetrotter gathering trinkets from her travels to Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, layering her arm and neck with bangles, cuffs, and necklaces made of natural stones, bone and rich fabrics with texture and prints. These pieces are very special to her and tell a story. This is the feeling that I want my pieces to evoke, something special."

(Vogue.it)

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Yves Saint Laurent’s closest muse, Loulou de la Falaise, died this weekend at the age of 63. Alice Cavanagh on the woman who inspired the legendary designer.

One of the great ladies in fashion, Loulou de la Falaise, died on Saturday morning in Paris at the age of 63. De la Falaise was a close companion and collaborator of the late Yves Saint Laurent, working by his side from the early 1970s until his retirement in 2002. Many have used the term “muse” to describe her relationship with Saint Laurent, and indeed she was, although she was also much more than that. As she explained to Vogue Italia last year: “For me, a muse is someone who looks glamorous but is quite passive, whereas I was very hard-working. I worked from 9am to sometimes 9pm, or even 2am. I certainly wasn’t passive.”

Passive or not, there is no doubt that her daring personal style—she was not one to shy away from brocade pants, even in her 60s—was a source of great inspiration for the couturier. When it came to all things sartorial, de la Falaise—with her dark blond, curly bob and generous smile—favored eclecticism and liked to wear an unexpected clash of color and print, always with a tumbling mass of necklaces adorning her neck. In this she was the opposite of Saint Laurent’s other, more masculine muse, the equally inimitable Betty Catroux. Someone once said that every man needs a muse; it makes sense that a man of his talent had two.

Louise Vava Lucia Henriette de la Falaise was born in Britain. Her mother, Maxime de la Falaise, was a great beauty and modeled for the likes of Schiaparelli. She was also a food writer for Vogue and an actress in one of Andy Warhol’s films (not to mention, at one point, a diagnosed kleptomaniac). But the photographer Cecil Beaton said Maxime was the only truly chic Englishwoman of her generation. Loulou’s father, Comte Alain de la Falaise, seems to have led a somewhat less eventful existence but was a French aristocrat nonetheless. Rumor has it that the de la Falaises christened their only daughter using Schiaparelli’s perfume Shocking instead of holy water. Loulou was, without doubt, always destined for Saint Laurent’s eccentric circle of friends.

Saint Laurent was at his best a genius, and at his worst a manic-depressive genius. He surrounded himself with inspiring and supportive people, many of whom, de la Falaise included, were ardent friends and confidants for decades. She once said of their working relationship and his delicate disposition: “He never did anything without me, but I kept the atmosphere light. If he acted neurotic, I’d say, ‘Don’t be so silly.’ I thought, ‘Nobody’s going to have fun in clothes if you don’t enjoy making them.’” Part of her role at YSL included designing jewelry, which was a success. When she left YSL, she launched her own line, which she worked on until she died.

It’s been said that we have de la Falaise to thank for “Le Smoking,” YSL’s famous tuxedo that revolutionized eveningwear for women when he presented it in the late 1960s. Its silhouette is de la Falaise to a T: though her style was feminine, she knew how to wear a pantsuit and rarely wore skirts. In fact, the model in Helmut Newton’s iconic 1975 photo of Le Smoking embodies de la Falaise’s appeal: slim, elegant, with that enviable air of je ne sais quoi.

(Images: Vogue.it. Article: thedailybeast.com)

Loulou has long been one of my favorite "ladies of style," as she was the epitome of chic. A true fashion icon. May she R.I.P.

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