Cameo

We had a mini heat-wave at the start of October, giving me the chance to wear this dress one final time this year. Once again I found myself inspired by Bottega Veneta and their jewellery offerings...this time the lava cameo pieces presented for SS2011. The usual fusty connotations of cameos were turned on their head with varying shades of carved lava rock and blackened filigree. The classic Roman profiles carved from volcanic lava got me thinking of Ancient Rome, Vesuvius, draping...basically, that's how I got to this outfit. I dug out a few cameo pieces (annoyed I forgot about my cameo ring...oh well)....and added a tasselled belt I searched for months for and have hardly worn.  

Vintage dress, belt (eBay), shoes (Bruno Premi)

Faux-bob, angular liner and no lipstick (I barely recognise myself without painted lips!)

images from bottegaveneta.com and style.com

Budget Bottega

Following my recent post on Bottega Veneta's fall collection and its delightful beetle accessories, I was inspired to get all bugged out, with insect jewellery and iridescent fabrics reminiscent of beetle wings. I pretty much had the jewellery covered, as I own quite a few pieces of insect jewellery (the pièce de résistance of my collection being a Victorian beetle who I first introduced over a year ago in this post.)

Clothing wise, I was pretty limited with just a pewter vest and sheer blue blouse. The 'bag' however makes up for a rather lacklustre outfit, and has been on my mind since I blogged about Bottega Veneta, as it's green/blue chequered iridescence is certainly similar to one of the bags in the collection. I say bag, but it is actually a Clinique toiletries case, which I added a chain to. My mum is a bit of a Clinique hoarder, and has a closet full of the little bags you get with special purchases. This one was always my favourite, I can't believe how long it took me to turn it in a usable bag.

My nails are a shimmery mint green, however have unfortunately photographed a baby blue shade.

For my eye make-up, I used various shades of glittery blue/green/black. I was struggling to photograph the sparkly products with much clarity, but quickly realised the unfocussed shots were rather pretty with their splodges of colour. Some of the shots below look like deep space, which is always fun.

Anticipation

The fall collections presented way back in February seem like a distant dream, but one collection has stayed at the forefront of my mind - that of Bottega Veneta. Not normally a brand I lust after, Bottega Veneta managed to really catch my attention, not with the clothes, but with the luscious accessories. For months I've been anticipating the arrival of the jewellery and shoes into stores, and now that time has come.

The major theme of the accessories is the beetle. I have a bit of a soft spot for insecty jewellery, with a couple of lucite bug bangles and my dear beetle brooch (plus this moment of madness). Not the most conventional source of inspiration, certain beetles actually possess a mesmerizing beauty with their colouring, hence their historic use in jewellery. Bottega Veneta have used the beetle as inspiration throughout the collection: in a very literal way, using the beetle form in much of the jewellery; and in a more subtle way, using metallics and iridescent green hues reminiscent of beetle wings.

Browns currently has a small collection of Bottega Veneta beetle jewellery available, including the standout, multi-tiered scatter necklace. Available here for £2250 (!).

Also available is a pearl and beetle necklace, which can be worn either as a long pendant (below), or doubled up and worn as a shortened festoon-type necklace (2nd below). Available here for £890

The beetle ring is a more subtle approach to insect jewellery. I just love the turquoise and coppery tones used. Available here for £230

Net-a-porter recently added some of their picks from the collection, including the beetle earrings, available for £185

The rather modest beetle bangle is one of my favourite items. I like the way it was presented on the runway, usually in pairs, to quite elegant effect. Available for £265.

Net-a-porter also has an oxidized silver beetle ring on its virtual shelves, but I find the coloured pieces far more interesting. It is the beetles outer colouring that I find beautiful after all. The whole selection of jewellery is viewable on the Bottega Veneta website here. There is quite a large range in styles with varying degrees of drama. I'd happily wear any of it. Whilst on the BV website I spotted a couple of gorgeous box clutches I failed to notice on the catwalk. The bug studded version is crazy expensive at $8000, whilst the beautiful patchworked, iridescent green clutch is a little easier on the wallet at $2100 (ok, not that easy).

I've been waffling on about the jewellery so much, you'd never guess it was the footwear I was most enamoured with. I'm not much of a wedge girl, but for some reason, the sinuous metallic wedges presented really got me lusting after them. There's something so elegant and organic about their form, I'd take them over the jewellery any day. I've been eager for them to arrive in stores, as I thought they'd make a beautiful summer footwear option, catching the sunlight. It's doubtful I'll be wearing them this summer though as their price is higher than I'd let myself spend. Looks like I'll have to wait a few more months for them to go in the sale.

The only place I've found them for sale so far is the BV website itself, where they are available for $1030. Come on 50% off sale, I need some green metallic shoes! (No seriously, I've been after some for months, years even.)

images from style.com, net-a-porter.com, matchesfashion.com and bottegaveneta.com