I have been sorting through the Vera collection, and trying to get all of them photographed, but it's been a sloooooww process. At least I have an official count now -- it was 377, but then my birthday happened. Hallelujah! My co-Blackbird had a stash of sixteen scarves that she had been saving for the big day. Add that (and the 4 others I have found in the past few weeks), and the count for right now is 397.
You read that right. I just need 3 more to hit the 400 mark.
Wait, why am I sitting here typing this when I could be out there finding 3 more Veras???
OK, well while I try to calm myself, enjoy this installment of the Vera Vault. I decided to highlight a selection of paisley designs. I'm constantly amazed at how many different designs she produced, and even though they're all different, they all somehow still have her personal design aesthetic all over them.
If there is one accessory we Blackbird girls can't live without, it's a scarf. Of course, as you lovely readers know, I collect scarves designed by Vera Neumann. But you may not know that the other Blackbird collects all different kinds of scarves -- and she specializes in red, white, and blue ones. We also always have lots on hand in the Etsy shop and in our boutique in Brightside Gallery. They are very affordable, fun, and easy to wear, and they can really change an outfit. Plus, they make for a great collection -- I use my Veras as a changeable wall display in my bedroom by using two small decorative towel bars from Ikea, and the other Blackbird has a multi-hook rack on her wall piled up with all of her red/white/blue scarves. We love to see the different patterns and prints!
So imagine how excited we were to see all the scarves popping up on the runways! Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY, and Marc Jacobs all used scarves to accent their collections, and brands that always have lots of scarves in their lines, like Hermes and Burberry, added even more options.
D&G, Spring 2013
Hermes scarf
Hermes, Spring 2013
Marc Jacobs, Spring 2013
Recreating this designer look is easy -- we have tons of scarves in our Etsy shop and our boutique, starting at $3. Like this 1970s giraffe design for $6:
And if you want a real designer scarf, you can still go vintage for much less than new! Like this vintage red and white silk Diane Von Furstenberg scarf, also in our Etsy shop!
There's one trend this fall I'm super excited to talk about. The brooch is back! Personally, for me, it never left. I have always been a wearer, collector, and all-around lover of pins and brooches. New or old, one at a time or grouped together, they can make quite the statement!
When I worked in product development, I had to go to the Hight Point International Home Furnishings Market every spring and fall. It was fun to dress up, since normally the office was pretty casual. My most memorable day was when I wore my yellow 60s style a-line dress (I think of Doris Day when I wear it), thick black opaque tights, black ballet flats, and five of my enamel flower pins in black, white, gray, and yellow. I got tons of compliments on those brooches -- even now, when I look at them I think about that day.
Brooches are easy to find and easy to wear. Oscar de la Renta's Fall 2012 runway was full of his brooches, but you can get the same look from a thrift or antique store. At the antique mall where we Blackbird girls work, you can find pins from $1 to $2, all the way up to $200. And Etsy has over 120,000 listings for brooches in the Vintage section alone.
You can wear them one at a time, but I think the fun really starts when you pile on the pins. And the more whimsical, the better. Vintage pins can have so much personality, whether they are a Jelly Belly brooch, a Victorian tremblant pin, or a bright enamel daisy. Why not a butterfly brooch nestled in a field of flowers? Or a mini collection of owl pins?
If you need some inspiration for ideas on how to wear your brooches, I found this awesome video that Nordstrom just released. It highlights nine different ways to wear your brooch collection.
More about my brooch and pin collection in a future Junk Love post, but I just can't resist giving you a sneak peek!
