Madame Mathilde

Oscar Style

Standout looks from last nights red carpet. 

Bernice Bejo in Eli Saab looked absolutely stunning. I loved her mint green dress paired with emerald jewels. It got me thinking about incorporating this color combo into my everyday wardrobe. Mint is a color we are seeing a lot this Spring and what better way to elevate this look, but with emerald green statement jewelry. L.O.V.E her!

Emerald! Viola Davis in Vera Wang and Lorraine Schwartz earrings (we hear the designer paired the tops and bottoms of two different pairs the night before!) 

and that cuff!

Gwenyth Paltrow was perfection in Tom Ford and Anna Hu. 

Another great jewelry trend we saw was brooches on hips. This is something everyone can incorporate into their spring wardrobe. This works especially well with this seasons peplum dresses. 

Michelle Williams looked amazing in Louis Vuitton and jewelry by Forever Mak and Fred Leighton. 

Missi Pyle’s brooch added needed glam to her Valentina Delfino gown. 

Other standouts of the night that I cant ignore are Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji. This is how a woman with curves should dress!

Jessica Chastain also from The Help looked gorgeous in McQueen. 

Golden Globes 2012 Red Carpet

Last night’s red carpet was full of fabulous gowns and and eye catching jewelry. The trends seen on celebrity A-listers are sure to be everywhere throughout 2012. There was an abundance of neutral toned gowns, a sea of sparkling arm candy, a couple of headbands, and some pops of color that were hard to ignore. Here is my spin on how to incorporate some of this year’s Golden Globe red carpet trends into your everyday wardrobe .

BLACK AND WHITE

Claire Danes in J. Mendel. Black and White Lee Necklace, MadameMathilde.com $285. Black and White Duster Earrings, MadameMathilde.com $58. Kate Winselt in Jenny Packham. 

TURQUOISE AND NUDE

Heidi Klum in Calvin Klein and Lorraine Schwartz. Blue and Rhinestone Duster Earrings, MadameMathilde.com $48. Turquoise Jenna Necklace,  MadameMathilde.com $255. Pleated Neck Dress, TOPSHOP.COM , Amazonite Kelly Necklace, MadameMathilde.com $265.

SAPPHIRE BLUES AND SPARKLING ARM CANDY

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang and Harry Winston, Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka, Michelle Williams in Jason Wu. Cobalt Addison Necklace, MadameMathilde.com. Assorted Rhinestone Bracelets, MadameMathilde.com. Laundrey by Shelli Segal dress, Outnet.com, $148. 

How will you bring the trends of the red carpet to reality?

What is black and white and red all over?

Last night’s Emmy Red Carpet!!!!

The stars of TV shined last night. Red was definitely the color trend as well as some amazing sparkly gowns that were to die for. Here are a few of my favs!

Look at the bottom of this insane dress on Kerry Washington!

I dont think Lea Michele has ever looked better! The back was gorgeous. 

The fit of the dress is so flattering on Kate.

I didnt really know who this was, but I do now! The Vampire Diaries Nina Dobrev looked stunning last night.

Julie Bowen was by far my best dressed. The fit, the hair, the jewelry, the dress: all perfect. 

I love the beadwork and pattern on Maria Bello’s gown. 

Lena Heady’s black number is my wildcard pick. I love how chic she looked, but it might have been a little heavy for the emmys. 

My major disappointment was the overall minimal jewels. Where is the bling? because we embrace big jewels over here I do have to give a shout out to Sofia Vergara who wore some over the top peacock-esque Columbian emeralds and a large gold cuff. 

Thank you Sofia!

Royal Wedding Inspiration with Daria Culver Events

For months now the countdown to the Royal Wedding has been on everybody’s mind. The world has obsessed over questions like: Who will design Kate’s gown? What color will the Queen’s hat be? Where will the couple honeymoon?… We have seen the market flooded with memorabilia of the couple and replicas of the 18-carat sapphire and diamond ring.  With only one day away it is clear we are completely enamored with this modern day fairytale. 

In celebration of one of our generation’s biggest moments, Madame Mathilde paired up with Daria Culver Events and Bill Bramswig Photography to toast Will + Kate with our own storybook wedding inspiration.  

What better way to emulate the fairytale, than with a bridal tea filled with plenty of storybook details and some of our sparkling Madame Mathilde jewels!

