Memorial Day Fashion 2014

It’s about to be Memorial Day and that means the whistle is about to blow for “The great weekend exodus from the city”!  We hope everyone has some fun planned as the excitement builds for summer 2014. It’ll be the 4th of July before we know it. We put together a few patriotic themed picks for the upcoming holiday commemorating all the brave people who gave everything for the freedom we enjoy today. There are so many great ways to show your national pride in fashion and it seems that a lot of designers are creating work that boasts an American theme. Here are some cool items that if you love, you have enough time to order before the weekend!

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Ralph Lauren American Flag Halter Top

american flag styles and other U.S.A. inspired fashions

Stars and Stripes Scarf from Nasty Gal

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American Flag earrings Karen Curtis

memorial day styles and fashion

We all know Tom’s

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Courtesy of atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com

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Ralph Lauren

american flag jewelry

American Flag Cuff Bracelet Karen Curtis

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usa bracelet

Stackable bracelet Karen Curtis

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Courtesy of atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com

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patriotic bracelet for memorial day

Stackable Bracelet Karen Curtis

We hope this got you a little excited about how you can dress and accessorize this Memorial Day weekend.

On a more personal note we wanted to take some time to pay tribute to a relative of ours Joseph Yarrow, who we will be saluting this weekend. Joseph was my grandmother Helen Niemczyk’s (Yarrow) brother to whom she spoke so highly of. Joe joined the marines at age 19, as my grandmother explained, no one could find a job anywhere, but Joe always had a desire to help… whether that was a neighbor with yard work or a country with fighting tyranny. Joe was stationed in Camp Lejeune North Carolina, originally he was part of the WPA. The WPA was created in the new deal by FDR and actually employed millions of Americans including many noted artists who were employed to create beautiful artwork all around the country. People like Jackson Pollock, Orson Welles, and Burt Lancaster. Joe was sent to rebuild the forests in Colorado but in 1944 he was sent to Saipan with the 2nd marine division. Joe along with 3500 other U.S. soldiers were killed in the 1 month time frame at the battle of Saipan. Joe was only 23 when he died, my grandmother was just 21.

There are no real records of Joseph on the internet other than an obituary. This Memorial Day Karen and I thought what better way to commemorate Joe then to include a bit of information about this brave young man for google to index and the world to know about. Here are some really old pictures of Joe Yarrow and one of the “gang” I was able to pull together with help of Gram.

Joseph Yarrow Niemczyk memorial day tribute

Joe Yarrow

joseph yarrow 1940's war hero

Joseph Yarrow

joseph yarrow (niemczyk) 1940's photos

Joseph Yarrow

The Yarrow gang including joseph yarrow from massachusetts 1940's photograph

Joe Yarrow with the Gang 1940’s

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2014 VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS FOR HER

“I didn’t want jewelry for Valentine’s Day” – Said NO Woman EVER!_MG_4335__09613.1389734157.1280.1280

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that jewelry has always been the “go to” gift for Valentine’s Day.  And why not… what woman doesn’t want to receive something beautiful on the day of love.  For the rest of her life every time she looks at, or puts on that particular piece of jewelry she will instantly remember when it was given to her and by whom.  That being said it is also the choice in jewelry that reflects what you think about her.  A colorful, sparkling, and unique piece of jewelry like those found in Karen Curtis’ Collections reflects a personality of fun, beauty, and energy.  Characteristics that are found in the most wonderful people in our lives.

Any collection on KarenCurtis.com will make a terrific Valentines Day gift, but for a more literal present we recommend browsing both the Amore and Roaring 20’s collections.  They both incorporate different shades of red and pink crystal which will are synonymous with Valentine’s Day!  The sparkle of Swarovski crystals and the amazing colorful designs are what Karen Curtis® Jewelry is all about.

While Flowers and Candy rank up there in terms of the most gifted items of Valentines Day, Jewelry is on the top three list for sure.  One thing I can definitely say in comparison of the 3 is that jewelry doesn’t die or get used up after a week and we don’t mark up the price like florists do to the tone of 200% increase before the holiday.  The mark up on flowers seems to be 1 of the most acceptable forms of screwing over the consumer, really when you think about it February 15th must be a florists favorite day of the year.

What we have done in this post is compile a list of some of our favorite designs, at all different price points to take some of the stress out of finding a gift for Valentine’s day!

