Rawhide splendor

Cooler fall weather means leather. At the shows, Michael Kors put the spotlight on black leather shirts and shrugs, Rodarte led with black and white leather dresses, and Kevork Kiledjian featured long-sleeved, high-neck black leather dresses. However, it was Derek Lam that arguably did leather the best with a sleek black pencil skirt that should be a staple in every woman’s wardrobe. All this leather will not stop at clothing, though, and will make its way to jewellery cases. Look for designers to mix it with metals such as gold, platinum, and sterling silver. Seek out chic leather bracelets, cuffs, and cords for necklaces.

Fall’s colour palette

In addition to ‘Rhapsody,’ Pantone also predicts smoky pale pink ‘Rose Smoke’ and ‘Titanium,’ a deep, sleek grey, to be hot this season. Don’t forget the boldness of ‘Pink Flambé,’ ‘Bright Chartreuse,’ ‘Olympian Blue,’ and ‘Tangerine Tango.’ What does all this mean for jewellery? It means we can predict smoky stones in big bold designs to soar in popularity this season. One final trend: white will be a big colour for clothing this fall, giving coloured gemstones a neutral palate to showcase their beauty.

Amanda Gizzi is director of communications for Jewelers of America (JA). She is recognized as an authority on fine jewellery and watch trends, savvy shopping tips, and gift-giving ideas. Gizzi appears regularly on television shows and radio programs throughout the United States, where she showcases the latest trends and provides consumers with fine jewellery and watch education. She can be contacted at agizzi@jewelers.org.