For more details on how to achieve this look visit http://blog.dariaculverevents.com/

photo credits: http://www.bramswigphotography.com/

Happy Earth Day!

We are celebrating Earth Day today with some of our favorite reworked vintage pieces. These eco-friendly picks are sure to make a statement without making an impact. 

Madame Mathilde Aurora Pink Nightingale Necklace, $295. 

Madame Mathilde Aurora Pink Pinwheel Bracelet, $175.

Madame Mathilde Twisted Wreath Necklace, $295. 

Madame Mathilde Clear Belvedere Necklace, $495.

Madame Mathilde Large Deco Shield Necklace, $255.

Happy Earth Day!

the hunt

Yesterday I went to the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival with my Mom that is held at the South Flordia Fairgrounds the first weekend of every moth. I try to make it to this show as many times over the winter as possible as it is one of my favorites. It attracts many quality dealers and is a nice smaller (around 500 dealers) fair that is manageable in an afternoon yet large enough to come home with plenty of treasures!

I have found over the years that I have learned invaluable lessons antiquing with my mom and picked up a few things myself that I feel I can share that can help all of you in your search.

1. Go with cash! know what you are willing to spend that day and bring it. Often large fairs now have ATMs, but you will pay much higher fees than you would have paid at your bank (think $5+! that could have been an another item bought. Seriously I bought mini sterling silver tongs for $6) Also going with the amount you are willing to spend and knowing you are going to go home when its spent will not get you into extra trouble. Look at this extra spending going on with checks brought!

2. Get ready to bargain! Every vendor knows  you are not going to pay the marked price so dont pull out $20 when you see the $20 price tag. They purposely mark it at least 20-30% over if not more. I have almost walked away from items that I have seen marked at what I thought I could not afford, but at least half the times it has worked in my favor with sometimes the vendor coming down over 70% of what was marked! It may not be in your nature to be so upfront about asking for a lower price, but it is as simple as saying “What is the best you can do on this?” They hear it all day and will tell you. And remember the more you buy from them the better they should do on everything as a total. I once saw a necklace that I had seen at a few shows before in the three hundred range, so when I saw it this particular day not marked on a table I wasnt going to ask because I assumed again it would be in that price range, but I decided to ask anyways. She said to me she had it at $295, but wanted to get rid of it and would do $75 as it was the end of the day. SOLD! I was thrilled! you never know how long someone has been holding onto something and just wants to get rid of it, which brings me to another point. If it is the end of the show the vendor will be more willing to bargain. Do you think they want to lug all these items back to their store or to the next show? they want to sell it to you and go buy dinner! just remember it never hurts to ask “Whats the best you can do?” and “would you take _ for it?” And if the dealer seems insulted that you lo balled them walk away. You still have your cash and they still have the item not sold on their table. 

3. Another thing I have learned is that I used to think that if a vendor knew what the purpose for me buying all of those rhinestone necklaces they may charge me more. Or that if they knew I was really excited about something they wouldnt bargain as much. Basically, “keep it cool.” I found out this really doesnt hold up. Dealers are interested in why you are purchasing items, whether it be a living room makeover, you are a designer, or its a sunday and you have cash to spend! Be friendly and get to know who you are buying from especially if you return to the same fairs often and are looking for the same items. Build relationships. I now go to fairs and dealers know who I am, I get better prices on items (which I pass onto you the customer!) and they will bring specific items that they know I will buy. 

4. Dont be fooled by newer items mixed in! dealers can sell whatever they want and they do. Everyone has come home with buyers remorse over something that looked too good to be true at the show and after further inspection found out their period antique was a repro. Take your time inspecting what you are buying. If it looks like it is in too good of shape for its age and price, well there is a good chance you did not find that diamond in the rough. Ask some more questions about the item. If they can’t be answered it might not be worth it. Just be wary. 

P.S. If going to the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival get the kettle corn on the way out!

For more info on the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival visit http://www.festivalofantiques.com/

Shoulder Sweeping Earrings, Long Sleeves, Pink, and lots of Sparkle!!

Everyone is a buzz this morning with their favorite red carpet moments from last night’s Golden Globes. Some of my favorite trends I spotted were statement earrings, covered arms, shades of pink, and head-to-toe sparkle. 

