I really need to get back to writing my history-inspired posts! Here’s a throwback one in honor of the Chinese New Year. One of my favorite badass royal ladies was Empress Wu, as she’s known now. When she ruled China in the 7th century, she used the name Emperor Shensheng (spelling may vary), making her…
queens
Wendy Brandes Jewelry in the New York Post
If you’re in New York, run to the nearest newsstand and get the New York Post. Today’s edition includes the Post’s Alexa luxury supplement, and my Empress Wu dragon earrings are featured in Alexa! I’m in great company, sharing the page with Balmain, Valentino, Christian Louboutin, Erdem and Dolce & Gabbana, among others. Thanks, New…
Wanderlust 2014: Anne Boleyn and Eminem in London
MrB and I love London. We’ve gone there every year since 2008 to visit our many friends who live in the city or close to it. In particular, I like to meet up with gorgeous bloggers and drink Pimm’s. Here are my previous London posts. 2013: Pimm’s fest and a strange trench coat. 2012: Fish…
Introducing Purrkoy
Look who has joined my flat-faced animal family! This is Purrkoy, an Exotic Shorthair kitteh from breeder Lynn Cooke of Callyn Cattery. My older kitteh, FitzRoy (aka #thecatinthebowl), who joined us in 2012, has quite a few Instagram cat friends who were from Lynn, so that’s how we found her and Purrkoy. The name Purrkoy…
Lion Jewelry for Luxury-Loving Leos
The Leo period of the astrological calendar begins today. You really don’t have to be a Leo to wear my lion-themed jewelry — the pieces weren’t inspired by astrology — but if you ARE a Leo, they’re even more compelling, no? My Eleanor necklace was inspired by Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the most powerful…
The Royal Baby Boy
I am pleased to see that Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has had a baby boy, though I confess I was hoping for a little queen-to-be. Many of the designs in my signature jewelry line are inspired by queens and other royal wimmins. I don’t usually work with contemporary personalities, so I’m not sure…
Throwback Thursday: Madonna, Almost 26 Years Ago Today
I’ve rediscovered a booklet from a July 13, 1987, Madonna concert. During her “Who’s That Girl” World Tour, Madonna did this show at Madison Square Garden to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). This booklet looks like a regular program from the outside, but inside was a comic explaining AIDS and safe sex….
The Orange Trend at JCK Las Vegas (See Me There!)
The Couture and JCK fine-jewelry trade shows are taking place in Las Vegas this weekend. WWD reports that the color orange is expected to be a key trend. If you want to be first to flaunt jewels in a citrus-y shade, check out my Edburga poison ring set with a vivid fire opal cabochon. The…
The King Is Dead. Long Live the King.
A lot of my jewelry is inspired by royalty, but I focus on females: queens, empresses, queen consorts, princesses. I figure history as it is taught in elementary and high school is basically about men, so I prefer to concentrate on herstory. However, I have a soft spot for one dude: England’s 15th-century Richard III….
If I Were Marie Antoinette …
… I’d wear this beautiful Dolce & Gabbana gown on casual Fridays at Versailles. Joan Rivers has a good line about the French queen that she uses when showing off her own apartment: “Marie Antoinette would have lived here … if she had money.”