Introducing CAROLE TANENBAUM Vintage

Carole Tanenbaum, The Coveteur

We have big, big news! Sophie's Closet is now carrying beautiful vintage pieces from the Carole Tanenbaum Collection. For those of you just tuning into the world of vintage, Toronto-based Carole Tanenbaum is the reigning queen of vintage costume jewellery. Having collected exquisite trinkets for almost three decades, Carole Tanenbaum's collection has accumulated to over 20,000 pieces, about $3,000 which she keeps in her personal collection.


Carole Tanenbaum, The Coveteur

She provides jewellery for countless editorials for magazine like Vogue and Elle, for stylish TV shows like Sex and the City and Mad Men, and for red carpet celebrity appearances, from Sarah Jessica Parker (who owns over 400 pieces from the Carole Tanenbaum Collection), to Natalie Portman, and Michelle Obama.


Carole Tanenbaum, The Coveteur

One of our favourite websites, The Coveteur, recently did a profile on Carole's jewellery closet, and it's wow -- just wow! So much so, that on her recent trip to Toronto, Sophie couldn't resist picking up a few things.


Vintage TRIFARI Bracelet

First of which was this vintage Trifari bracelet, spotted on Olivia Palermo. Trifari, as you know, is one of our favourites for its art deco inspired designs.


Olivia Palermo


Vintage DIOR Earrings

And, she also handpicked some gorgeous earrings from Carole's extensive selection: Dior, Kenneth Jay Lane, Hattie Carnegie, Gripoix, and Larry Vrba.


Vintage KENNETH JAY LANE

Of course, Dior and Kenneth Jay Lane need no introduction. These two pieces are the both beautiful examples of the brands' workmanship.


Vintage HATTIE CARNEGIE Earrings

And, being a big Hattie Carnegie fan, Sophie also selected these incredible red and blue cabochon earrings from 1960. So elegant!


Vintage GRIPOIX Earrings

These colourful green chandelier earrings are by Gripoix, the legendary jewellery house that started way back in 1869. Famous for its poured glass (pate de verre), over the decades Gripoix has created jewellery for Chanel, Balenciaga, Balmain, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent... you name it!


Vintage LARRY VRBA Earrings

Lastly, these sparkling darlings are by Larry Vrba, whose pieces are just exquisite. He began his career as a head designer for Miriam Haskell in the 70s, and in the 80s started his own line. Along with creating intricate baubles for his glamorous costumers, Vrba also creates custom pieces for the Broadway stage -- jewels so striking that they stand out even from the back row.

Exciting, right? Check out our entire vintage collection, including more pieces from Carole Tanenbaum, at sophiescloset.com.

FALL/WINTER BLUES... from runways to Sophie's Closet

THAKOON F/W 2011

Blue is one of the predominant colours for the F/W season. Particularly the bright royal (or Klein) blue as seen on runways of DVF, Fendi, Jason Wu and Thakoon. It looks especially striking when paired with gold: one of our favourite colour combinations.


LEIVANKASH Feather Bracelet

We are excited to be carrying more pieces from LEIVANKASH. This feather bracelet is a perfect companion to the 'Olivia' ring and a perfect little pop of blue for fall.


KENNETH JAY LANE Double Lion Head Bracelet

Okay, so we realize that we've been featuring this lion bracelet a lot! But, it's just so irresistable with the little blue accent on top.


DIOR Vintage Clip-on Earrings

These vintage Dior earrings are absolute classics -- such a beautiful bright blue.


GUCCI F/W 2011

Then there is teal, a way to bring the tropics into fall. Seen on the ruways of Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Alberta Ferretti, teal is one of the most glamorous colours this season showing up in luxe accessories like fur stoles.


CHANEL Vintage Drop Earrings

Glamour always needs some Chanel and you already know we are so in love with these earrings. Okay -- there are turqoise but close enough!


KENNETH JAY LANE Blue Zircon Jonquil Centre Earrings

These gorgous yellow/blue combo earrings by Kenneth Jay Lane are Old Hollywood glamour. They would look amazing with that Gucci gown.


DEEPA GURNANI Skinny Metallic Leaf

A bit of teal for the hair comes in form of a pretty leaf headband. Daytime, nighttime -- it's just lovely.

NEW YEAR, NEW ARRIVALS

New year brings new and exciting things to Sophie's Closet. Over the next couple of months, we'll be looking at S/S 2011 trends, magazine editorials, vintage style, the red carpet and, of course, Gossip Girl. But, for now, we wanted to introduce you to all the things we are super excited about.

FALLON

FALLON Multicolor Crystal Brass V Necklace (AED 1365, $425 CAD)

FALLON "Off Ramp" Jet Multi Bow Bracelet (AED 890, $278 CAD)

Fallon is fairly new to Sophie's Closet and we are excited to be carrying this outstanding line. Since its creation, Fallon has been editors' favourite appearing on the pages on Elle, Vogue and V.

