The Beautiful Project: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Food-Inspired Jewellery is a Fashion Fiesta

Mixing food and fashion can get messy really quickly unless the food is tastefully incorporated into jewellery. The art of wearing your lunch is a fashion trend that will get you noticed. And trust me there is no such thing as bad publicity in fashion where the object is to get noticed. And beyond getting noticed, setting the trend in your circle of friends with some of these appetizing accessories might just be worth exploring.

These miniature food-themed jewellery are often made from Polymer clay, a scultable PVC material which contains no clay at all. Easily categorized as a choking hazard for the underaged, these brightly coloured jewels inspire gourmet ready names like tasty trinkets, chilli charms, cupcake brooches, and burger bracelets.

A quick glance at the pink chicken wing necklace on Nicki Minaj shown above challenges anyone to pull this bold look off and not feel like a chicken wing, takes some courage I tell ya. So if the pink chicken wing is too rare for your taste, how about some of the vegetarian flavours, like the sliced avocado earrings or the green apple finger ring? Yup, fruit-inspired jewellery are healthy and haute, so put cherry-topped whipped cream ring on your finger and start strutting.

Bon appetit fahionistas. Bon appetit!

Cherry-topped whipped cream ring

Sliced Avocado earrings

Green Apple ring

Sushi inspired pendants

Sliced Orange earrings

Layered Cake earrings

Cookie Sandwich earrings

Bacon Bracelet

Sliced Strawberry pendant

Photo credit: onchmovement.com

Thanks for stopping by...

Thursday, July 26, 2012

How Kente is Worn For Traditional Performances

I have done a few posts on Kente presented in contemporary fashion dresses. The more traditional presentation of Kente is not as extravagant, but no less elegant.

Earlier on in the summer of 2012, I attended a wedding in Edmonton where this Ghanaian Dance Group from Calgary put on a show for the newly married couple. The pictures I obtained in the difficult light conditions was nothing to write home about.

But as good fortune will have it, I will attend another wedding one month later which will feature the same Dance group beautifully decorated in Kente Cloth, African Glass Beaded jewellery around their arms, wrists and ankles.

Armed with a camera better suited for tricky light conditions, I had a field day photographing the Dance ensemble as they presented the Adowa Dance, of the Ashanti Tribe in Ghana.

The traditional outfit of the Ashanti people is built around the Kente cloth. For those traditional occasions the Kente cloth is wrapped around the body just underneath the armpit and secured in place. The accessories shown here are the African beads, including the Krobo variety...

The two finger wave is a signature Adowa dance move and this group executes so effortlessly on all the elements of the traditional Ashanti dance.

I suspect that a little bit of Azonto dance was incorporated into the Adowa routine from the move captured below. That arm raised to me is textbook Azonto right there...

I struggled to figure out the white fabric print with gold detail worn by these cute dolls shown here without success so I am going to leave it to my more knowledgeable patrons to leave comments below that we can share and learn from.

If you have to have a wedding in the Calgary and Edmonton area, it will be worth using their services to grace your occassion with an authentic Ashanti cultural performance.

The name of the group is Adehyeman mma and you may contact them at adehemanmma2011@hotmail.ca through the group's mentor Margaret Boateng (Mama Peggy)

Thanks for stopping by, and please share your thoughts in the comments area below...

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Jeffrey Campbell's 2012 Resort Collection

A beautiful pair of heels is not likely to wear comfortably. But it sure will get you noticed. The 2012 Jeffrey Campbell's Resort Collection is that and some. You can argue beauty is in the eye of the beholder. True. And then there are these elements of beauty that are constant among cultures, countries, continents, generations, genders and social class. The obvious is bold colours, and symmetry and smooth lines and curves and sparkly things.

When Jeffrey Campbell throws a bunch of these beautiful elements together for his 2012 Shoe Collection it gains universal appeal quickly. Set in the flamboyant LA culture it is expressive. Embellished in everything from studs, cowhide, metallics, glitter, it is exquisite. Titled "A love affair with Los Angeles", the collection is less "plastic" and "fake" , and every bit authentic...

Find JC shoes at Holt Renfrew