How To Layer Necklaces

Cee, from Coco & Vera, shows us layering done right.

Happy Friday! I hope you are as excited for this long weekend as I am! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and I'm looking forward to cooking up a turkey storm and enjoying some fun, r&r and adult beverages with friends and family this weekend. Plus, one of my good girlfriends is getting hitched on Saturday, so it's double the reason to celebrate in high style.

I've had a few customers ask me about the mystery of layering necklaces recently, so I thought I would share a few tips, to help clear up any question marks about how to go about this tricky business. Truth be told, there is no right or wrong way to layer your necklaces, however, there are a few things to keep in mind to help you answer the question, does this look alright?? before you walk out the door.

1.) Delicate pieces tend to layer best. That's not to say that chunky, statement making necklaces can't be worn together, but it's definitely a more challenging look to pull off. By sticking with simple, classic lines you can avoid overkill and keep your layered look subtle.

2.) Look for commonalities between pieces to help tie your look together. In other words, find a common element between the necklaces you're layering: maybe both pieces have a charm pendant, perhaps they share the same metal colour, have a similar silhouette, etc.

3.) Less is more. Okay, in fairness this is completely my own philosophy to abide by, but you know the saying that after getting dressed, you should always look in the mirror and take one accessory off? In the world of layering necklaces, if you've piled the pieces on and are feeling in doubt -- take one off. Ahh...that's better.

4.) Mix up the lengths. By varying the lengths of the necklaces you are layering, you can help avoid looking too "piled on" and really showcase the beauty of each individual piece.

And now, let's see some of these tips in action...

Mixed metals are anything but clashing when you tie the look together with complementary gemstones and in this case, two of the same design. The versatile length of our Satellite Necklace means these sparkly beauties can be worn as a perfect duo.

The delicate chain of our Celestial Necklace means you can wear two of these necklaces side by side. You could even add a third, longer gemstone necklace to this look.

One long necklace, one short -- complementary gemstone colors and delicate gold chain -- easy peasy.

Graduated layers and neutral gemstones allow this mixed metal, multi-coloured gemstone, trio of necklaces to be pulled off with ease.







And a final P.S. -- make your layered look the focal point of your style by keeping your outfit simple and chic. A basic black or white top is the perfect canvas for layered perfection.

So, can you pull off layered necklaces no problem? Be sure to leave a comment below with your own tips or thoughts on this style!

A Night To Remember

Getting my display set up

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Fall Fashion Launch with Fine Finds last Thursday! After weeks of prep, it was so exciting to have all of my new pieces on display, and to celebrate with everyone. It's so easy to get caught up in constant planning and anticipation of "the next big thing" in life, so it was wonderful to actually pause and soak it all in! 

This fall also marks two years of business for me, and it is really rewarding to reflect on how my company has grown and progressed. I remember a time when the thought of having my designs sold at Fine Finds was only a dream, and now I am proud to have had my jewellery sold there for over a year. It's also been great getting to know other designers, bloggers and media in the industry, and having many of these lovely ladies present at my launch was extra special! 

Here are a few photos from the evening:
 

Vancouver bloggers Alexandra Grant (To Vogue Or Bust), Cee Fardoe (Coco & Vera) and Vanessa Choot (Modern Mix Vancouver)

Fine Fine's Kendra Weiss & Hive Mind Millinery's Dominique Hanke.

Helping customers try on jewellery

Striking a pose with 102.7 The PEAK's Laurie Logan

Fall Look Book: Outtakes

Happy Friday, Lovelies! I hope you had a fantastic week, and had a chance to take a look at our brand spankin' new Fall collection that launched on Monday. The Fall 2013 designs will be rolling out to stores next week, and I am super excited for the Fall Fashion Launch event that is happening next Thursday, with our good friends, Fine Finds Boutique! In case you missed it, we will be hosting a special soiree from 5-8 pm on September 19th and I would love for you to be there - all of the details can be found here.

In addition to launching the Fall 2013 jewellery collection, we also debuted a gorgeous look book featuring Cee, from Coco & Vera. I was still in the early planning stages of the new collection, when I found myself catching up on Cee's blog one day. While I've always loved Coco & Vera, and seeing our designs worn by Cee on the blog, looking at her photos that day caused a bit of a brainchild moment where Cee's look and the beginnings of the Fall line started connecting in my mind and I just knew that Cee was the perfect lady for the job. Cee's look is glamorous yet understated, and I knew that the color palette of the new pieces would suit her perfectly. Realizing that I'd not only found my muse, but also a rare opportunity for our look book to be photographed in Paris, I contacted Cee right away! 

