Jewelry through the Ages: Christie's Jewelry Auctions

As if I don't already have enough research to do for my own work/school, I seem to enjoy finding more and more things to obsessively pore over...lately, I have been interested in learning more about antique jewelry, and I have discovered that auction websites are a great way to find out information and peruse beautiful images of all manner of gorgeous bobbles from bygone eras. If you are blessed with having more money than God, you can buy practically any kind of jewelry (from antiquity to present day) at Christie's Auction House. I love looking through their online catalogs and pondering over which time period produced my favorite jewelry styles. I have not come to any decision, though I do tend to be partial to Art Nouveau and Art Deco. They are all so special -- which do you prefer?

Christie's recently sold a huge lot of ancient jewelry [2nd and 3rd century B.C.]. It somehow seems so modern:

Belle Epoque Jewelry [1910's]. Filled with diamonds and very girly and ethereal:

Art Nouveau [1890's - early 20th century]. Organic, whimsical, and intricate:





Art Deco [1920's]. There is such an architectural feel to these pieces, and the colors are rich:





Vintage 1940's. Colorful and fun -- a mix of previous decades:

Fashion Illustration and New Figurative Drawing: Or, I Like People

I definitely went through a phase [during the time I was getting my Master's degree in Aesthetics] in which I was obsessed with abstract art. But, over the past year or two, I've done a complete 180 degree turn, and I now LOVE figurative illustration and painting -- I want people in my art, thank you! This has also made me more interested in fashion illustration as an art form. Until I can get my hands on the Fashion Illustration book from my gift guide last week, I am quenching my desire by bookmarking my favorite fashion-conscious illustrators on Etsy and dreaming of making a fabulously-framed arrangement of these on my wall (click on images to find out more...):

This print has such a great 70's vibe:

Victorian meets contemporary beauty:

I'm a sucker for glamorous women smoking:

Playful flapper girls:

Decadent Venetian glamour:

Sexy...and slightly creepy:

Karl Lagerfeld: Slav to Fashion / Chanel Pre-Fall 09

The images from Lagerfeld's show in Paris last week are utterly breathtaking: "Economy be darned, this was one extravagant production, with the collection's every item channeling the unmistakable look and pulse of Russia, from onion-domed gold heels and astrakhan muffs to fantasy folkloric headdresses by Japanese wizard Kamo" (wwd.com).

With clothes this divine, I could come to love cold weather dressing:

Here are a few key pieces I think I need ASAP to pull of the Lagerfeld look and make me feel like a "Slav to Fashion" [for a lot less]:

Glittery lurex tights.

Gold platform pumps.

Long leather gloves.



A (faux) fur accessory.



Or, a black capelet.

An over-the-top hair piece.



A black tulle skirt.

The Floto Warner Pendant Light: Eco Bling

With designers piling on gold chains all over runways this year, the new gold jewelry chandelier by Floto+Warner seems right on trend. Made entirely of second-hand necklaces found at thrift shops, Goodwill, and Ebay, the chandelier is a glam nod to eco-chic. I love that it is regal and ornate, but in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way.

[Also, just a quick note off-topic, my dear readers -- For fun, I recently installed a live feed reader and added a site meter to my blog. Much to my surprise, people are reading my blog!! Ok, I knew people were reading it, but I didn' realize that there were SO many people visiting. Now, I want to know: who are all you lovely people stopping by but being shy?? I would love to hear from more of you! I'm asking, not because I need my ego stroked, but because it helps me to know your thoughts and ideas, to get feedback, to know what I'm doing right, so I can keep doing it! So, if you find yourself coming back here from time-to-time, or all the time, please drop me a note, say hello, tell me about yourself, and tell me what you think! Thank you so much for your support, friends!]

Have a Nostalgic Weekend...

I was recently looking through old photos of myself from my childhood [ahem, the late 70's...] and suddenly felt so nostalgic for this era. I love the way film, TV, and photography from the 70's have a dreamy, misty aura about them. Don't you wish you could walk around in soft-focus sometimes?

[These photos are not from the 70's, by the way. They just have a wonderful 70's vibe!]

Images originally uploaded to Foto Decadent.

Vintage Textiles

Vintage Textiles is an amazing online store that sells upscale and designer clothing from the Victorian period through the 40's and 50's. It is all in immaculate condition [prices range from around $500 - $12,000 USD], and the details are stunning. I am just in awe of the embroidery, the velvet, the lace...I particularly like the selection from the 20's and 30's, because the clothes still seem so wearable and modern. If I were a rich girl...