Top 5 Jewelry Must Haves For 2008

By Alexandra Zeb

My Sunday afternoon was spent perusing aisles upon aisles of jewelry displays at a trade show at the Javits Center in New York City. A fellow colleague and I attended the Javits Center's "Accessories Show" to get a sneak-peak at the up-and-coming trends and chat with jewelry distributors from all over the globe. It was a very interesting experience to say the least.

Back in November, I attended the Javits Center's " NY Cash & Carry Show," which pales in comparison to the event I attended yesterday. Although The Accessories Show is indeed a mix of items, and features everything from handbags and hats to scarves and sunglasses, the jewelry was truly impressive.

There had to be thousands of jewelry exhibitors at this show, featuring fashion jewelry, fine jewelry, handmade jewelry, sterling silver, gold plated, silver plated, rose-gold plated, diamond...and the list goes on and on.

My colleague and I had several goals to achieve upon attending this show -- obviously the first was to form relationships with distributors whose jewelry we had interest in, in order to enhance the selection of jewelry we have at our own jewelry store, and also to weed out our favorite 5 items for 2008.

Here they are in no particular order...

Personalized Lockets. There was one jewelry distributor who really stood out to us. Her line is made of small glass and silver lockets that you can open. Inside you can place silver letters, charms, or tiny Swarovski Crystals. Her jewelry was truly unique and appealing, plus everyone loves receiving a gift (or buying it for themselves!) that is personalized to suit their needs.

Pewter Jewelry. One female designer created her jewelry entirely of pewter, which was either gold, silver, or rose-gold plated. Her designs were reminiscent of the Egyptian-style cuff bracelets and thick necklaces Cleopatra would have worn -- absolutely beautiful!

Fashion Jewelry to match any occasion. One distributor had a ridiculously wide variety of quality, yet inexpensive, fashion jewelry. They literally had a color to match any ensemble. This type of jewelry is perfect for those who like to stay up on the times, yet don't want to put a huge dent in their budget.

Reversible Pendants. Two, young, female designers created a line of jewelry that is very fresh, unique and hip. Their jewelry has been worn by tons of celebrities and their top-seller was an absolute must-have. It was a silver-plated reversible pendant that was hand-painted on each side. Each side highlighted an equally vibrant color, like green or yellow. Versatility is key!

Copper Jewelry. Another truly unique designer was a man from Brooklyn who features jewelry made out of copper. But that's not all, not only does he mold the jewelry from copper, but he also paints it with car paint then bakes it in the oven! A truly brilliant idea that is not only aesthetically attractive, but is perfect for hipster-types and your not-so-run-of-the-mill jewelry-wearers. This particular designer creates beautiful hand-painted pieces of ceramic jewelry as well.

Look for these 5 trends to be popping up like hotcakes in magazines and jewelry stores in 2008!

Alexandra Z

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Wholesale Body Jewelry Distributors

By:Ross Bainbridge

Traditionally, there was a limitation about choosing distributors of wholesale body jewelry, since one had to choose from those existing in the neighborhood or their city. However, the advent of the Internet has changed all that. A quick search on the net will give you a host of distributors to choose from. Yet, before choosing a distributor this way, a few things need to be kept in mind.

No matter what the websites tell you about how good a distributor is, you should insist on samples of goods that you plan to buy in wholesale or bulk. Most distributors will comply with your demands.

Ask for quotes from the distributor, and investigate other distributors. You are bound to find distributors who will sell at the same price, or less and give you good or better quality. This will ensure that you strike an economical deal.

Attractive designs and good quality will ensure good sales. Find what the return policy of the distributor is. A return policy is obviously important if for any reason, you need to return the items purchased.

Choosing the right metal is crucial in this business. Copper and nickel are a definite no-no, since they react with the skin. Sterling steel is the most popular. Gold and titanium follow at a close second.

The size of the metal is also important depending upon the places that the jewelry is being worn. This is because the human skin is incapable of supporting large weights, and heavy jewelry can lead to injury or sagging of the skin. Over time, a few sizes have become standard for various parts of the body. As an example, navel jewelry’s standard size is 14 gauges in thickness with a length of 7/16. However for the adventurous few, custom gauge and lengths are made available by the sellers.

