Christmas is coming! We’ve had Black Friday and indulged over Thanksgiving – now’s the time to start panic-buying presents. You’ll probably be shopping for the holidays – but what about those poor people with December birthdays? The last thing they’ll want to unwrap is an early Christmas present.
But fear not, we’ve still got some great ideas for inspiring December gifts. Just call us Santa’s little helpers!
Arosha Luigi Taglia is a versatile man. Jewelry designer, sculptor, painter, home decor designer and digital artist – he is quite the jack of all trades! We had the pleasure of interviewing Arosha and learn more about his background, inspirations and what lies next for him.
Side note: Arosha is getting married in a few days and we would like to take the opportunity to wish him and his wife-to-be, Gili, much happiness and health! Congratulations! (more…)
The Round-Up is Boticca’s weekly summary of new designers, new pieces we love as well as happenings on our website and around our community.
Arata Fuchi (Florence, Italy): Born and raised in Japan, Arata moved to Florence to study at the prestigious Le Arti Orafe jewelry design school. Arata has an usual original technique he likes to call “pulverization” where he covers silver-made pieces with silver powder to make the surfaces rough and irregular. The result: works of irresistible art.
Catalina De La Torre (Boston, USA): The mission in Catalina’s craft is “everyday luxury” as she likes to put it. And she combines inspirations of her Colombian heritage with uniquely crafted and warm pieces to do just that!
Mari Santos from Little Fille (London, UK): When Mari came by our offices, we were blown away by her warm and bubbly personality. And this translates into her Little Fille line of earmuffs and hair accessories inspired by fantasy, science fiction and winter wonderlands. How can you not love someone who counts Princess Leia as an inspiration?
Mojee (Washington DC, USA): Mojee studied interior design and art before moving into jewelry design. Her work reflects her Persian heritage and her travels across the Mediterranean through the use of beautiful turquoise stones and 18K yellow gold. The result? Luxurious and flirtatious pieces for women who desire elegance.
Algis Abromaitis from Jolita Jewellery (London, UK): Algis started creating jewelry after having a recurring about it for over a week. So he decided to go to bead shop on Beak Street in London and was hooked ever since! He specializes in creating one-of-a-kind costume jewelry pieces by working with resin, polymer clay and metal clays.
1. Iberia earrings by Chic Jewel Couture. Why we love them: These gorgeous gold plated earrings are inspired by the Iberian Peninsula’s history with typical Spanish radiant vibes!
2. Klimt necklace by Joanna Dahdah. Why we love it: This colorful, wearable piece of art celebrates one of Klimt’s most famous paintings, “The Kiss”.
3. Turquoise cocktail ring by Mojee. Why we love it: We are passionate about ever-lasting artisan jewelry, and the unique Persian Turquoise stone adds an elegant touch of color to one’s year-round wardrobe.
4. Bezel Set Labradorite and Chain earrings by Nan Fusco. Why we love them: Enjoy the Labradorite’s refraction of light. Furthermore, with this stone, we can really say that no two are alike!
5. Madeleine necklace by Evelyn La Starza. Why we love it: This vintage-inspired little beauty makes us think of a hot cup of tea served in Chinese porcelain with marzipan candies, by the fireplace in a Victorian house… one can dream!
Black Ring with Gold Foil sprinkled ring by Arata Fuchi. Why: The wisdom of ancient Korean jewelers meets the unique creativity of this incredibly talented Japanese-born artist. The result: this stunning show-stopper.
Cockle Rock earrings by Enelle London. Why: We love the idea of treating someone to a special little gift, especially when it comes in such unique packaging.
Weekly Theme: Make a Statement
Special Occasions: Swedish blogging sensation Amanda Brohman makes her Picks
Designer Close-up: Interview with Roula Ghalayini from Poupee Couture
Pieces We Love: Video product review of Poupee Couture’s pieces
We’ll be back next week with more designers, gift ideas and style inspirations. As always, feel free to share your thoughts or make suggestions and recommendations in the comments.
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all our American friends!
Amanda with Heidi Mottram's Eel Skin Rutched Strappy bag and Fannie Schiavoni's View 8 necklace
Rising Swedish fashion star, Amanda Brohman, the 16-year-old blogging sensation behind Fröken Fashionista, has drawn a following on both sides of the Atlantic for her refreshing approach to style and exquisite photoshoots.
When she’s not blogging or styling in her native city in northern Sweden, Umeå, Amanda attends a fine arts high school, where she gets to further experiment with fashion in costume design and drama courses. Her main source of inspiration comes from the people she knows, including her incredibly stylish friends, the blogs she follows, and the people she comes across randomly in her daily life.
Amanda is all about exploring the depth of fashion beyond its surface. She views it as one of the great art forms that we get to live and experiment with every day. This is why she loves it so much, and you can see her push the boundaries in every shoot she styles.
We can’t wait to see what lies ahead for this bold, ambitious young woman, and in the meantime she has picked her favourite pieces from Boticca’s collection and explained why each accessory inspires her and how she’d wear it. Enjoy!
According to recent figures, the average female spends around 13 days getting ready for the office do. We can’t say we’re THAT organised, but with invites for Christmas dos, get-togethers and gatherings flooding in, it’s time to start planning our party outfits.
But with most of our pay check going on Christmas presents, how’s a girl to look fabulous without splashing out on a seasonal wardrobe? Clue: Look to starlets like Olivia Palermo, who are always party-prepped despite a bulging social calendar. How does she do it? By wearing statement jewelry. She’s even designed her own line of statement collars and necklace, after receiving so many complements for her exquisite taste in accessories.
