Rachel Burklund Designs

Archive for February, 2010

Vintage clothing, jewelry and accessories all proceeds to charity?

Monday, February 15th, 2010

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All profits to charity… what an amazing business model. Here are two boutiques who carry high end designer clothing, one with vintage items and one with new items, however, 100% of their proceeds are donated to charities.

The idea came about for the owner of Karen’s Vintage Couture in Seattle as a way for her to raise money from friends and colleagues without asking for donations again and again. Karen knew her friends would give away their clothes and would happily donate them for her cause. It is a way for people to give what they already have. Karen’s clothing selection is very well edited with top designers like Gucci, YSL, Ungaro and Missoni all vintage. She also has a few lines that are being developed with vintage ingredients to be exclusive to her shop. What an amazing way to give. We all can donate our couture or at least purchase couture for a cause.

Philanthropist in San Francisco has a similar business model with 100% profits going to charity. Yet, Philanthropist carries new clothing verses vintage, with some of the most coveted designers in the industry including: jewelry by Erickson Beamon and Temple St. Clair and clothing designers such as, Thakoon and Stella McCartney. Purchasing items at Philanthropist should be viewed as a donation, so shop without remorse, enjoy your purchases and continue to shop for charity.

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How jewelry can pull you out of a style rut…

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

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Jewelry is an easy way to update your look and make your tried and true basics look fresh. Imagine this, your favorite dark denim jeans with a crisp white shirt a fashion staple, but worn  with three different jewelry ensembles to make it look irresistible.

1. Gold jewelry. Gold bangles and gold dangle earrings make a striking statement with an all over wash of gold. Gold makes your skin look sun-kissed with just the right amount of interest. So wear to find these sparkling gems. First check out your favorite designers to see what they are working on. My new 3 drop citrine earrings and 18kt Black diamond ring wear perfectly together. Or go for vintage jewelry, vintage bangles are my favorite or a vintage snake bangle paired with my 2 drop citrine earrings are sure to make you feel fresh! Think Karen Walker sun gods eye wear below!

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2. Layer on chunky necklaces. Brightening up denim is easy with chunky stones and heavy chains. The two necklaces I recommend layering with are the 2 strd agate quartz necklace and the Agate silver blue necklace. These two pair very nicely together and give a unique draped neckline look. The key here is to find two necklaces that are different enough to work together. This technique will make you a style expert.

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3. Earrings. Dressing up those same denim jeans will never be the same again with your statement earring collection. All you need is three pairs of drop dead gorgeous earrings and heels and you are set. Earrings immediately draw attention to your face and become the focus of your look, so even if you are wearing your basics they will look updated with your new jewelry. Here are my favorite pieces: Geo Luxe Earrings, Gisele Earrings and Dark Chains Earrings.

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Valentine’s Day for your guy: 411 on jewelry, cufflinks & watches

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

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Shopping for your man can be challenging for the guy who has everything or exciting for the guy who needs a style influence. But either way it is important to know your man’s style. The goal is to get him something sexy and fresh that he will actually wear. However, it takes awhile to get to know someones style and to know what to purchase and what not to.

My husband is one of those rare men who has incredible style, he is easy to shop for, but I have heard from many of my customers that their men either hate or love jewelry, cufflinks and watches. So here are my favorite places to shop, online and in Seattle stores, for “haute” goods. It is always great to find new products and try new things, who knows your man might get a bit more into his style because of you.

Watches… Every man needs at least one, in my husband’s case it is 100, but every man is different and a watch that has character is much more sexy then a sport watch, so check out Watchismo.com they have a very rare selection of vintage watches as well as some much desired new brands like Nixon. Very chic.

Cuff Links… So important, even in the day of “casual day” cuff links still fall in the casual cateogory. There are so many options here. I personally love Private Screening in Fremont for vintage cuff links, but Neimans also has an incredible selection of new cuff links.

Jewelry… Johnny Depp has been my inspiration lately, having creating several necklaces inspired by his cover shot on GQ, which is so sexy. But my favorite place to purchase jewelry besides my own custom creations is Blackbird in Ballard, they have clean, modern pieces for men.

Ties… skinny ties are sexy and very current, think Mad Men for inspiration. My favorite skinny tie designer is Band of Outsiders also to be found at Blackbird.

Happy Shopping! Bentley always inspires me when shopping for my man, there is nothing that says sexy like a Bentley!

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