Greetings Pearl Girls!  Another month has passed quickly and this time I’d like to share one of the ways we find inspiration. It is a technique that I love and I think you will all be familiar with… SHOPPING! Oh did I say the ‘S’ word? I meant “inspirational journey” or  “search for creativity”- sounds better on the expense reports  Joel and Ralph have to sign!

So, it was a Friday afternoon in the summer and a good portion of the office was away. Sounded like the perfect opportunity to go on a working trip with the design team to gather some inspiration. While this sounds great in theory, you need to understand that it was 94 degrees in the shade – this is where the ‘work’ part comes in.

Nicole (of Nic’s Picks fame) had told me about a glass show called ‘Infectious Beauty’ going on in the Meatpacking District at Heller Gallery.  In an effort to illustrate a handful of today’s most feared viruses, creator Luke Jerram had clear glass blown mimicking their shapes – sounds strange I know, but the end results were striking!  I adore blown glass (which reminds me of giant beads and stones of course) and was interested to see how something that is usually considered creepy was translated into beauty.

In addition to the art glass, the Meatpacking District is chock full of trendy little boutiques the girls and I could peruse. On our list were Scoop, Jeffrey, & Intermix, for their array of all things trendy.  All carry high end clothing brands and the accessories that go with. You don’t go to W. 14th street without visiting Jeffery’s shrine to shoes! Following my old rule of “if it’s more than your rent you can’t buy it” I tearfully abstained. On our hit list for fashion were DVF, & Stella McCartney. We also ended up visiting the Coach Flagship Store for their excellent handbag hardware and Juicy Couture because I love their charms!

So, what does all of this have to do with pearls??? I’ll tell you, a jewelry designer cannot look at other jewelry alone for inspiration. It is good to get out and about to feed the mind with different images in order to open it up to new possibilities. Ideas come to us not only from 9-5pm Mon-Fri, but when we least expect them to. Riding in a car or on the subway, first thing Saturday morning, in a dream or late at night. Mostly anytime we are relaxed. Creative uses of glass, furniture, shoes or nature can open our mind’s library of images, it helps us to forge creativity and new designs. We love to see what brands outside of the jewelry industry are doing with their accessories. It helps us to design into our new looks if we can visualize what is out there in the market to coordinate with.

Scoop still showed pearls in their bottom vitrine. Mixed with brass chains it gave them an edgy look that would go well with most of the military inspired ready to wear the store was currently showing.

Jeffrey had more jewelry cases than ever!  They focus on designers who stay true to their own personal style (Renee Lewis, Irene Neuwirth, Garrard to name a few) so it’s not so much a place to pick up trend as much as a place to drool on the pristine glass counters at designer diamonds with ridiculous price tags. My idea of a good time!

DVF’s cut rock crystal bracelet for H. Stern relates to 2 different groups we are preparing for the 2011 shows. We loved the asymmetrical cut of her rock crystal as well as her signature knot used throughout the line.

Stella McCartney was kinda dark for a hot summer day. We questioned her head to toe body suit, noticed her pop of teal for fall and admired a very classic trench coat for it’s fine craftsmanship. Ultimately though her bags in the back were best- different materials outlined in tough girl curb chain.

Juicy, as always, did not disappoint on charms! The highlight for us was a turn lock clasp on a link bracelet, as we are always looking for new, cool, easy to use closures.

Coach happened to be celebrating their ‘Poppy’ anniversary. The celebration included free ice cream out in front of the store, to which one designer took a moment to exclaim “We are very lucky!” Poppy’s brights popped on one side of the store and we took a good look at the hardware throughout.

All in all I think we had a productive venture outside the office, so stay tuned to see if our field trip potentially influences the Honora line! I am confident the team can come up with enough unique ideas to ensure that Joel and Ralph do not start questioning the value of “inspirational journeys”!  Let us know what has been catching your attention in the comments section.  Be sure to let us know where you sneak off to in order to find inspiration! Your Girl with the Pearls, Julie.