Red Hot Oscars

Let’s talk about “red”! Especially since we spotted some serious fire engine red at the Academy Awards on Sunday.  Red screams ‘look at me.’ And a few celebrities had every reason to call attention. (Photos to follow.) As a Dunitz & Company fair trade designer and vendor, I’ve also noticed that even if I see fashion spreads in Elle and Marie Claire with the likes of Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, we tend to sell red to a more mature audience.  Yes. Yes. There are lots of exceptions. However, historically we find our “missy” crowd digs red.  In tow at the Oscars, it was no surprise which actresses took on this hot color trend.

Allison Janney was a lock for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Tonya Harding’s mother. Did you see her in I, Tonya? I thought she had one of the most memorable performances of the season. And wow, she had every reason to strut in red at the awards ceremony. Long, lean and bold. She was a stunner in her Reem Acra gown. (Should we also mention that she was wearing over $4million worth of borrowed diamonds?)

Another reigning Hollywood royal, Meryl Streep donned red this season. And I thought it was one of her best ever and most flattering award show looks. Her Christian Dior Haute Couture looked like it was made for her. Hard to believe she is 68 in this get up!

More maturity. Maya Rudolph looked ‘old lady’ in her Valentino, 'don’t show any skin number.' I’m not sure why she chose this gown which seemed to age her quite a bit. Perhaps with the #metoo movement, she chose to erase any hint of her sexuality. One thing is for sure. She did not go unnoticed.

And talk about sexuality. Blanca Blanco strutted her stuff in a slinky and revealingly gown designed by Atria Couture. One twitter follower thought her dress was a "wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen." (Remember? She also wore red at the “all black” Golden Globes earlier this season.) This girl likes to get her red on! And well, she's 37.








But here’s the thing. You don’t need to be at an awards ceremony to wear red. Red can be for any occasion, fancy, casual or otherwise. Heck, one of my favorite “ look at me” pieces of clothing are my straight leg red corduroys. Now we’re talking.

Got Red? You know I have to make a plug for Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry. This season we’ve offered several red hot designs in our Joanie M fair trade fused glass collection. Don’t want to wear red pants! You’ll make a statement without being overbearing in a pair of red earrings or bib necklace.


Do you wear red? -ND

Oscars Pink - by any other name

Oscars Pink by any other name would look as sweet. Rose Quartz. Blush. Champagne. Cameo. I loved seeing all of the pink gowns on the Academy Awards red carpet last night.  Pink seems to be a perennial favorite for Millennial fashionistas. And Dunitz & Company fair trade often includes fresh pink looks in our collection for our wholesale and retail customers. What a breath of fresh air pink was on the red carpet...

Saorise Ronan was absolutely adorable in her Calvin Klein pink gown with it's huge bow at the back. (The style reminded me of the light blue gown I wore to my brother's bar mitsvah.  My neckline was higher and I was only 11! Stay tuned. I promise to share a photo of that sometime soon.) When I saw this charming dress and others, it confirmed that Dunitz & Company continues to be right on track with color planning.

Did you see Allison Williams in Get Out? Now that was a though provoking film. Even she found the character she played a bit disturbing. At least this is what a gathered from her chat with a TV host on the red carpet pre-show.  Her blush Armani Prive gown and hair style screamed "classic" Hollywood. What a dream she was.

Elizabeth Moss is a favorite of mine. An she was picture perfect last night in Dior Haute Couture.

More pink from Mira Sorvino. If you watched the awards, you saw her partnering with Ashley Judd (wearing a slight variation from Pantone's Ultra-Violet) speaking out for the #metoo movement.

Gina Rodriguez of Jane the Virgin fame donned a Zuhair Murad gown with a plunging neckline. And, yes - another stunning blush pink gown.











So here's the deal.  If all these wildly beautiful celebrities choose to wear pink, why shouldn't you?  I encourage everyone to wear shades of pink. Pink is so soft, feminine and flattering. And you don't have to be dolled up in a gown. Heck, last week Dunitz & Company was exhibiting at the California Marketplace gift show. On a short sales break, the woman working in the booth next to mine went hunting for treasure in other booths near ours. Guess what she came back with?  A pink sweater!