 Wishing everyone a happy and loving Valentine’s Day with memories that last a lifetime!

Enjoy the Preview!

emerald_cut_earrings_roaring_20s_karen_curtis
cuff_bracelet_red_roaring_20s_karen_curtis_close_side

karen_curtis_earrings_5355_12mm

TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS COLLECTION CLICK HERE

VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS FOR HER

“I didn’t want jewelry for Valentine’s Day” – Said NO Woman EVER!_MG_4335__09613.1389734157.1280.1280

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that jewelry has always been the “go to” gift for Valentine’s Day.  And why not… what woman doesn’t want to receive something beautiful on the day of love.  For the rest of her life every time she looks at, or puts on that particular piece of jewelry she will instantly remember when it was given to her and by whom.  That being said it is also the choice in jewelry that reflects what you think about her.  A colorful, sparkling, and unique piece of jewelry like those found in Karen Curtis’ Collections reflects a personality of fun, beauty, and energy.  Characteristics that are found in the most wonderful people in our lives.

Any collection on KarenCurtis.com will make a terrific Valentines Day gift, but for a more literal present we recommend browsing both the Amore and Roaring 20’s collections.  They both incorporate different shades of red and pink crystal which will are synonymous with Valentine’s Day!  The sparkle of Swarovski crystals and the amazing colorful designs are what Karen Curtis® Jewelry is all about.

While Flowers and Candy rank up there in terms of the most gifted items of Valentines Day, Jewelry is on the top three list for sure.  One thing I can definitely say in comparison of the 3 is that jewelry doesn’t die or get used up after a week and we don’t mark up the price like florists do to the tone of 200% increase before the holiday.  The mark up on flowers seems to be 1 of the most acceptable forms of screwing over the consumer, really when you think about it February 15th must be a florists favorite day of the year.

What we have done in this post is compile a list of some of our favorite designs, at all different price points to take some of the stress out of finding a gift for Valentine’s day!

 Wishing everyone a happy and loving Valentine’s Day with memories that last a lifetime!

Enjoy the Preview!

emerald_cut_earrings_roaring_20s_karen_curtis
cuff_bracelet_red_roaring_20s_karen_curtis_close_side

karen_curtis_earrings_5355_12mm

TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS COLLECTION CLICK HERE

Best Holiday Gift Guide For Colorful Jewelry 2013

Hey Everyone!!!

Every year this happens and every year we all say the same thing, “I can’t believe it is already the holidays”.  I say NOT THIS YEAR!  Really, the least I can do to help lighten the stress of holiday shopping is give you some ideas from the collections of work that Aaron and I feel are going to be wonderful gifts this year.  There are countless gift guides you can go through….. online, in the mail, and on television so I will just stick to my specialty and show what will be available at The Karen Curtis Shop this year in Grand Central Terminal.  I don’t want to show you products and pretend to know what you might want to get for someone.  You most likely receive this blog/email because you have an appreciation for our work whether for yourself or as gifts, and it is solely because of you that we are able to bring colorful designs to your life, and we want to thank you all for that!!!

EARRINGS

Let’s start with Earrings!  We went design crazy with earrings this year.  I’ve been toying with some new styles over the past couple of years and come this November there will be more styles and more one of a kinds then ever before.  Switching up earring styles is one of the easiest ways to have fun accessorizing your outfits so you can never have too many earrings…. or jewelry for that matter ; ) !  Here are some photos of new colors and concept pieces for the up-coming seasons.

Swarovski Sapphire with Pearl Earrings

Swarovski Sapphire with Pearl Earrings

Rare Vintage Swarovski Sapphire with Swarovski Pearl Hannukkah Earrings

Rare Vintage Swarovski Sapphire with Swarovski Pearl Hannukkah Earrings

Christmas Hoop Earrings

Christmas Hoop Earrings

3_strand_earrings_mink__03201.1350087998.420.420Chandelier Earrings with 3 tiers of crystal drops
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Large Swarovski crystal chandelier earrings

BRACELETS

Brand new designs of single strand bracelets, charm bracelets, bangle bracelets, and beautiful cuffs!   One of my favorites is the cuff with spikes.  By not setting these very rare crystals in the traditional manner they end up protruding from the bracelet and create a cool edgy texture.

