[ SUN JEWELLERY ] House of Harlow 1960

1.14K YG Plated Zig Zag Starburst Ring 2.Totem Poll Cuff 3. Double Finger Ring Silver 4. Fringe Necklace Gold 5. Cushion Cocktail Ring with Turquoise 6. Aztec Bangle 7. Feather Necklace 8. Double Metal Sunburst Ring Gold 9. 14k YG Plated Engraved Stack Ring (set of 3) 10. Chevron 5 Station Necklace in Rose Gold

If you're a) obsessed with all things ethnic (which I assume is why you are reading this), b) surfing the net for some statement jewellery to perk up i) those pre-planned SS'12 looks or ii) current mood because you're evidently yet to try out said looks due to typical crap weather or c) window shopping for inspiration/wishfully lusting after items knowing you're bank balance is about to collapse (along with the rest of the worlds economy), I've got the label to lust after for you! And breathe....

Unexpectedly NOT following in the footsteps of other Tinseltown celebrity fashion lines, House of Harlow 1960 by ex-jailbird/Hollywood heiress Nicole Richie isn't too shabby. In fact, it's really quite appealing, so let me endorse it some more: Faux coin tiered earrings, chunky cuffs engraved, embossed and cut away to recreate those oh-so-simple lines and shapes so well imbued with ethnic design, rings that remind me of sundials and stone-encrusted amulets like something from an ancient Aztec legend... no? Imagination running away with me again? Ok, but you see what I’m getting at and its definitely leagues away from what you would have expected from Paris Hilton's BBF...or is it ex-BBF? I can't keep up.

Click on the numbered links to snap up some of these beauties over at Boutique to You. Alternatively, for all you Ozzie's, get your House of Harlow jewellery and loads of other cool alternatives over at House of Zoi - a great online store and one of my favorite online Australian stores.

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[ BEADS & BOBS ] Mango Jewellery SS2012

1. Skull and Mexican Charm Beaded Drop Earrings 2. Ethnic Bracelet 3.Long Colored Earrings 4. Colored Beads Bracelet 5.Long Ethnic Necklace 6. Tassel Earrings 7. Shell and Skull Bracelet 8.Ethnic Style Loop Earrings 9. Colored Beads Bracelet Lime

And the 1st prize for the ethnic accessory collection of the season goes to....Mango! The SS2012 jewellery line from Mango looks just as exotic as its namesake sounds. Tropical shades of lime, fuchsia, lemon and an orange hue like that of a sun setting over a desert island on a hot summers night (ahh...how poetic!). So, if you fancy adorning yourself with a dose of Aztec bohemia, skip on over to Mango for some skull beaded, tassel dangling accessories that are sure to get your summer off to a bold start.

For more ethnic inspired fashion and accessories like this, check out my Lyst page or click the links above.

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[ THREAD LUSTINGS ] Ifat Creations on Boticca

Left to right: 1. Falling pearls nr. 142 2. Dogon Necklace 3. Summer Ending Necklace 4. Red-Blue Murano Necklace 5.  Peacock Feather Necklace

Online store, Boticca, caught my attention yesterday with its 'All About Tradition' feature which happens to showcase some of the store's most talented, traditionally inspired jewellery designers. As a silversmithing novice myself, I love reading about new designers with interesting and innovative approaches to jewellery design, so when I came across  Ifat Creations' intricately woven thread necklaces, a bit of clicking frenzy ensued. 

Working from in her studio in Madrid, Israeli born Ifat handcrafts each of her pieces using traditional weaving techniques, based on the ancient art of macramé, to create an intricate web of fine linen or waxed cotton threads around a central focal point. Intertwining rare Murano beads, Dogon jewellery, Indian silverwork, terracotta, wood or small handmade works by other contemporary artisans, every uniquely crafted piece from Ifat exudes contemporary ethnic appeal.

This macramé technique looks like fun, time to find some threads and try it out!

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[ DIY THREADS ] Friendship Bracelets by Honestly WTF

Earlier today whilst stumbling around the web (yes, I am now down with the rest of you Stumble Upon kids), I came across these bracelet beauties from one of my current favorite blogs, Honestly WTF. I've been lusting over this kind of crafty 'do it yourself' accessory look for a while now as they make for perfect traveling jewellery - you never need to take them off and they go great with beach brights and bohemian slouch (like these examples I picked up in Kuta, Bali). So when I discovered the girls behind HWFT had already provided a full on DIY masterclass in friendship-bracelet-making, I got a little over excited and started 'stumbling' all their DIY tutorials (if you're following me on facebook you'll already know what I'm talking about). If you love what you see and fancy getting a little crafty click on over to the fully illustrated tutorial here.

