Bay Area Fashionista

Jill Milan handbags are the ultimate luxury accessory

 in Eco Chic / General Fashion / Handbags / Local Designers  tagged charity / clutches / fall 2011 / jil milan / san francisco designers / vegan style by

Jill Milan, which is a luxury vegan handbag line based out of San Francisco, California, offers some of the most luxurious handbags on the market. Designed by Jill Frasier and Milan Lazich, the collection offers vegetarian, vegan, animal lovers and handbag fans everywhere a luxurious selection of fine handbags which are animal friendly; how very Bay Area!

This beautiful line of handbags is hand-crafted by the finest artisans in the world in Florence, Italy where designer handbags such as Yves Saint Laurent are made. There are no other vegan handbags on the market which even come close to the exceptional quality, fine craftsmanship and outstanding materials found in Jill Milan handbags; not to mention the haute style! Perhaps this is why celebrities such as Bo Derek can be found carrying Jill Milan handbags 

Jill Milan’s handbag line includes several evening bags, clutches, totes, shoulder bags and for this upcoming season there will be a computer bag; love it! One handbag from the collection in particular, the Thoroughbred Bag, benefits charity. This Jill Milan signature handbag is a classic double handle bowler bag which is roomy enough for use as a carry-on as well as for daily use as an alternate to a tote bag.

The Thoroughbred Bag is priced at $1,295 and proceeds from the handbag are donated to animal welfare organizations. Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue, which is a beneficiary of the Thoroughbred Bag, rescues and retrains former racehorses that are at risk for being sent to slaughter in Canada or Mexico. The horses are retrained and placed in loving homes as pets or for equestrian sports.

To learn more about Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue, please visit sctbrescue.org

To learn more about Jill Milan handbags, our own San Francisco based luxury vegan handbag designer, please visit jillmilan.com or handbago.com

jill milan

The bold jewelry trend shows no sign of slowing down for fall into spring

 in Eco Chic / Jewelry / Local Designers  tagged earrings / fall 2011 / twisted silver by

Bold jewelry has been a huge trend over the past year; and after New York Fashion Week, has shown no sign of slowing down into 2012. Bold statement pieces were shown on the spring 2012 runways in several forms from large cuffs to chunky necklaces to shoulder dusting earrings. Big jewelry pieces are here to stay; unfortunately this trend can be tough to wear on a daily basis.

Since large, chunky necklaces and shoulder dusting earrings can be difficult to wear on a daily basis, it is important to find a statement piece of jewelry that is smaller in scale than what was sent down the runway; yet still makes a splash. Twisted Silver has designed an easy to wear pair of bold earrings which are scaled to everyday life for fall; the Classic Earrings.

The Classic Earrings by Twisted Silver offer a large sized look without clanging against your shoulders or being overbearing. The result? A pair of earrings that is on trend for fall 2011 and spring 2012 yet is easy enough to wear while running to the market, meeting friends for lunch and out to dinner at night. Love it!

The Classic Earrings are made from antiqued brass and copper. They offer an architectural design which has an artsy vibe. Twisted Silver will debut the Classic Earrings on September 20, 2011 at twisted-silver.com for $40. Use code INSIDERS for a 15% discount. Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

classicearrings

Nail polish colors hot off the New York Fashion Week runways for spring 2012

 in Beauty / Nail Polish / Trends  tagged essie / new york fashion week / rebecca minkoff / spring 2012 / summer 2012 by

New York Fashion Week spring 2012 nail colors chosen by designers for the runways have been revealed. Pale shades, dark hues and nail art were all present on the New York catwalks, giving nail polish fans a glimpse into the next hottest hues for fingertips.

Rebecca Minkoff spring/summer 2012: Rebecca Minkoff created a feminine and flirty collection with a variety of bright colors. To stay in theme with her “girly” collection, nails on the runway were painted in candy stripes! There were two coats of Essie “Below the Belt” used as the base; which is a creamy white color. Then, two coats of Essie’s “Pink Parka” were used to create vertical pink stripes. Nail art was on the runway!

rebeccaminkoff

Suno spring/summer 2012: the show was inspired by the transition of a young girl into womanhood. The designer wanted to create a “fresh, dewy look that still keeps an essence of innocence.” The nail polish of choice was Essie “Main Squeeze” which is a sheer, iridescent pink.

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Edun spring/summer 2012: The collection was described as “fresh, light and airy, creatively juxtaposed iconic floral prints with tribal African patterns.” The designer chose several shades of nude nail polish for the runway show including Essie’s “potato Fields” and “BFF Best Boyfriend.”

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Prism spring/summer 2012: Inspired by “avant-garde imagery from the 1970’s,” the collection included burgundy, antique gold, dark green and burnt orange. Nails were painted with Essie’s “Bobbing for Baubles” which is a slate grey hue.

prism

Preen spring/summer 2012: Preen’s collection was all about feminine flair and pastels. Fingers were painted in Essie’s “Pink Lemonade” which is an iridescent shade of light pink. Toes were painted with one coat of “Chastity” by Essie; a solid, deep pink with a hint of lilac.

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The majority of the New York designers chose neutral and pale shades of nail polish for their runways. It should be interesting to see which colors appear on the European runways.

Photos courtesy of Essie.