And you know what we say about that? Dunitz & Company fair trade offers the BEST pink earrings! And bracelets and necklaces too! Be brave. Get your Oscar Pink on. Let us help you do it. -ND

Discovered Inspiration on Instagram

Every day I log into my Instagram accounts, @ndunitz and @shopdunitz. A primary reason for having these accounts is to communicate with and develop relationships with my Dunitz & Company wholesale and retail customers. Another is to find inspiration. Inspirational color. Inspirational design. Inspirational thoughts. Creative juices will flow when watching images through the lenses of others. Here are a few of my recent favorites.

I have absolutely no idea how I stumbled upon KaRMA Positivo. Evidently others have as well since this profile now has over 15K followers. Their tag line says they are curating images from Instagram about lifestyle, fashion and artisanship. And that they do. If you browse the feed, you'll find oodles of wonderful and inspirational photos with great styles and colors. Some vintage. Some current. I dig this feed.  The quirky thing is I decided to dig a bit further. The website attached to this feed & their twitter account leads you to the personal blog of Walter Tay Ann Lee, a mechanical engineering student from Singapore. [A reply to an IG message sent by me to KaRMA suggests the URL provided has either been hacked or expired in error. Let this be a warning to check all your links and expiry dates.]


Karen at sustainablefashionchat is obsessed with...you guessed it "sustainable fashion".  And you can read more on her blog. Because I am a fair trader (you're probably reading this because you know Dunitz fair trade jewelry) and I'm obsessed with thrift stores and flea markets, I am always amused to see how she pulls together her ethical outfits.  And she models them so nicely too. Just like me, Karen wears a lot of neutral color clothing. Ah this is a good thing for so many reasons! First, you can wear a sweater over and over again and no one will say... "you wore that yesterday." And, neutrals make the perfect backdrop for Dunitz colorful jewelry. Now we need Karen to wear a piece or two :)!

Here's a profile I enjoy that isn't fashion oriented at all.  Not too long ago I started following Janet Jeffers at janetlittlejeffers, a brilliant photographer who captures awesome finds with either her iPhone or Nikon. I've drooled over some of her recent trip photos. But honestly, it seems if she's in Budapest or her own backyard it doesn't matter. Janet has an incredible eye and can snap the most mundane things and make them exciting. Heck, look at this door in the photo to the right. Those shades of green, rust and black inspire me to create a new color combination for Dunitz fair trade jewelry.  I definitely recommend following her IG feed. Or check out her website.

Sometimes it's "just about pretty"! And that is how I find Sarah's incasualsimplicity feed. Sarah mentions her feed is about finding poetry in everyday life. She seems to savor nature and what she calls simple things. Her photos are lovely. And even better yet, she shares images of her own work created with watercolor and gouache. I am certain this is why I like her profile so much. I find inspiration in her many images of flowers. I also enjoy seeing the Japanese prints she shares with her audience. (Did you know my senior year of college honors seminar at University of Michigan focused on Japanese ukiyo-e prints? Go Blue!)

 
Please share with me some of your most loved Instagram profiles. Perhaps your favorites will lend some inspiration for me and my Dunitz & Company pretty and fair trade designs.-ND

Suffering from Compassion Fatigue? Buy Pretty.

Our business model has always been the same. Since 1990, Dunitz & Company has lived by and operated by the golden rule. We've always put fashion first. And our jewelry is always fair trade. These days, there seems to be a glut of vendors pulling at every one's heart strings. How can you tell when someone is good or just saying they do good in an effort to make a sale? Often business owners say their line is fair trade (even if they aren't Fair Trade Federation verified). Others spout that they donate a % of profits to this cause or another. My guess is some do. Some don't. The 'compassion marketing' noise is endless and the result is increasing 'compassion fatigue'.

