When I went into the jewelry business, poison rings (aka locket rings) were among my first designs. Then came locket pendants. For a while, so many of my pieces had moving parts that my friends would grab any new jewelry and try to pry it open. However, not all of my mechanical designs have a…
Fashion Repeats Itself: Money Stays in Style
Dollar prints on clothes and accessories are trendy again. Balenciaga is doing them. So is Margiela. Whenever currency is au courant in fashion, I can shop my closet for my vintage Christian Francis Roth dollar dress. The dress was created in 1991 … … but I bought it on eBay in 2009. I’ve worn this…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry in the Press
Thank you to both JCK Magazine and National Jeweler for their recent coverage of my new Concierge program! I introduced Concierge just before the holidays last year, but it’s really blossomed with our third retail partner — Alexanders Jewelers in Columbus, Ohio. Excited to have @wendybrandesjewelry now on hand to show our VIP Couture clients….
Met Gala Finale, Week in Review
I guess I better wrap up my comments about the 2018 Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art before the 2019 Met Gala gets here! On Monday, I bestowed my prestigious Best Dressed/Wear What You Want combo award upon Lena Waithe. Click here for my award winner and other top honorees. On Tuesday,…
Throwback Thursday: Madonna’s Slow Fashion
I’ve always wondered if Madonna held onto at least some of her iconic clothes and accessories. My question was answered on Monday, when she wore a Versace slip dress from 1995 to Donatella Versace’s afterparty for the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. versace versace versace versace… #madonna #versace #metgala A post shared by…
Wednesday’s Video: Engagement Ring How-To
People frequently ask me how to pick the right engagement ring. In this week’s video, I offer my expert advice, based not only on my 13 years in the jewelry business, but also on my own personal engagement-ring story. Don’t forget to check out the related links in the video description on YouTube for some…
2018 Met Gala: The Best of the Rest
I feel like I should do one of those “Previously on …” intros that new television episodes start with. Read this to yourself in an announcer-type voice: Previously, on this blog, Wendy Brandes bestowed her Best Dressed/Wear What You Want combo award for the 2018 Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art —…
My Best Dressed at the 2018 Met Gala Is …
Damn it! Catholicism is going to force me to write up a storm this week. via GIPHY I confess that I half-hoped the attendees of tonight’s Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum would be flummoxed by the theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Then I could get away with writing a…
The Week in Review
In case you missed it, here’s what was on the blog this week. Tuesday, May 1: Snakeskin is back, and I have to dig up a photo of my shiny snake-pattern pants from the late 1990s. Wednesday, May 2: In this week’s YouTube video, I talked about how I changed my career and what you…
Byron Lars and My Met Gala Dream Look
My designing friend Stacy Lomman teaches at the famous Fashion Institute of Technology, her own alma mater. Every year, during the final semester for graduating students, the school brings in designers to mentor the students as they work on their final projects in the categories of intimate apparel, special occasion, knitwear, children’s wear, and sportswear….