The full look book can be seen online here, and Cee is also featuring each look on her blog, starting with this post. Of course, there were more gorgeous photos than could be used for the look book, so today I thought I'd share some of my favorite outtakes with you.

I love how perfectly this photo captures Cee's hourglass figure, paired with her red nails, Talisman Bracelet and clutch.

Keltie Leanne Designs: the thinking girl's jewellery :)

Aren't these black & white striped pillars neat?

Simply ethereal.

Sparkles, denim and a fabulous jacket - love all of the details in this shot.

Cee sitting pretty.

Which photograph is your favorite?

Fall Fashion Launch

Hi Friends! Fine Finds Boutique and I have decided that it's high time to throw a party, and what better excuse than the launch of our new fall collections? I'm so proud of my latest jewellery designs and am excited to be able to share them with you in person! 

Our Fall Fashion Launch is taking place on September 19th, from 5 pm to 8 pm, at Fine Finds in Yaletown. Even if you can't stay for the full evening, we'd love to see you for a quick hello! There will be some special treats for you all, including champagne, canapés and gift bags for the first 50 guests.

Feel free to bring your girlfriends, but be sure to RSVP to info@keltieleannedesigns.com. I can't wait to see you on the 19th!

Ready To Launch

Hey lovelies! As promised, today I want to share some insight into the makings of a new collection. So often the behind-the-scenes of a brand remains shrouded in mystery, so I love being able to give you an inside peek at what my day-to-day as a designer looks like. While jobs in the creative field can sometimes appear to be all play - the fact is that for many designers like myself, making our art comprises only a small fraction of our time. Here's some insight into the process of creating - and launching - a new jewellery collection:

Fall '13 Gemstones

1.) Conceptualizing a line -- including the overall mood of a collection, color palette, inspiration, etc. This process can evolve over several months or longer, before a new collection hits stores. It's kind of strange to find yourself thinking about Fall before the warm summer weather even arrives, but in order to keep things on track, planning needs to start early.

2.) Purchasing gemstones and other supplies -- While buying supplies can happen on an as-need, ad-hoc basis, I have to be mindful of what items I require in order to create a new collection - and then be able to fulfill demand once orders start arriving. There's nothing worse than only realizing after a collection has launched, that you can no longer get a hold of a specific cut of gemstone or that you need an item which will take two weeks to arrive via post. In other words, organization is key, which for me, means lots of spreadsheets, planning and budgeting in order to stay on track and avoid future stress. 

3.) Making the new designs -- This process can take anywhere from a week to several weeks. My first go around I create one of each design, until I'm satisfied with both the piece itself, and how it fits in with the broader collection. Check out this recent post for the full scoop on how I create new pieces.

4.) Photographing the designs -- let me be honest here: photographing jewellery sucks (wanna know how I really feel?!). While I have a wonderful friend who does a great job photographing all of our designs, capturing the subtle sheen of metal, or the facets on 3 millimeter gemstone, is a tough task for even the most seasoned photography pro. Jewellery is notorious for being one of the most difficult things to photograph, and being the perfectionist that I am, this aspect of the business has caused me a fair amount of angst. The problem is, jewellery rarely looks quite as good in photos as it does in person, but nonetheless, I want to give the best, most accurate representation of my designs possible, and this often means multiple attempts to get it right.

Photographed & website ready.

5.) Getting photos website ready -- this means editing, cropping and uploading the jewellery images to our website (where they'll hang out behind the scenes until launch time).

6.) Pricing the designs -- so, how much to charge? I need to keep close tabs on all of my costs, time, etc. in order to ensure that my pricing makes sense. 

7.) Creating the Look Book -- our first look book was Spring 2013, when I was fortunate to collaborate with To Vogue Or Bust. Coming up this Fall, you'll be seeing another gorgeous gal modelling our designs...

8.) Putting it all together -- this includes snazzy descriptions on the website and a line sheet (fancy industry speak for catalog) - plus look book - for buyers.

9.) Order taking time -- the collection isn't live on the website just yet. First, I will meet with our retailers to find out which items they'd like on their shelves.

10.) Make, make, make & sell, sell, sell -- pieces are created, orders are filled and everything is ready to go public!

Of course, none of this happens in perfect, consecutive order and there are many factors that contribute to a successful collection launch; I will connect with media, get designs into the hands of my favorite bloggers, and more, all the while getting you excited and anticipating the arrival of the new line...Get ready to see the results in early September!