Keep Up Archives - Gen Chic

Normal People Wearing Runway Show Heels

People see runway fashion in a lot of different ways. Obviously it isn’t meant to be worn as-is by normal people in normal situations, but it is also supposed to be a guide for where fashion is going. It’s one thing for a designer to go a little over the top to wow the crowd, but I have to draw the line before things become completely unwearable.

I lose a lot of respect for a designer who puts their models in physical danger with their creations. Nothing does this quite so much as a pair of over the top heels. I see a few of the runway show heels in the above video that have hit the mark well. They are hard to wear, but that is the price you pay for an extreme fashion statement. The rest I give a fail.

A great designer can make it hot and wearable at the same time. I’d love to see this become a new thing. Lets give a few people in the crowd a chance to wear this stuff and give it a review.

The Forever Your Girl Collection

Paula Abdul debuted her new Forever Your Girl collection on the home shopping network. According to her brand manager, the line “fits perfectly with [HSN’s] more upscale audience”.

I find it truly awful. It is one thing to go out on a limb and make your jewelry strange enough to be an acquired taste. It is quite another to take ugly design and coat it in that tacky plastic looking gold finish and rhinestones.

I think their commenter Faith put it best: “argh…my eyes!!”

Two Thousand Year Old Torc

This beautiful gold torc (now known as Newark Torc) was found in Nottinghamshire by a metal detector enthusiast. According to Mail Online:

“It was painstakingly crafted using around 50m of hand-rolled dark gold alloy wires which were in turn plaited into eight thin ropes and then twisted together.” “Finally, hollow rings were attached to either end, carved with spiral patterns as well as animal and plant forms.”

I’m stunned by the design and craftsmanship of this old torc. It serves as a good reminder that neither design nor craftsmanship sprang out of out modern technology, and that good style is both timeless and ingrained in the human psyche.

House of Harlow 1960 Released

House of Harlow 1960, the new line of jewelry by Nicole Richie in concert with designer Shelly Gibbs of Mouawad has been released and is now for sale at Kitson. The prices are low and it looks like you get what you pay for. I don’t see any strong winners and it is a small line, but it is different, and sometimes that is all it takes. They need to work on their photography layouts. Photographing a palladium ring on a white background is useless, and we have seen Richie wearing that black leather ring and it is huge, which we can’t tell from the product photo. I’m not sure it qualifies as genuine leather when it is fluorescent green, and I’m over the shiny plated look. Shiny scratches easily and plate is often flaky. They claim to be ‘antique’ finish, but I don’t see it. Give us some texture. I do rather like the boldness of this pyramid bracelet, and everything goes together.

House of Harlow 1960

Nicole Richie will be releasing a new line of inexpensive jewelry in concert with designer Shelly gibbs of Mouawad called House of Harlow. Materials will range from gold plate to leather and feathers, and should contain about 50 pieces. The line is named after her daughter and the period of influence, and should be available by sometime in November.

A glimpse near the end of this Ellen interview. From the look of that ring, it looks like the line will be following the current trend of super over-sized.

Hollywood 411 with some info from InStyle.

Update: House of Harlow has been released.