I love everyone in pink! My best dressed of the night had to be Claire Danes. Her Calvin Klein dress was the most magnificent bright shade of pink. She looked the best I have ever seen. And Emma Stone’s ultra blonde hair and low backed peachy Calvin Klein was breathtaking.  Unfortunately, Megan Fox looked like a bad prom story and really Natalie Portman? that rose? I know you’re pregnant and glowing and you look stunning, but you could have left the tacky applique at home. 

If you aren’t going to be sporting long pink gowns this season try this Light Pink Rhinestone Collar Necklace, $395 from our Vintage collection or our Bright Pink Deco Necklace, $235 for your own pop of pink this spring!

Long sleeves were another trend showcased last night. Anne Hathaway shined in her sparkling Giorgio Armani Prive. Even though it is tough to wear your bib necklaces with this trend, it is the perfect silhouette to showcase shoulder sweeping statement earrings, which we saw plenty of at the Globes.

Achieve this red carpet look with this selection of Madame Mathilde statement earrings:

Madame Mathilde Long Rhinestone Duster Earrings, $185.

Madame Mathilde Large Saphire Crystal Drop Earrings, $195.

Madame Mathilde Gold Deco Earrings, $215. 

I love award season! Can’t wait to see what the Oscar’s have in store!

Best and Worst Gown Designs For The Royal Wedding

Who doesn’t love a modern day fairytale?  The wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William is just that. A gorgeous commoner and the Prince of Whales to wed on April 29, 2011. I know my TiVo is set.  And, the question on everyone’s mind: who will she wear? Her gown will set the trend for not just this season, but years to come. So when I came across WWD’s challenge to 30 designers to unveil what they had in mind for Kate I couldn’t resist weighing in my opinion. Kate, I hope you’re listening.

Just getting married myself a little under two months ago and wearing this designer, I had to pick Monique Lhuillier’s design as my favorite.  Yes, its predictable, but I chose my gown for a reason didn’t I. And I absolutely love the silhouette of this dress. The way its fitted on the top and has a unique approach to a typical A-line dress with the double bustle in the front is absolutely stunning. Kate needs to stay classic while making a statement and I think this gown accomplishes that. 

My next favorite design is Vera Wang’s 3/4 lengths sleeve ball gown. I am definitely feeling sleeves for Kate. Diana’s dress had sleeves and tons of volume. I think it is important for Kate to be more contemporary, but at the same time be regal. I also think she needs to cover up. There is a time to bare arms and a time to leave things to the imagination and I think showing her shoulders at Westminster Abbey would be a disgrace. Also taken into consideration should be Vera Wang’s most recent collection that tends to go just a little over the top. Kate would need to make sure the dress doesn’t over power her simple beauty. 

I couldn’t talk about gowns for Kate without looking at the designer of Diana’s famous gown, Elizabeth Emanuel. Sorry, but I don’t love this dress. Even though she is an English designer, and is surely in the actual running to design Kate’s dress, I think she misses the mark. She may claim she is designing a more modern dress, but in my opinion she is still stuck in the eighties. This dress looks like it would be over ruched in the front and has a lot of embellishment that looks dated. Ruching is great for those of us who need to hide some extra curves, but Kate surely does not. This design will make her look bigger than she is and needs to be rethought. 

I think J. Crew’s simple design should not be ignored. I don’t think its the right gown for Kate because I feel she needs more of a wow factor, but this is an amazing classic design. I also think that this would be a perfect dress for an older Bride who wants to cover up and not look like a cupcake.  Sometimes less is more. 

Similar to the J.Crew design, Frida Giannini for Gucci brings a clean lined silhouette to the table. Again, I don’t think it is right for Kate, but a gorgeous dress for a bride who is looking for something more understated. 

An evaluation of the 30 designs would not be complete without my “what were they thinking?”

Really? I always thought Mr. Lagerfeld could do no wrong, but this is ridiculous. Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel design for Kate that includes an open front with high boots and pink bows misses the mark on so many levels. His homage to a Victorian wedding dress doesn’t need any more comment. It speaks for itself.

Finally, what wedding ensemble would be complete with out jewels and accessories. Im sure Kate will be wearing the Royal Family jewels, but we thought it would be fun to show some of our favorite wedding picks from Madame Mathilde.

What do you think? check out all 30 designs at http://www.wwd.com/eyescoop/the-princess-bride-designs-for-kate-middletons-wedding-dress-3404449