Dear friends,
One of our favorite annual summer events is the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island. Each summer we delight in dressing our customers in authentic 1920s jewelry, fashion and accessories for the fête, or helping them replicate the look with items from their own closet and vintage from every era. Sadly this year the party was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we miss it very much and thought for this week we would use it as the inspiration for our newsletter.
We are taking a particularly French perspective on the 20s for this collection. Not all pieces are made in France, but they capture the look and feel that you would have seen in the cabarets and brasseries of 20s Paris. We hope that these pieces can inspire you to enjoy a day of dress up and decadence on your own lawn, letting loose à la années folles. With that in mind we've included a few accessories along with our usual offering of jewelry- let us know what you think of the change! Would you like to see more accessories in future newsletters, or should we stick to the jewels?
Now grab your espresso and your pain au chocolat and let's dive in!
Sunday Brunch: Années Folles
One of our favorite annual summer events is the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island. Each summer we delight in dressing our customers in authentic 1920s jewelry, fashion and accessories for the fête, or helping them replicate the look with items from their own closet and vintage from every era. Sadly this year the party was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we miss it very much and thought for this week we would use it as the inspiration for our newsletter.
We are taking a particularly French perspective on the 20s for this collection. Not all pieces are made in France, but they capture the look and feel that you would have seen in the cabarets and brasseries of 20s Paris. We hope that these pieces can inspire you to enjoy a day of dress up and decadence on your own lawn, letting loose à la années folles. With that in mind we've included a few accessories along with our usual offering of jewelry- let us know what you think of the change! Would you like to see more accessories in future newsletters, or should we stick to the jewels?
Now grab your espresso and your pain au chocolat and let's dive in!
20s Paste Buckle Bracelet $495
Unusual 30s 14K White Gold, Crystal and French Jet Drop Earrings $795
"My French great-grandparents opened a jewelry store in Paris in the late 19th century, which was passed on to my grandparents. It was called 'Aux Bonnes Occasions,' and was located on Rue Rambouteau in the Marais in Paris. I had known that when the Nazis invaded France in 1940, my Jewish family was forced to liquidate what they could and flee for their lives into Vichy, France. Fortunately, they survived and ultimately moved back to Paris. This last summer I was told that I had inherited “some jewelry” from my French family, which was contained in a few small bags. When I got these bags, I realized that I was looking back almost a hundred years at rings from my family’s jewelry store! It seems that the liquidators in 1940 didn’t want the 'old' unsold jewelry stock from the 1910s and 1920s, and so my grandparents swept them into bags and fled with them into exile. With the end of the war and return to Paris, these bags of “old” jewelry went into storage and were largely forgotten. It is a truly extraordinary collection from Paris before World War I and between the world wars, rescued and preserved through the terrors of the World War II."
These rings are just two of the many pieces, and it has been such a delight to be part of the process of introducing them back into the world!
c. 1910 French Paste Halo Ring in 18k Yellow Gold and Silver; Inquire for price
c. 1910 French Mine Cut Paste Band in 18k Yellow Gold and Silver; Inquire for price
Rare Early 20th Century HUGE Sterling Silver and Paste Ring $895
20s Sterling Silver Uncas Paste Ring $725
30s Sterling Silver Rhodium Plated Paste Choker (sold)
30s Sterling Silver, Paste and French Jet Clip Earrings $395
20s Velvet and Glass Bead Flapper Headband $475
20s Velvet and Glass Bead Flapper Headband $475
Stack of 20s-30s Paste Bracelets, available individually. Prices range from $325-$475
Stunning 20s French Woven Hemp Beaded Bag $398
20s Art Deco Sterling Silver, Onyx and Marcasite Ring $395
Art Deco Celluloid & Marcasite Ribbon Slide Necklace $250
30s French Celluloid Rhinestone Brooch $295
30s French Celluloid Man & Woman Brooch $395
c. 1925 Sterling Silver, Enamel and Chrysoprase Pendant Necklace $295
40s French Expandable Gold Filled Bracelet with "Turquoise" Glass, Signed "Carmen" $345
Stack of 20s-30s French Celluloid Bangles, available individually. Prices range from $145-$425.
Jewelled Cigarette Holder $115
c. 1915 Brass Eiffel Tower Souvenir $325
c. 1915 Eiffel Tower Souvenir Bracelet $195
Here's hoping this collection was a fun little escape from this 2020 to 1920s Paris, and that our 21st century années folles get less crazy soon. If you do throw a little lawn party of your own, please post some pictures and tag them #iconstylesundaybrunch so we can see! Love to you all.
Stylishly yours,
Lara and the team