Spring Accessories Promise to Dazzle
NEW YORK (CBS) All that glitters really is gold (together with a myriad other semi-precious jewels) at Patty Tobin's trendy Chelsea boutique during Fashion Week in New York.
Shoppers got a peek at the eclectic jewelry designer's Spring 2011 collection on Fashon's Night Out. She was one of 1,000 retailers across New York city who kept their doors open late to help promote the biggest fashion party in history.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the global event , see Fashion's Night Out tonight on at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Friday's shopping bonanza follows up on last year's highly successful initiative, which was the brainchild of Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour. This year the event went global, with retailers all over the world hosting special events and extending their normal shopping hours, all in the hope of enticing customers to splurge in style.
At Tobin's boutique Friday, fashionistas mixed with television personalities, models and long- time clients over champagne and canapes to get a first look at spring jewelry that can best be described as wearable pieces of art.
Natural pearls and semi-precious stones specially cut for her are a focal point of her sought-after designs. Her new line focuses on a "black and white" theme infused with bursts of color, inspired by the designs we're seeing this week on runways of the world's top design houses.
Tobin says the one piece customers keep requesting is her black-and-white signature layered pearl necklace, which she says you can wear with anything. She adds it makes a great statement without breaking the bank.
"It's all about beauty paired with functionality," says Tobin of her designs. "I started my line and opened the store during the worst part of the recession and have been lucky to see my business grow and grow. I put that down to the fact that the price point I begin at is a fraction of what you will see for similar pieces at high-end stores."
Featured in the collection are an array of unusual pearls she flies to Hawaii and Fiji to obtain. To maximize their versatility and help shoppers keep costs in line, she creates statement pieces that can be worn in several different ways.
Celebrity stylist Felix Mercado, who co-hosted the event, says Tobin's designs are the perfect complement to the woman with a busy schedule. "Her pieces are quintessential to the woman on the go," he said. "They're versatile enough to take you from day to evening, dressing up any look."
The entire line ranges in price from a couple of hundred dollars for many pieces into the thousands for her one-off custom designs. Celebrity clients run the gamut and include TV personality Rachael Ray and actress Jill Scott.
Although, tiny in stature, this dynamic 56-year old entrepreneur and designer dreams big. She recently opened boutiques in Toronto and Fiji. Asked for whom she would most like to design a piece, she says, "Easy. Lady Gaga. She epitomizes the direction my jewelry is taking in its' design."
One of the hottest sellers in her collection is proving to be the range of multi-color six-strand bracelets that builds on the popular trend of wearing stacked bangles. Garnets mix with amethysts, metals and her specialty - multi-colored tiger eye stones from Hong Kong.
The piece-de-resistance for spring , however, is Tobin's new Aqua & White collection. Blue hues will be a popular palette in the Spring, she says, and this collection answers the call, with an uncommon approach to both design and versatility. Everything from statement torsades to unusual chains and rings are featured, with something that promises to awaken the allure of Spring in every wearer.
Below, watch the fun of Fashion's Night Out all over New York.