ON THE FRINGE

I love a confident woman who has honed her own style, one who knows how to update her wardrobe without falling prey to the banality of trend.

Some "trends" are more about quality and detail than trend per sé, and those are the ones I hope never vanish. Take Self Portrait, Vanessa Bruno, and Isabel Marant, for example, all of which share our passion for quality materials. The incredible lace detail on their in-boutiques-now pieces are swoon-worthy, and even when the garment is less rooted in detail, these designers never begin with anything less than impeccable fabrics.

Another detail I love is the fringe and there are plenty of perfectly executed designs like this bag by Dee Occlepo (certainly one to watch) and sexy heels by Manolo Blahnik and Aquazzura from seasons past. 

While we are seeing much of it today, he coveted fringe did not originate this century or with Easy Rider in the late sixties. Native Americans had a functional reason to use fringe which served as gutter of sorts repelling rainwater from the wearer. From a decorative standpoint, chairs dating back to medieval times were embellished with fringe as was jewelry in ancient Egypt. 

On our recent trip to Guimarães, Portugal, near Porto, we stayed in a gorgeous monastery-turned-hotel where I fell in love with this eighteenth century fringed bench:

So why, you might ask, all the talk about fringe? Because this gorgeous bench is the inspiration behind two exciting new designs...so stay tuned!

Photos courtesy of: lyst.com, vivaluxuryblogspot.com, lanecrawford.com, OliviaPalermo.com, Manolo Blahnik, Aquazzura