These are some of the accessories I'm adoring lately. Heavy, punky, spikey, metals with a teeny tiny bit of quirky appeal. I especially love bracelets that "swoosh" with you when you move. Truly perfect pieces for wearing while dancing in long tanks, liquid leggings, and a pair of slim combat boots. Preferably while dancing along to New Order. 
High end jeweler Philippe Tournaire has created a signature line of incredibly detailed rings inspired by global architecture, featuring gilded versions of buildings in France, Japan, and what looks to be ancient Arabia. 
The face behind accessories brand Cubannie Links, the lovely Annie herself, just leaked this picture of her rocking her latest creation-- the Sweetwater Ring. Only 20 bones too!
18 gram two-finger knuckle ring with heavy (1 micron) gold plating
laser-cut fiberglass-reinforced plastic earrings
This is the business! Please head over to my other home base on the interwebs, M.I.S.S, and check out the editorial they styled for Cubannie Links! I promise you, you'll like it!
Our favorite jewelry visionary, Melody Eshani, just released some preview images of a new piece on her blog last week. Inspired by the ever-so-stylish, ever-so-influential Spike Lee alter ego Mars Blackmon, the new necklace is a right-on-target recreation that bears Eshani's signature mirrored faceplate. Mars Blackmon symbolized the fun, carefree, artistically inspired side of hip-hop culture. He was unafraid to be silly, unafraid to be who he was, unafraid to point out his flaws, unafraid to put himself on the line to win over everyone from a woman, to an audience, to Michael Jordan himself (can you tell I'm crushin'--how could you not!)! He was the epitome of early BK swagger, spirit, and genuine desire to have fun (something that we're missing these days). 
Baubble designer of the moment, Melody Eshani, has finally relaunched her website. You can now buy all of the new Summer Accessories and Shoes on her website here. Get fresh for summer with her sexy heels, wedges, and the infamous 3 finger mirrored rings we've seen everyone from Princess Rhi Rhi to Miss Ci Ci rockin'!
(Thanks to nitrolicious for images!)
For all you cholitas-in-training out there, feast your eyes on this bitchin' bracelet, which I just purchased for only $5.80 here. The plastic black cords are reminiscent of the plastic bands that every chola dons around her wrists, but it's the metal closure that lends a high-fashion sensibility to the piece. This will work well with both designer and low-end items, lending a bit of sleekness to any outfit combo in your closet. Orale!
Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Erykah Badu and… MC Lyte? Besides being influential tastemakers in music, urban culture, and most obviously fashion, what do these artists have in common? Take a closer look at the earrings, knuckledusters, and stilettos they’re rockin’ and the answer is loud and clear, Melody Ehsani. A relatively new designer on the scene, her blinged-out baubles have become the new celebrity favorites in the urban fashion market. Ehsani’s playful pieces emphasize the best of modern women, appealing to a female’s “roar” just as well as her “rawr”. Designed for “women who wear fashion for themselves because of the way it makes them feel”, Ehsani focuses on creating fun choices for the woman who’s all about reppin’ herself in style.
Designs of yore, like LL’s infamous bamboo earring, are making a strong comeback. And while many basic old skool designs are still flooding the market, more and more emerging jewelry designers are taking advantage of the trend and building off the basics. A perfect example is seen with lines such as Disney Couture and Obey, both featuring bamboo hoops that are updated with newer, sleeker metals or intricate detailing. Similarly, nameplate necklaces are being updated from plain gold to modern, fluorescent plastics or mirrored metals that spell out phrases that speak to the independence spirit the streetwear scene inspires—check Steven Shein’s “The Missbehave Reflective Plexi Nameplate” for an idea of what I’m talking about.
Another move that designers are making is the use of traditional, chunky gold metals in their designs. Funny, smart designs playing on street culture are being crafted into thick rope gold c
hains and solid gold finger pieces. One of the companies doing it big is Office Tramp Jewelry, an up-and-coming design team whose chains are thick enough to make Slick Rick jealous. But Office Tramp never forgets to give their products funky, feminine twists, incorporating nods to the working woman’s grind in their jewelry. A top seller is the “9-5 Pendulum Clocks Necklace”, featuring clock charm pendulums attached to heavy linked gold chains.
(image courtesy of www.karmaloop.com)