Spiked Cuff Bracelet

Cuff Bracelet – Spiked – Magical Collection available at the grand central holiday fair 2013

Swarovski Crystal Charm Bracelet

Charm Bracelet

NECKLACES

Necklaces range from single wire wrapped strands to ultra-glamorous layers of crystal.  Once again I focused on creating more one of a kinds and new styles of Swarovski crystal necklaces to add to the selection this year.  I think its more fun for all of us.  I get to create new special pieces and my customers have a huge selection to choose from.  I hope you enjoy the preview.

folklore layer necklace

Folklore jewelry collection layer necklace

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High End designer crystal necklace available at the grand central holiday fair 2013

WINE STOPPERS

Finally I can’t wrap up this gift guide without mentioning our wine stoppers.  Hand Blown by my husband Aaron and I, Colorful like the jewelry but uni-sex!!!  Any wine enthusiast would be thrilled to get this for the holidays. There is a great selection on our website and if you are in the NYC area stop by our location at the Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair to stock up on a gift that is always nice to have on hand through out the year. Think House warming parties, hostess gift for Thanksgiving, and all those holiday parties we end up attending for the next couple months.  Why scramble around last-minute when you can be fully prepared with a few nicely wrapped wine stoppers.

Hand Blown Wine Stoppers

Hand Blown Wine Stoppers by the Karen Curtis Company

Hand Blown Wine Stopper

Hand Blown Wine Stopper made by the Karen Curtis Company

What Fashion to Expect in Spring 2014

The New Fashion Designs –> An Opportunity to Expand your Personal Style

New York always seems so energetic during fashion week.  Just walking a few blocks to grab something to eat can be quite an experience in fashion. The city is packed with fashion forward good-looking people stepping out of cabs like they’re in some Photoshop’d Dolce & Gabbana Ad…. And now that Paris has also finished up their fashion week, the dust has settled and this is when I start to get excited about how well my color forecasting matches up with the biggest names in fashion.

I actually pay the most attention to 3 elements of the newest fashion designs. Color, Texture, and Patterns.  Getting to see the different cuts and lines is great too, but if you know me at all then you know color will come before anything else!  As far as I can tell spring and summer are going to be really cool especially if you’re a big fan of #edgy metallics, not just your traditional silver or gold tones but hot iridescent colors like purple, pink, green and blue.

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Karen Curtis Jewelry

Karen Curtis Necklace
Spring 2014

Another element that stood out on the runways in both NYC and Paris  was the use of ruffles.  I have to say that I am a big fan, it adds so much texture to a garment.  Ruffles take an otherwise conservative look and gives it a downtown edge. It will transition well from a day spent in meetings or at the office to a #fun (maybe I’ll get into a little trouble) evening out! Look for elegant dresses like the photo below or you can always pair a solid color ruffled top with your favorite designer jeans and heels.  The looks is sexy, playful and comfortable!

ruffles stand out at Paris Fashion week

ruffles stand out at Paris Fashion week

 

There are also a lot of designers using lace in their 2014 spring collections. Lace is such a #sexy texture, the pattern always looks so intricate and the “peekaboo” of skin is something that adds a flirtatious aspect.  Lauren Parker Accessories magazine said it best in regards to all the skin being shown through so many lace designs “The result was never vulgar, just pretty”.  Throughout the year I have been discussing this with other bloggers and industry professionals about how art deco elements are making their way back into the fashion scene. Maybe it was the Great Gatsby Movie that revived it, at very least that couldn’t have hurt.  Nevertheless I am a huge fan of this era and have always designed my crystal jewelry collections with this style in mind!  So pairing cool accessories with this style shouldn’t be too hard.

Karen Curtis example of lace in paris

Another notable trend to be conscious of for the spring is the Safari inspired designs… The style worn by the literal kings of the jungle is also going to be the same style worn by the kings of fashion.  Great for me, I just picked up a pair of awesome giraffe print jeans that I love.  Well maybe a giraffe isn’t actually the king of the jungle but you get the picture. Color is going to play a new and exciting role this year with animal prints, elegant and glamorous yet fun and wild!