RACHEL LEIGH


RACHEL LEIGH "Stella" Crystal Ring (AED 300, $94 CAD)


RACHEL LEIGH "Fitz" Hyacinth Necklace (AED 1350, $421 CAD)

We can't get enough of Rachel Leigh and the new pieces move from the usual enamel to sparkling crystals. The combination of sculptural metals and brightly coloured crystals has us swooning.

JENNIFER BEHR

JENNIFER BEHR Chunky Triple Row Crystal (AED 1720, $352 CAD)

JENNIFER BEHR Crystal Anchor Pin (AED 450, $140 CAD)

Jennifer Behr needs no introduction to Sophie's Closet costumers and we are excited to be stocking the new spring line as well as restocking some of our favourite past pieces. Anyone heading on an exciting cruise or a tropical vacation? We think the Anchor Pin is a must!

VINTAGE CHANEL


Vintage CHANEL Tassle Earrings (AED 2350, $732 CAD)


XL Vintage CHANEL 5 Charm Necklace (AED 3900, $1,215 CAD)

Our vintage Chanel pieces are so hot, they are flying off our shelves! So we are bringing more and more. Along with the signature CC clip-ons, we are getting some stunning chandelier earrings and charm bracelets.

COLLECTIBLE VINTAGE


Vintage CHRISTIAN DIOR Royal Blue Oval Marbled Earrings (AED 750)


Vintage CINER Green Jade Cabochon Earrings (AED 1100, $343 CAD)

We will be stocking up on more and more collectible vintage. It's become a bit of an obsession. We are just so inspired by the amazing craftsmanship and design. Plus, every serious style icon collects vintage (have you read our post on Olivia Palermo?). We are concentrating of bringing more Christian Dior, Ciner, Sherman as well as other well-known designers.

Happy New Year!

SILVER SCREEN ICONS

These silver screen stars need no introduction. Half a century later, women, as well as designers, all over the world look to them for inspiration. As stunning as Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn were, so were the jewels they wore. Often adorned in fine jewels by Cartier and Tiffany's, most Hollywood stars also wore a lot of costume jewelry (first made popular by Coco Chanel in 1940s) by some, at the time popular, designers that we carry at Sophie's Closet like Sherman, Hattie Carnegie and Dafri. Although we are not sure what these incredible stars are wearing in these photographs, we think they could be pretty close matches to some of our pieces.


Sophia Loren


Vintage Extra Large Gold with Rhinestone Bow Brooch (AED 590)

How incredible is this extra large vintage bow brooch? Take a note from Sophia Loren and decorate your little black dress with it. You know how much we love bows!


Ava Gardner


DAFRI Large Sparkling Vintage Brooch, Toronto 1950s (AED 900)

If only we could get a hold of Ava Gardner's two-tone jacket, then our look would be complete! Dafri's vintage brooch is almost a dead ringer! Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Dafri was a very popular jewelry line in 1950s, worn by Toronto and New York socialites.


Grace Kelly


CHRISTIAN DIOR Vintage Button Earrings, circa 1980s, (AED 800)

Like Grace Kelly, Dior is timeless. Although, these earrings date from 1980s, the are very similar in shape to the ones worn by Grace Kelly. Round button earrings are the epitome of sophistication and understated elegance.


Elizabeth Taylor


SHERMAN Vintage Chandelier Earrings, collector pieces (AED 1900)

Everyone knows of Elizabeth Taylor's love of jewelry: this woman owns the world's biggest diamond! Taylor was sultry and playful: the type of woman that prefers chandelier earrings. We have acquired beautiful sparkly Sherman earrings that we are sure Ms Taylor would love. Also hailing from Canada, Gustave Sherman was one of the first jewelry makers to use Swarovski crystals in lieu of diamonds, making glamorous jewels accessible to everyday women in 1950s and 1960s.


Audrey Hepburn


HATTIE CARNEGIE Pearl Rhinestone Earrings, Circa 1950s (AED 690, SOLD)

We saved the best for last: the legendary style icon, Audrey Hepburn. Seen here wearing bubbly circle clip-ons with a large stone set in an intricate frame. We have recently sold these Hattie Carnegie vintage earrings from 1950s that resemble Audrey's. Hattie Carnegie owned a successful shop in New York's Upper East Side. She was trained a milliner, but quickly found a knack for clothing and jewelry design. Her store was patroned by many Hollywood stars and even the "most elegant woman in the world" at the time, Duchess of Windsor.


Audrey Hepburn


Extra Large Vintage Pearl Centre Earrings, 2x2 inches (AED 350)

We have sold the Hattie Carnegie earrings but, thankfully, Audrey was a big fan of pearls. We have extra large pearl and gold earrings that would look great with one of Audrey's famous chignons.

