The jewel in the crown of summer 2014

From fancy jewelled handcuffs to Victorian style bangles, this season is all about arm candy.

KARACHI:

With spring/summer 2014 shows at their peak around the world, our eagle-eyed designers and fashion analysts are picking up new looks and trends and incorporating them into jewellery pieces. Jewellery trends are derived from the three ‘R’s: red carpet, runway and real life. It seems that this season, sobriety is the theme of jewellery with dashes of extravagance.

With summer time and luscious flowers in full bloom, it is only natural to be drawn to vibrant jewels and jewellery inspired by nature. “I have been working on lots of beaded side clasps and long-studded lockets,” says designer Sherezad Rahimtoola. “Long strings made of emerald and rubies are what people are really coming for these days. They look great in this weather. A lot of floral stuff is in these days,” she adds. Contrarily, designer Shehla Chatoor, who recently introduced her jewellery collection, speaks in favour of big statement necklaces that can complement your ensemble.



When you think of high-fashion jewellery, your mind is inevitably drawn towards gold. “Gold is so much more than an inanimate object and that’s because of its high glamour quotient. It goes beautifully with high-end formal wear,” says Chatoor.

Observing the runway trends that are globetrotting, it’s evident that geometric jewellery is all the rage. With a nod to the elegant lines of art deco, designers are embracing the trend and giving their jewellery a clean, polished look. This is because “people like to play it safe. They don’t want something, so contemporary for their gold and diamond jewellery,” says Rahimtoola.

This season is all about arm candy – from fancy jewelled handcuffs to Victorian style bangles to fabulous fringe bracelets. Be it Chloé or Chanel, the fabulous fringe was all over the runways.  Enliven your everyday casual wear with jazzy fringed bracelets. Another way to lift your look this season is by stacking skinny bangles on one arm. It is big-on style for 2014. You may mix, match and layer them in different colours and textures or keep them uniform. Rahimtoola reveals that there is a high demand for traditional handcuffs these days.



Last year, with the influx of Turkish dramas, especially Mera Sultan, there was a craze for chunky Turkish jewellery, especially rings. Rahimtoola says, however, that the craze has now died down; people aren’t asking for Turkish-inspired jewellery anymore. There is a high demand for knuckle rings, floral rings, cocktail rings, semi-precious rings as well as the evergreen diamond-studded ones.



Speaking of ear candy, stud earrings are ideal to accent a minimalist casual look and are also worn by stars to award shows. Rahimtoola suggests that this season, studs are the go-to jewellery pieces for everyday wear and studded hoops for formal wear. Chatoor, on the other hand, was all praises for ear cuffs – a popular trend from last year.

As far as formal jewellery is concerned, both designers stick to the stance that people want ethnic, traditional pieces. “Our part of the world, be it Pakistan or India, has a penchant for traditional jewellery,” says Chatoor.



Matha patti was all over the place, the entire wedding season last year. Be it the bride, her mother, sister or friends – almost everyone was spotted sporting it. “We always reinvent the past. People usually aren’t confident enough to try unconventional traditions. But, Chanel Paris-Bombay Collection brought back matha pattis in a really cool way.  You can also wear them with a cocktail dress if you want. People are seen wearing necklaces as matha pattis these days,” says Chatoor.

Rahimtoola, on the other hand, feels that matha pattis are done with and not appropriate for the weather. “I think it’s too much for the heat. People are still asking for them but they need to understand that just like clothes, jewellery also looks good according to the season,” she says.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2014.

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