I just returned from the NY Now gift show. While there I had a handful of conversations with retail store owners, buyers from museum shops and another wholesaler (now also retailing) who was once a booth neighbor at the now defunct Boston Gift Show. Surprisingly, I was not the one to initiate the conversation. These buyers were quite explicit that they were "done with" buying for goodwill. And evidently their customers are over it too. What I garnered from these conversations was, when spending money, customers want affordability and well-designed merchandise. They want "pretty". And only after that, do they want to know their purchases were produced under fair trade principles or that any given business owner was providing financial aid or making donations to this group or that organization. And I say bravo!

When I heard this from my customers, honestly, I felt a sigh of relief.  For years that is exactly how I saw our sales. Our customers bought Dunitz & Company jewelry because it was beautiful. Our ethics were verified with our Fair Trade Federation and Green America Business memberships.

Just today a client of ours who buys for a few locations said to me,"It is really hard to find fair trade things that sell and aren't too village crafty. We need items that are a good value and people can use every day.  Your jewelry is the perfect example.  It is on trend, cool and wearable." Yes, this warmed my heart big-time.

Are you a buyer or vendor reading this blog? What do you think about the topic of 'compassion fatigue' and how this applies to you and your life?  I'd love to hear from you.  In the meantime, I'm hoping there is a return to "pretty".  I'm certain Dunitz & Company sales will increase as buyers focus more on 'good looks and value'. And then and only after choosing our jewelry because it is "pretty", customers can feel even better knowing our jewelry is verified fair trade. -ND

Real Beauty. Realistic Beauty.

I'm all about Real Beauty! And perhaps that is better said as Realistic Beauty. Dunitz & Company works diligently to create a fair trade jewelry line that is not only beautiful to look at, but will also allow women of all shapes and sizes to feel beautiful wearing it. Even better, our ethically sourced jewelry is good for heart & soul.

I suppose this is why for years I've adored Dove's 'Real Beauty' Campaign. Back in the early 2000's a research study they commission revealed that only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. Over many years, their campaign using models of varying ages, shapes and skin tones created an environment where so many women felt better about themselves. And that includes me.

Today, CVS announced they will no longer use photo manipulation for their beauty products. And, they've also stated that if their suppliers, exampled by the such of Maybelline, L'Oreal and CoverGirl don't follow suit by 2020, CVS will mark their promotional materials with a symbol that allows customers to know they are 'digitally modified.' Now how cool is that? It's all about getting real. Of course the woman featured on the right here is gorgeous. She is gorgeous even when we see her pores. We might not look like her, but we can relate to her skin shown in the original photo.

I love that financial giants such as Dove and CVS are celebrating the reality that most of us share.  Last weekend I attended an opening for a stage show directed by a friend. The after party was attended by mostly young and what I considered quite attractive actors.  I met one lovely comedienne and told her I'd love to see her perform and that she was adorable. She loved the compliment. And she also quipped that she was no Scarlet Johansson and when she went out on auditions, she was always told she was "interesting" looking. Huh? This was one pretty girl. And she was insecure about her looks.  Did I say bravo to Dove and CVS for getting real?

As most of you reading know, I hire models, actors and musicians to pose for me wearing Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry. You can see many of them in our wholesale and retail LookBooks. In fact, last week I finished shooting Alexx and Rachel decked out in Spring 2018 designs. I confess. I've had women arrive to shoots in the past with cold sores and major break-outs.  I've always cleaned up significant imperfections in Photoshop. I don't think anyone would ever accuse my shots of being so touched up that our models aren't real. (I'm afraid I don't have the skills to do that anyways.)  Dunitz & Company is about real and realistic.

Let's all celebrate Real Beauty. Realistic Beauty. With whatever small contribution we can make, Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry wants to help you feel and look your best. -ND

An (almost) All Black Golden Globes

Somehow the word got out that everyone should wear black in solidarity at the Golden Globes yesterday. This dress code was planned in support of #metoo and the denouncement of sexual harassment. Black is often the color worn to funerals.  It's also a fashion standard that tends to be flattering on just about everyone. With a few exceptions, just about everyone in attendance wore black clothing. And the fashion choices the actresses made were quite interesting.

