The Boho Look

The Boho look is every where. It is a great look for spring and summer with a relaxed and chilled out feel for that hot and sunny weather (we hope!). Boho is probably so popular as it is such an easy look to create. The key to this trend is looking like you haven't tryed too hard. Mismatch items, have sightly ruffled hair and don't try to look too polished. Boho takes influence from the sixties and seventies and adds a modern twist for a really up to date look. Some of the key elements of the Boho look are: maxi dresses, faded/ worn jeans and denim skirts, layering, waistcoats, coloured tights, mixing patterns and embroidery.

Accessories are a key part of the boho look. It is not is not so much about what you wear as how you wear it. So try over accessorising with interesting individual handbags lots of chunky bangles, long necklaces and handmade jewellery.

This Goatskin and Leather Handbag from Munique Fashions will add instant Boho appeal to any outfit.

Get ready for a boho summer of love with this Jasper Long heart Necklace from Munique Fashions.
Wear this Onyx and Lava Stone Bracelet from Munique Fashions with a dress to change the feel from girly to boho.

Leather Jewellery

Lately there has been a trend for all types of leather fashions, from the innovative designs of leather jackets by Rick Owens to the leather leggings that featured in many catwalk shows. The beauty of leather for creating fashion and clothes is both its hard wearing properties, its natural texture and it's luxurious feel. Leather is a timeless material that will always look classic and stylish. Leather accessories in natural colours are perfect for wearing with almost anything but coloured leather has real eye catching appeal whilst still maintaining it's natural aspects.

Munique Fashions has a range of leather jewellery, designed to add colour and interest to any outfit. With inspiration taken from the natural world, the flower designs are feminine and pretty. The use of leather to create sculptural jewellery in this way is unusual and stylish, perfect for ladies who like to stand out from the crowd.

This leather orchid brooch is perfect for wearing with any of the seasons neutral coloured jackets.

This exotic leather Orchid pendant will make any camisole top and jeans look really special.

This Peach leather Hibiscus necklace will look great with a lavender or lilac top or dress for a really on trend and feminine outfit.

Paris Fashion Week - Autumn Winter 09

With the current world economic situation, Paris Fashion week was bound to be a slightly low key affair. Again as seen at Milan designers were playing to their strengths and going back to basics with luxurious key wardrobe items that really count as an investment.

Paris is traditionally the home of some of the well established and historic fashion houses with a particular emphasis on luxury. Labels like Louis Vuitton and Hermes are known for their luxury accessories with the underlying theme of quality. But this year fashion in Paris also seemed to have a very wearable and practical side to it. There was also a much greater emphasis on day wear by many of the designers.

At Hermes - the classic parka style jacket gets a luxury make over with crocodile skin and fur trim.

At Roland Mouret - day time wear with just as much charm and appeal as his very popular evening wear that is usually the staple of the collection.

At Elie Saab - a strong emphasis on day wear with forties silhouettes and the classic sheath style dress.

At Miu Miu - a collection with that typical Parisian 'je ne sais quoi'. Very wearable and classic clothes in neutral colours with a luxury dimension of fur trims.

pictures from http://www.style.com/

It is probably a very good idea to concentrate on buying well made quality items that are timeless and will last for many seasons to come. I love this handcrafted leather 'saddlebag' handbag from Munique Fashions.

Tribal Prints

Junya Watanabe - Spring Summer 09

Roberto Cavalli - Spring Summer 09


Vivienne Westwood Red Label Spring Summer 09

pictures from http://www.style.com/

This spring and summer, designers have taken inspiration from traditional African prints and patterns for a striking and stylish look. The palette of colours includes rich earthy tones, greens and yellows with lighter neutrals. The key to this look is keeping it soft. Chiffons and silks work well and drape beautifully. Opt for floor skimming dresses and assymetrical lines for a really feminine take on this trend.

Accessorise with African inspired pieces. Look for intricate beading, feathers, pendants and charms. Bright, earthy and copper coloured accessories will also look great with this trend.

This Sunny Meadows Art Glass Choker will look amazing with a print that includes greens or oranges.

These Copper Jah Bird Earrings will go perfectly with the red and orange tones in an African inspired print.
This handcrafted leather bag will compliment the earthy tones of an African inspired print perfectly. The intricate stitching and detail will addsome exotic character to any outfit.

Visit www.thesymphony-life.com for a whole range of beautiful and unique handcrafted accessories.

