1. Gold
All that glitters is actually gold this season. With oxidised silver and blackened metal both on their way out, the spring/summer 2015 collections made it quite clear that this season is all about the yellow, white and rose. Designers such as Balmain opted for oversized gold- accented cuffs and chokers, while Dolce & Gabbana showed large, clip-on earrings featuring striking florals. Big, however, isn’t the only way forward this season, as other designers are showing smaller, more simplistic pieces. Balenciaga has jumped on the gold bandwagon, showcasing unadorned yellow and rose gold rings, bracelets and necklaces melded into round, asymmetrical shapes. Cartier is also showing simpler gold pieces with single-pendant necklaces set in yellow gold, and pink, yellow and white gold intertwined stud earrings.
2. Coloured stones
When it comes to colour, this season more is definitely more. And while blue is a clear favourite – as seen repeatedly at Baselworld – brands are still tapping into the many other hues on offer, including this year’s Pantone shade, Marsala. A number of designers have chosen to work with eye-popping stones in extremely unapologetic ways. Designers such as Stephen Webster have opted for extravagant neck pieces, rings and earrings featuring detailed designs set with coloured gems. The ever-outlandish Victoire de Castellane is offering large coloured stones in vibrant floral settings, while brands such as Ippolita have opted for a more subtle approach, featuring coloured gems in single-stone earring studs and pendants.
3. Pearls
For the second season in a row, pearls are breaking free from the confines of our grandmothers’ jewellery boxes and making a beeline for our ears, necks and wrists. Although the single strand worn around the neck is still a time-honoured classic, designers are adding a modern twist to this oft-underrated gemstone. Earring studs and single- and triple-stone rings from designers such as Dior offer an understated take on the pearl – perfect for those not quite ready to take the plunge. Meanwhile, Lanvin has embraced the “go big or go home” mantra, as seen at this season’s Paris Fashion Week. While designer Alber Elbaz chose smaller pearls as a trim for the brand’s ready-to-wear apparel, larger-than-life pearls were used as jewellery focal points. We also adore the American-Dutch designer Bibi van der Velden’s pearl-based pieces. Her decision to incorporate a single pearl into a snake-shaped ring made from 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth tusk proves that there are always new boundaries to be pushed in the world of fashion.
alane@thenational.ae