Inspired? Visit www.shopatsophiescloset.com to view our complete vintage selection.

ON THE RED CARPET: The Emmys

January Jones in Versace; Kenneth Jay Lane Flower Enamel Ring with Pearl (AED 400)

The Emmys can be just as glamorous as the Oscars and the Golden Globes, and it seems like lately that the best talent in Hollywood appears on the small screen. Take for example, January Jones, the amazingly talented and gorgeous star of Mad Men. She is quickly becoming a fashion favourite by not playing it safe, often dressed in spectacular Versace gowns. She takes the cake for the best dressed as far as we're concerned. January's Versace dress didn't need flashy accessories, just a pretty flower-shaped ring. If you loved January's ring, we suggest giving Kenneth Jay Lane a try.


Leah Michelle in Oscar de la Renta; Siman Tu Cubic Zirconia Bangles (Pre-Order Item, Wide AED 1550, Narrow AED 1250)

Glee's favourite diva, Leah Michelle, wore a ultra-feminine Oscar de la Renta gown with opulent antique-like accessories that echoed Old Hollywood. She just had to make a big entrance for her big Emmy debut. Although we're not sure whose jewelry designs Leah wore, they certainly look a lot like Siman Tu's.


Anna Paquin in Alexander McQueen; Melinda Maria Teeny Pod Bangles (AED 350 each); Vita Fede Combina Single Bracelet (AED 340); CC Skye Pave Stud Bracelet Gold (AED 1100)

The runner-up for best dressed had to be True Blood's Anna Paquin in her gorgeous black and gold Alexander McQueen dress. We love the way she matched her bracelets with the dress. For a similar layered look, we suggest mixing Melinda Maria, Vita Fede and CC Skye.


Elisabeth Moss in Donna Karan; Kenneth Jay Lane Antique Drop Earrings (AED 620); Lisa Freede Laser-Cut Swarovski Crystal Bracelets (AED 570)

Another fabulous lady of Mad Men, Elisabeth Moss also went for Old Hollywood glamour by pairing her one-shoulder cream Donna Karan gown with diamond drop earrings and layered diamond bracelets. For those on a budget, we suggest Kenneth Jay Lane's drop earrings and Lisa Freede's crystal wrap bracelets. They are just as shiny as diamonds!


Kim Kardashian in Marchesa; Kenneth Jay Lane Gold & Crystal Flower Earrings (AED 900)

Although we are not sure why Kim Kardashian got invited to the Emmys, we have to agree that the girl is gorgeous! She certainly knows how to work the red carpet and play up her exotic looks. Her Marchesa gown was paired beautifully with diamond flower stud earrings - a much softer look for Kim than the usual femme fatale.


Eva Longoria Parker in Robert Rodriguez; Siman Tu Amethyst Chandelier Earrings (AED 1800)

Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria is a classic beauty that opted for a black Robert Rodriguez column gown. Her look would have been a little boring if not for her purple chandelier earrings. We love our Siman Tu earrings that are very similar in both shape and colour.


Nina Dobrev in Armani Prive; Siman Tu "Black Diamond" Earrings (AED 1650)

Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev also made her Emmy debut with a bang in a sparkly Armani gown. As with Eva Longoria, a classic gown is best paired with chandelier earrings. Again, we would turn to Siman Tu for a stunning pair.


Heidi Klum in Marchesa; Vintage 1950s Christian Dior Earrings (AED 5500, price includes matching brooch)

Heidi Klum's Marchesa mini dress was pretty silly. Yes, Heidi, we get it: you have great legs. Her lavish necklace was really spectacular though. It had the same vintage feel as our vintage Christian Dior earrings. Maybe she should have worn those too to distract from her silly cocktail dress?


Keri Russell in vintage Scherrer and Jennifer Behr; Jennifer Behr "Bella" Flower Comb (Pre-Orders Only, AED 970)

We are excited for Keri Russell's new show premiering in the fall and it's great to see her getting so much attention again. It's also great to see that she wore Jennifer Behr's "Bella" flower comb! We just wish she didn't pair it with a hot pink dress but we give her props for going for a bold colour. But seriously, how cute is Keri?

Emily Blunt in Dior; Ban.dō Crystal Pin (AED 590); Jennifer Behr "Flora" Crystal Antique Flower (AED 950)

Newlyweds Emily Blunt and John Krasinski looked like a happy stylish couple. Emily wore an embellished lilac Dior gown and therefore went light on accessories. A little sparkly comb garnishing her chignon was all she needed. To replicate Emily's hairstyle, we suggest Ban.dō or Jeniffer Behr's stunning "Flora" comb.

Aren't award shows the best? We can't wait for the next award season to start!

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