But if you’re not a socialite with a burgeoning fashion line, then there’s still hope for your party wardrobe. We’ve hand-picked our favourite Boticca designers to inject a little glamour into your look. Now, not only will you make an entrance with these statement pieces, but you will also be able to tell the story behind them. Because the pieces you find on Boticca all have a unique inspiration. (more…)
Roula Ghalayini is a young Dubai-based designer of Lebanese origin and the fabulous designer behind the Poupee Couture line of bags and belts, which is based on a parody of the Middle Eastern woman. We sat down with Roula to learn more about her background, inspirations and what’s coming next. (more…)
Poupee Couture is the brain child of Roula Ghalayini, a Lebanese designer who creates a line of bags and belts based on a parody of the Middle Eastern woman. The result: a fun, colorful and eye-popping line of accessories that “promises to make you look good (not that you need any help there)”.
Lauren, our fashion writer and product reviewer, takes a look at a few of Roula’s pieces.
You can also read our interview with Poupee Couture.
The Round-Up is Boticca’s weekly summary of new designers, new pieces we love as well as happenings on our website and around our community.
Joanna Dahdah (London, UK & Beirut, Lebanon): Joanna is a recent Central Saint Martins grad who won the Newcomer of the Year award at this year’s London Jewellery Week. Her work is inspired by Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimnt.
Lucy Jay (London, UK): Lucy hails from Manchester but moved to London recently to launch her eponymous brand of digital print-based scarfs which can be worn in a multitude of ways.
Jan Willem Waitz from WAITZ DESIGN (Drachten, Netherlands): Jan Willem Waitz is a colorful character from the Netherlands who started plying his trade in sunny Marbella, Spain before moving back to his native Netherlands. His line of leather bags and accessories reflects his experience as a designer for the Lagerfeld Gallery of Karl Lagerfeld.
Aiyna Singh (London, UK): Aiyna is another recent Central Saint Martins grad (and a classmate of Leila Kashanipour and newcomer Joanna Dahdah) who loves to shape sterling silver into curvaceous forms. Aiyna perfected her craft as an apprentice at prestigious houses such as Cartier and Boodles.
David Webdale (London, UK): David launched his brand at London’s prestigious Goldsmiths’ Fair and is known for using the basic flow of the human form as inspirations for his pieces. What is distinctive about his style is the use of powerful lines and flowing movements in each of his pieces.
1. Origami clutch by Mei Vintage. Why we love it: It’s inspired by the Japanese art of origami!
2. Lucy scarf by Lucy Jay. Why we love it: Named after the designer, it’s versatile, vibrant and generally eye-popping! We adore getting lost in Lucy’s labyrinths of patterns.
3. Swan ring by Leila Kashanipour. Why we love it: When Leila wants to make a statement, she never lets us down!
4. RA Egyptian Earrings by Arosha Luigi Taglia. Why we love it: Perfect elegance with this contemporary pair of earrings. But there is something more to this design: must be the sense of history that comes with the ancient Egyptian culture which inspires the piece.
5. Waitz Bag 4 by WAITZ DESIGN. Why we love it: A native Indian-influenced accessory is a “must have” for this season (with super soft Cow trumpler leather!).
Take Me, I’m Yours Ring by Linnie Mclarty. Why: The name of the piece! How can you resist it?
When Doves Cry earrings by Liz Law. Why: Gorgeous, funky earrings, with a sweet touch of melancholy.
Weekly Theme: The Boticca Christmas Gift Guide
Special Occasions: The Wedding World’s Darling Styles the Special Day
Designer Close-up: Interview with Helen Ruth
Style Ideas: The Cutting Edge
We’ll be back next week with more designers, gift ideas and style inspirations. As always, feel free to share your thoughts or make suggestions and recommendations in the comments.
Lots of love and kisses from the entire team at Boticca!
“Closet organizer to the stars” Melanie Charlton has streamlined the wardrobes of Liv Tyler, Beyonce Drew Barrymore, Eva Longoria and countless other A-listers. Kicking off her career in fashion at a luxury goods PR firm, she has since worked as a reporter for Style.com, a fashion stylist and director of public relations at Anne Klein.
But now, this super stylish lady has devoted herself to transforming our own wardrobes. Using her keen eye for fashion, she has launched Closette, a personal closet organization service, designed a line of storage solutions and written Shop Your Closet: The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Your Closet With Style.
Melanie is all about making your current wardrobe work, rather than buying countless new outfits every season, and with a mantra of “Thou shalt hang as much as possible in thy closet”– she sounds like our kind of lady! So we asked the style expert which Boticca pieces she would choose for her own wardrobe, and how she would wear them with what she already has.
Scared of Christmas shopping? Bored of gift buying before December even starts? With most stores deciding to deck the halls back in October, you’ve probably known ‘Holidays are coming’ way before that Coke commercial aired. And we’re still being warned there’s ‘only’ six weeks of shopping left until Christmas!
We know Christmas shopping can be stressful – especially when you’ve got crowded shops, last minute panics, and tricky people to buy for. But don’t be a Scrooge, we’re here to help!
Finding unique gifts is what we do best at Boticca, so we put our curators to the test to find the most stylish presents they could. And boy, did they come up with the goods – with ideas for your Mom, your significant other, BFFs, brother…even yourself!
So check out our gift picks and get inspired – we’ve already made our wish list!