Wholesale Body Jewelry provides detailed information on Wholesale Body Jewelry, Body Piercing Jewelry Wholesale, Wholesale Body Jewelry Bulk, Wholesale Body Jewelry Distributors and more. Wholesale Body Jewelry is affiliated with Wholesale Fashion Jewelry.

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Fashion Online

By:Michael Bustamante

Online Fashion Schools teach students about the exciting world of Fashion Merchandising and Design, without traveling to a classroom. Through a distance learning course, individuals can study at home to become certified in all areas of current Fashion including clothing, hair, makeup, jewelry, accessories, and interior design.

Online classes prepare professionals for a career in Fashion without giving up current employment. They teach students how to incorporate the latest trends into their own custom designs, and to compete in a cutting-edge industry that is constantly evolving.

The online Fashion curriculum includes fabrics and textiles, drawing, CAD, costumes, draping and cutting, clothing construction, sewing and sewing machines, fashion history, planning and buying, merchandising, retailing, and store management.

A distance learning course can be completed in two years, resulting in an Associate of Arts degree specializing in Fashion Design, Interior Design or Fashion Merchandising. A four-year online course of study can result in a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis on Fashion. Post-graduate students may continue their college education to receive a Master's Degree in Fashion Merchandising.

There are numerous choices of Fashion careers available, including designer, cutter, draper, costumer, makeup artist, photographer, hairstylist, runway model, buyer, and merchandiser, to name a few. In the course of their careers, many professionals travel to some of the greatest Fashion capitals of the world, including New York, Miami, London, Paris, and Milan. Depending on the level of education and experience, earning potential in the Fashion industry is practically unlimited.

Find Online Fashion Schools and distance learning courses to "suit" you by searching the many options available at www.schoolsgalore.com.

Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved

Michael Bustamante, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc. for SchoolsGalore.com

M. Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association withSchoolsGalore.com. Find Fashion Online at SchoolsGalore.com; meeting your needs as your educational resource to locate schools.

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Fashion Design Colleges

By:Clark Hunter

While many people go into modeling and fashion design with no real experience and certainly no formal experience, those that do seem to fair much better. Modeling and fashion design colleges can help you lay the foundation for what may become a beautiful career. Modeling and fashion design may appear to be easy and straightforward, but there are many small details that one cannot learn by just stepping into the business. A formal education can clue one into these little details so that you can go into the business with all the confidence in the world. An education through one of many fashion design schools will simply make you seem more reputable to those that you seek employment with, which can open the door to new and exciting things as well.

Modeling and Fashion design colleges have been around since the beginning of the industry for those that really wanted to pursue the business in a professional manner. For a long time these colleges were often laughed at and dismissed, but as more and more unqualified people entered the business place, these fashion design college options seemed more and more worthy. While some just have a knack for modeling and fashion design, most can benefit from some formal training as it enables each person to refine their personal abilities as well as develop new ones that are nice to have in the business.

Many modeling and fashion schools just do not focus on one aspect of the business, so when you attend you get to look at the bigger picture and really find your place in it. Many of the fashion design schools offer education in modeling, fashion, fashion merchandising, as well as sales marketing. All of these elements come together to give one a great background from which to draw for their entire career. All of this formal education and information allows those that are interested in fashion design to choose which way they would like their career to go. Any fashion design college such as Barbizon or Brooks College offer this full education that can really allow students to try many things before they settle on just one aspect of the fashion industry.

Modeling and fashion design school are commonplace now and most of those that are interested in fashion have to attend them now to be taken seriously. Even a two-year program is considered worthy in the eyes of many professionals, so long as prospective employees have had some formal training. Fortunately, for most of the students, most of these fashion design college choices are not very expensive so they can get their education completed and out into the fashion world in very little time. Many of the colleges offer classes over the Internet, which is great because it will allow them to apprentice or get real world experience at the same time.

The bottom line is that modeling and fashion design schools are worth the time and money that they take to get an education. One must be sure that the college of their choice is accredited before signing up, but generally these colleges are worth their weight in gold. An education through a fashion design college can be priceless, especially if you take the time to really learn new things, refine your skills, and even make some contacts in the business to make breaking into the business even easier. Design colleges often allow young students to begin as early as 16-18, which can really put some people a step ahead when it comes to beginning their business and will get you into a fashion design career.

Clark Hunter Fashion Design Colleges

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