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[ ETHNIC BANDS FOR SUMMER HANDS ] Kuta, Bali

I've been doing a bit of shopping (surprised?) since I touched down in the beautiful tropical paradise that is Bali. First stop, Kuta. Not exactly your ideal holiday spot thanks to all the drunken Ozzie's and Brit's falling all over the streets but thanks to an over friendly insect and a couple of knife wielding doctors, it looks like it's I'll be sticking around here for the next few days. So, in an effort to make the best of a bad situation, I bring you: ethnic bands for summer hands!

I snapped these little beauties (above) from a little jewellery store round the corner. Stocked floor to ceiling with handmade pendants, bangles and rings, all knotted and beaded, carved and chiselled, threaded and laced into brightly coloured, easy-wearing, beach friendly accessories. And for those of you who like what you see, I did a little online window shopping to bring you few ideas for your own summer hands! Of course you can always get crafty and make some of your own...

{Ethnic Bands for Summer Hands} by wandering-threads

Kris Nations cord jewelry, $84, Forever 21 filigree jewelry, $4.80, Giles Brother boho jewelry, £28, Fine jade jewelry, £139

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[ETHNIC FINDS] Jewellery Stories

So as you've probably have guessed by now, I've just jumped on the Instagram bandwagon (hey, I know I'm late but I am traveling around the world with a severe lack of wifi access and a boyfriend who only occasionally lets me completely take over his Ipod). Nevertheless, I thought I'd use my new found skills to show you some of the beautiful ethnic jewellery I've been collecting over the past months. This set comes from my travels around India and Nepal. So from right to left here are the discriptions:

1. Red and white yak bone beaded bracelets, bought off a Tibetan lady who cornered me in Pokhara, Nepal. 

2. Giant (and very heavy) hand painted statement earrings from a stall in Kerala, India.

3. Turquoise and amber (supposedly) inlaid miniature perfume bottle bought from a little old lady on the corner of the street in Pokhara, Nepal. Apparently her husband brings her all her wares one a month from Tibet.

4.  Turquoise and amber (again, supposedly but more like faux) hollow pendant with Buddhist mantra hidden inside. Bought from one of many very keen salesmen at Kathmandu's Durbar Square market in Nepal.

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[ ETHNIC BEACH CHIC ] Holiday Style

 

{Ethnic Beach Chic} Holiday Style by wandering-threads

Dorothy Perkins cotton dress, $17, Mara Hoffman corset top, $207, Cropped shirt, $48, Vanessa Bruno Athé pleated skirt, $310, THU THU denim shorts, £245, Christian Louboutin lace up high heels, $1,095, Giuseppe Zanotti wedge heels, $795, Kenneth cole sandals, $45, Dannijo tribal necklace, £185, Erickson Beamon beaded earrings, £224, Pamela Love resin bangle, $220, Sami silver bangle, £140, Gigi Chic tribal jewelry, $70

In the words of Finley Quay, for some of us right now "the sun is shining and the weather is sweet yeahh". Yehh. I'm currently sunning myself on islands of Thailand, Kao Tao to be precise, and low and behold I'm pining for a beach side wardrobe to put my backpacker glam sack to shame (well, that wouldn't really be difficult). One can only dream...and thankfully Polyvore has once again entertained that dream and voilà, here we are with another compilation of my favorite pieces. This time I've assembled them all into outfits so, if you're sitting by that fire at home on this cold winters day, dreaming of outfits for sunnier days to come, let this help you along. 

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[ ETHNIC ACCESSORIES ] ASOS Fashion Finder

Karma Ethnic Chandelier Earrings £10.00, Miso Epoxy Tribal Earrings - Womens £5.00,  Urban Outfitters Tribal Wrap Bracelet "Tribal necklace with faux turquoise spears" £52.00 , Karma Red Bead with Charms Ethnic Bracelet £10.00, Urban Outfitters Geometric Tribal Cuff £12.00, Kenneth Jay Lane Tribal Man Pendant £ 48.00

Have you tried the ASOS Fashion Finder yet? It's another playful style compiling widget that helps you pull all your favorite ASOS-stocked beauties together in themes, trends or product categories of your choosing. Much like Polyvore but, unfortunately, without an html embed code which means, sadly, no posting to your blog. Nevertheless I thought I'd give it a try and here's the result: My top picks from ASOS's current ethnic and tribal inspired jewellery. Give it a try and see what you think!