Animal Print 2014

Below is a preview of my Gatsby Collection… Look how beautiful this necklace would be on the model in the middle… It’s just the perfect compliment to a gorgeous gown

karen curtis - v-necklace

Karen Curtis -Necklace

For what I saw from the fashion weeks, Gucci, Chloe, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana and Alberta Ferretti were some of my favorites.  You can also check out more of the 2014 collections here.  I was really excited to see how harmonious the Jewelry collections that I designed for spring are going to be.  Great colors, glistening metallics and an art deco trend all tie in so well to my style. Here is a sneak peek of a couple of pieces that will be available mid November!

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Karen Curtis – New Necklace

karen curtis earrings

Karen Curtis Earrings – Gatsby Collection

karen curtis cuff bracelet

Karen Curtis Cuff Bracelet

Karen Curtis Jewelry

Karen Curtis Necklace

How To Choose The Right Jewelry for Your Wedding

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My husband and I own and design jewelry for The Karen Curtis Company in Manhattan.  I have been working with brides for over a decade and have been designing Swarovski Crystal Jewelry for over 15 years.  I thought it might be helpful  to share what I have learned over the years and having had my own wedding 2 years ago it is all very fresh in my mind from both perspectives. One thing I found out after my wedding is that you need to have jewelry that you are in love with not just satisfied with because it is going to be in every picture from your wedding, and you will be looking at that for your whole life. That being said there are 4 main things to look at when deciding on jewelry for your wedding. I have set this up beginning with the most important….. Spoiler alert:  Comfort comes last ladies we all know it hurts to be beautiful!
1) The Dress
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The dress plays the biggest role, what shade is it, does it incorporate crystal trim, pearl trim etc. These little details that made you pick the dress in the first place are the same things that you want the design of you jewelry to highlight.  Is the neckline perfect for a specific size necklace? Will a bracelet help to continue a pattern around the waistline of a dress? Does your dress have gold embroidery if so then gold metal in your jewelry is fantastic….. if not then maybe silver-colored metal is more appropriate.
2) Budget
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Lets face it most of us have a budget for a wedding, if you don’t then go big with diamonds, Tahitian pearls and other precious stones. Try to stick with the budget you have in mind and find jewelry designers that offer items in your range.  But remember that of all the thing you wear on the day of your wedding, the only thing you are likely to wear again is the jewelry, so take that into consideration when setting your budget.
3) Style
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What is your style… most already know what that is.  If you like creative organic designs then go for it.  If you are in love with the art deco styles then that is what you were meant to wear on your big day.
4) Comfort
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This kind of plays off of the style.  Being comfortable on the day of your wedding is very important.  You shouldn’t wear 4 inch heels if you are a flats kind of girl so approach your choice of jewelry the same way.  Get items that you enjoy wearing and the you are comfortable in.  If you like shoulder duster earrings then find the perfect long crystal earring for you.  If a big chunky necklace is something you always dreamed of wearing then go for it but make sure you can have fun in it.
 The number 1 rule is to enjoy your day and look beautiful doing it…. Dance, Socialize, and Love with all of the people you care about in one room!
Mazel Tov!

We’ve got you Covered…(in gorgeous Jewelry)

LOOK YOUR BEST

Keeping a pulse on the Fashion Industry is must at The Karen Curtis Company.  We have always made it our mission to create style in jewelry by focusing on color schemes that have surfaced in the world of fashion. With research, knowledge, and other resources Karen has been able to consistently keep her limited edition jewelry collections a must-have to all the women who are passionate for fashion and savvy to high quality accessories.  

With the fast approaching New York Fashion Week almost here, we thought it would be fun to create a sneak peek of what direction our color stories are heading in.  As most of our customers know,we debut all of our new collections every year at the Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair November 12 – December 24. This blog is a way for anyone who is attending the shows or keeping up with what’s happening, to  know that there will be a perfect piece of jewelry waiting for you to accessorize with.  Like always the individual pieces of each collection will have what we at Karen Curtis like to refer to as “Elegant Edginess“. 

What you are likely to see at the upcoming NYFW is projections of Spring 2013.  We anticipate some very vibrant color designs, open neck lines (perfect for Karen Curtis Necklaces), and slim 1960’s style dresses.

To get all of you fashionistas started here is our peek into our gorgeous new color collection, guaranteed to get you noticed!

 

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Triple Layer Necklace for Winter 2013

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Get Ready for another fantastic jewelry line by Karen Curtis!

Available at The GCT Holiday Fair 2012 and online at KarenCurtis.com starting in January