Assuming the choice to wear black was a way to express disdain for sexual misconduct, one actress, Claire Foy stood out as the "best dressed" winner. She looked stunning in a well-tailored Stella McCartney suit. She appeared classy and strong. Exactly what I would expect from a request to wear black for an appropriate statement in support of the #TimesUp movement.








As at most awards shows, the actresses looked stunning. And in most cases, this years Golden Globes was no exception. By getting the word out to wear black, the actresses and their stylists made a mission of finding the sexiest black dresses ever.  Seriously? Does wearing a lacy number cut to the navel speak to our disdain for men taking advantage of women in inappropriate ways? Some actresses including Halle Barry, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kate Hudson looked to be wearing extravagant nighties. Others wore gowns with slits open to their privates. It just seemed to me that most actresses missed the point of wearing black.


Forbes reported that celebrities wore over $20 million worth of gems and watches at the Golden Globes.  I'm thinking it must have been more than that. Yes, many actresses donned some very large emerald jewels. And there were gobs of diamonds on the red carpet too. If you chose to wear black, to fit in and not rock the boat...yes, glam up with some big glitzy rocks! (I sort of like that Blanca Blanco and Barbara Meier danced to their own drummer. No hypocrisy there.)

I don't think I am alone in feeling the choice for Golden Globe attendees to wear black (and loads of precious gems) was a miss.  Well, perhaps it is a win because today...just about everyone is talking about it.  This morning on my Facebook feed, I saw hundreds of real world people piping in. My friend's posts about this topic are tailed with comments. Los Angeles Times and New York Times posts are also followed with a string of responses.



One thing is for certain. As much as so many commented on the success or fail of the sea of black gowns, Oprah Winfrey was a fan favorite.  Even in her sexy velvet number. Her speech after being honored with the Cecil B. Demille award was an inspiration and spoke to the #metoo movement with poise and perfection. If you didn't hear it or see a transcript, read it here.

So, what do you think about Oprah running for POTUS on the next go-around?  And how did you feel about the (almost) All Black 2018 Golden Globe Awards? -ND

Black & White, A Fashion Classic

Yin and Yang. Up and Down. Right and Left. East and West. One never exists without the other. Black & White. A Fashion Classic. And for a jewelry designer (I'm talking about me,) who is typically 'all about color', for Dunitz & Company's Spring 2018 collection, I'm most excited about this classic.  What ever has gotten into me?

When studying all the runway shows in preparation for designing for Spring 2018, I was glued to all of the Black & White.  Was there more than usual? Or was I just honing in on it.  The best of the best, all are offering spectacular clothing in black & white.  Seen here are super outfits from Carolina Herrera, Jill Stuart and Nicole Miller. And Miller always works in bright colors. What's up?

Yes, you'll see lots of color this season from Dunitz & Company. But guess what? I'm so stoked about our Black & White fair trade jewelry this season.  The photo to the right is a teaser of what's coming from our Joanie M fused glass collection.  The black is strong. And it's coupled with metallic silver. It really shouts that classic story of.... black & white. Our fused glass pieces will be deliciously handsome coupled with what so many folks call their safety net, black.

And for our bead-work, I paired jet black with crystal and silver.  It definitely feels black & white and will adorn any black...or white....or black & white clothing perfectly. By using crystal and silver, the pieces won't feel so harsh. Dunitz & Company's beaded designs will boast a contemporary essence. Hey, modern museum shop buyers! We're a must for Spring 2018. Hint. Hint.

 
As Karl Lagerfeld once said, "black and white always looks modern, whatever that word means. Whether it's a white dress with black accessories, or a white  blouse paired with this season's must-have noir trouser or graphic stripes, it's hard to mess up this timeless color combination." 

I think it's the perfect time to dress you and your customers up with our black & white fair trade pretties. Black & White. A Fashion Classic. - ND