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[THREAD LUSTINGS ] Holst + Lee

i{Thread Lust} Holst + Lee by wandering-threads on polyvore.com

(Top left to right) 1. Holst + Lee Four Strand Necklace 3. Holst + Lee Double Tiered Necklace  7. Holst + Lee Plate Necklace

Whilst I'm sunning myself on the beaches on Vietnam, back in the UK you must all be snuggling up to the fire, wrapped up in your woolens or maybe even splashing about in your wellies (sorry, did I go to far)? OK so enough of the gloating, I just wanted to give you all a mental picture and cast your minds forward to the myriad of style possibilities awaiting us in SS'2012. Take these Holst + Lee beauties for example, what more could and ethnic style junkie want of a summer accessory than vividly coloured, oversized, tribal-inspired statement jewellery? Can't think of a thing.

Hailing from the beautiful south (of the USA that is), designers Natalie Holst and Rochelle Lee met whilst working in the NY nightclub scene, of all places. Naturally the pair are flaunting their jewellery line all over New York right now, having accessorised runway collections for designers Yigal Azrouel and Mara Hoffman. I'll definitely be adding these to my SS'2012 wishlist (emphasis on the plural). 

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[LE AFRIQUE C'EST CHIC ] Australian Vogue December 2011

Whilst combing the shelves of an English language bookstore in Vientiane, Laos, a few weeks ago, my eyes were immediately drawn to the colourific, tribal-centric December issue of Australian Vogue. On its cover, the beautiful Isabel Lucas festooned with brightly beaded tribal inspired jewellery, her head overtyped with a somewhat unusually ethnic-patterned 'VOGUE'. Evidently, I snapped it up and being pleasantly surprised by the plethora of sunshine ready apparel and summery shades (reminding me that yes, back home you are all suffering through -2°C while, thankfully, the rest of the world is not), I have promised myself that from now on I shall endeavor to purchase an Australian Vogue through the bleak and dreary English winters.

 

So, in aid of my timely discovery and its coincidentally ethnic theme I thought I'd share some of these blazingly colour saturated shots from my favorite editorial of the issue, the African inspired Le Afrique C'est Chic. Shot by Max Doyle and starring model Kate Fogarty, stylist Naomi Smith fuses vivid graphic prints and dazzling statement jewellery from the likes of Diane von Furstenburg, Emilio Pucci and Burberry Prorsum to create this eclectic blend of tribal chic. My favorite - the artfully styled printed silk head wraps! I could use one of those to tame this unruly hair of mine! 

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[ INDRA JATRA ] Bhaktapur, Nepal

 

Whilst meandering around the beautiful red brick streets of Bhaktapur the other day, I came across masses of these costume clad girls. Adorned head to toe in brightly coloured fabrics: red and gold patterned metallic silks, luminous pink veils, marigold-yellow headbands and sashes, and copious amounts of dangling silver jewellery, it must be time for the Indra Jatra Festival. 

One of the most important festivals in the Newar calender, the eight day Indra Jatra takes place in and around the Kathmandu Valley in early to mid September, marking the end of the rainy season. Giving thanks to Lord Indra, the God of Rain and the King of Heaven processions and dances are performed, one of the most important being that of the procession of the Royal Kumari Devi, a preadolescent 'living goddess' who is taken around Kathmandu's Durbar square to give thanks to the rain god and to bless the President of Nepal.

So, with the plethora of pomp and traditional dress on display, obviously I couldn't help but take some snaps. If you like what you see and fancy a look at some more traditional Nepalese dress, take a look at my earlier post on Dhaka Topi hats!

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[ TIBETAN TRINKETS ] Pokhara, Nepal

So far Nepal is has been overindulging my obsession for ethnic jewellery. I got a little taste for what was to come back over the mountains in McLeod Ganj where the Tibetan community stocked their stores and stalls with a plethora of beautiful amulets and charm pendants imported from Tibet. The same seems to be true over here in Pokhara. And the best part about the Tibetan/Nepali jewellery styles? They are no stranger to statements pieces - huge stone-inlaid silver pendants, turquoise stones set in chunky, patterned rings and amber-beaded multi-strand necklaces.  

Take a look at these pieces from Amala's Tibetan Gift Corner in Lakeside. If only I wasn't on a backpackers budget I'd be snapping the whole shop up for my collection. For fans at home, check out my earlier post on Tibetan style jewellery from Free People. If you're quick you may still be able to nab a few pieces!

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[ COCONUT CHARMS ] Pokhara, Nepal

Earlier today, during another photographic excursion around Pokhara's backbacker haunt, I came across this delightful little collection of hand-carved, recycled coconut jewellery. Ranging from intricately carved earrings to hand-painted and stone-inlaid pendants in an array of symbolic and nature inspired designs, this cute collection makes a perfect go-to for souvenir hunters looking for a token Lakeside style keepsake. Oddly enough, the actual selling point of the shop was fishing rods and tattoos...

Straight outta nature, recycled coconut not only makes for perfect travel jewellery - being light-weight, durable and non precious - but is also a particularly sustainable option. Reusing otherwise redundant shells from empty coconuts, then shaping and scoring the surface with hand tools there's nothing inorganic about this stuff. So have a rummage around your local markets and boutiques, or just wait for your next beachside escape to get your hippy on and get some coconut!

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[ AN INDIAN SUMMER ] Jewellery by Free People

Right now I'm sitting cooped up in a rather damp hotel room up in McLeod Gangj (location of the Dalai Lama in Exile), Northen India, Himachal Pradesh to be precise. Its cold, its ridiculously wet (it hasn't stopped raining for more than 30 minutes in 4 days) and quite frankly I need to think warm thoughts. Thankfully my savior has come in the form of Free People's new Indian Summer jewellery collection. Evidently this is exactly my kind of jewellery, its Indian inspired for starters and its tarnished silver-bronze finish seems to glint at me (yes even from my computer screen) like some ethnic treasure should. I would do anything to get my hands on some of these chunky stone set rings such as the signet topped, turquoise, coral, amber, agate and opal set Saldana Chunk Ring, but since I'm stuck in what feels like a cloud, I may just have to do with the Tibetan alternatives stocked at the markets up here in Mcleod. 
 

Right to left: Adriatic Bangle £431.57,  Imperium Collar £246.08, Coral Moon Shield Bracelet £165.70,  Saldana Chunk Ring £97.69, Veda Stone Ring £202.80, Druzy Moto Chain Bangle Pack £29.68

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[ BIZARRE BAZAARS ] Pushkar, India

So it seems the holy town of Pushkar in eastern Rajasthan (supposedly the place in which Brahma dropped a lotus flower on the earth) has cashed in on its popularity. A destination for foreigner and Indians alike, Pushkar is a favorite on the traveler/pilgrim trail for witnessing the, often very peculiar, acts of Hindu worship. Priests with dreadlocks, holy men swathed from head to toe in orange and a lot of flower petal accompanied dipping in the many ghats, Pushkar is one 'interesting' place, and its not just the scamming 'holy men' that will make you part with your money. Feast your eyes on this array of dazzling bazaar finds: from piles of pendants to mirror work bags, camel leather wallets and patchwork cushion covers. There's something for every ethnically obsessed traveler in Pushkar. 

[ BEAUTIFUL BANGLES ] Jodhpur, India

Last night I arrived in Jodhpur, the blue city, ready for some serious fort viewing up at Mehrangarh which towers over the city reminding all of Jodhpurs epic and bloodthirsty past. I did not, however, expect Jodhpur to be one of my favorite shopping destinations in Rajasthan, nor did I expect to see thousands of bangles filling market stalls and bazaars, I thought this was a job for Jaipur, the so called 'jewellery city'.  Stacked high in brightly colour coordinated columns, complete with light reflecting glittered surfaces, hand painted patterns and diamonte embellishments, the mélange of choice is astounding and so are the materials. Choose from clear plastic or resin in rainbow shades of luminous colour or lightweight, shiny, ridged metallics at the cheaper city market stalls. Whilst slightly up market bazaars will sell you carved wooden types (not so popular with the colour obsessed Indians), glass, bone, or for the deep pocketed shoppers there's always the option of gold and silver inlaid with precious or semi precious stones. Evidently, there's a great demand for these jingly-jangly wrist adornments throughout India, so if you're interested to read more about the symbolism behind bangle wearing just click here.

[ TURBANS & TUNES ] Udaipur, India

For the past two days I’ve feeling a bit sorry for myself having been bed ridden by dreaded Indian diseases (aka food/water poisoning of sorts) in my hotel in Jaipur. A couple of packets of antibiotics later and I’m up and about again and this time I’m posting from the lovely* lake city of Udaipur. I thought everyone might like to hear a little bit of traditional Rajasthani culture, so I’m bringing you a bit of 4D India with this rural man in a turban playing a musical instrument. Sorry, it’s actually called a Sarangi: ‘bowed musical instrument about two feet high, with three or four main strings and up to thirty-five sympathetic strings’ (thanks Apple Dictionary). Check out his awesome multi-coloured turban (or safa) and his jewellery-selling wife’s heavily embellished Rajasthani costume.

Rajasthani Music Man from Wandering Threads on Vimeo.

*(When I use this word in India it must be taken, somewhat, with a pinch of salt as ‘lovely’ is often somewhat tinged with a corner-of-the-eye combo of rubbish pile topped with cow excrement. That’s unless you are viewing from the £200 + a night widow of a luxury suite or air conditioned, chauffeur driven car. Not to put you off or anything. 

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