Live Life to the Max

Maxi dresses are back again for spring summer 09 and I can't wait. The maxi dress is the piece of clothing that most symbolises long, warm, relaxed summer days and sunny garden parties. They are great for adding a bit of glamour for day or evening. If you are tall, there is no shortage of maxi dresses that will look amazing on you.

You can wear a maxi dress with flat shoes or sandals for an easy to wear but stylish outfit. For shorter people or petites, the maxi style can be a bit more tricky, but can still look great. Look for a style of maxi dress that is not too full in the skirt and wear with chunky wedge heels for a look that will lengthen your body.

The maxi dress is a very feminine style but can also be used to create a boho, folk or seventies inspired outfit by accessorising with a fringed bag and lots of chunky bangles.

By Malene Birger Grape Print Maxi Dress - this dress just radiates style. It will look amazing for summer teamed with these Bronze Leather Sandals.

This romantic Rene Dehry Dress has beading under the bust and straps that crossover at the back. It would be perfect for a Valentines night with the man you love. This Copper and Brass Humming Bird Pendant will really complete the look.

Don't let the credit crunch cramp your style

It is easy to get caught up in all the feelings of doom and gloom with twenty four hour news coverage reporting on all the woes of the world's finances. Whilst most people will be watching their spending a bit more carefully, now is not a time to let it all go when it comes to style. Fashion costs money, style does not. There is no need to wear the latest style of designer clothes. As long as you clothes fit you well and suit your shape and colouring, you can look and feel great.

All you need to do is go through your wardrobe and identify all the clothes that really suit you and make you feel good. Clothes that do not fit properly or don't make you feel one hundred percent can be either swapped at a swishing party or sold online at eBay or another similar site. Once you have some lovely well fitting basics, you can update your wardrobe with a few new accessories each season for a fresh look.


This jaded desire necklace will look great and give a whole new lease of life to a grey, white or khaki summer top with jeans or a denim skirt.

This Hibiscus necklace will instantly add feminine charm to a summer shift dress. For a really quirky look, you try combining with a pale lavender coloured dress or bright pink.

This Raku Teardrop necklace will look great with a printed summer dress in earthy tones.

Spring Summer 09 - Block Colours Trend

Another post about bright colours! You just can't get away from them for spring summer 09. One of my favourite trends on the catwalk was the block colour trend. It was almost as if it was inspired by fun and flamboyant children's wear. With combinations of primary colours and other juicy colours in bold blocks, the outfits for spring and summer this year exude energy and flamboyancy.

The brightness of the colours were balanced with simplicity and minimalism in the styles of clothes. This look is just so easy to do. Highlight your favourite areas of the body with the brightest colours and combine different coloured jersey separates for a fun and fresh take on this trend.

Alexander Wang - laid back separates in sugary pink and oranges make this outfit perfect for a girl that likes to stand out from the crowd in the right way.

Josh Goot - I love the green capelet and the way this whole outfit says laid back chic but in a very energetic way.

Valentino - A slightly more subtle version of this trend was created by combining purple and blue satin, an amazing look for the evening.

pictures from http://www.style.com/

This look needs minimal accessories as the colours of the clothes speak for themselves. I love this 'you're something for me' necklace would be the ideal accessory to go with a bright colour block outfit.

Wearable Art and Your Wardrobe

Accessorize your wardrobe with wearable art and create drama with your everyday look. I have always admired the wit and imagination of designers who transform everyday items into wearable art. Wearable art according to Wikipedia refers to individually designed pieces of (usually) hand-made clothing or jewelry created as fine or expressive art. There is a lot of interest today in recycling and so we see lots of wearable art coming from this eco drive to recycle. I have seen stunning jewellery by Mana Bernandes made from:

-recycled PET bottles
-phone cards
-hair pins (see "Clasp" necklace above by Mana Bernandes)
-elevator buttons
-tooth picks (see "Fan" necklacebelow)
-acetate
-old wire
-and the list goes on.


Wearing jewellery pieces that are artistic masterpieces will certainly get you noticed as most pieces are individually designed and handcrafted. I like to call them conversational pieces as people will strike up a conversation with you which starts "where did you get that". Many persons are usually intrigued by the use of everyday material to create fashion. The last time I wore my hairpin necklace; a perfect stranger approached me and asked "are those hairpins?" She has since become a friend for life. So it turns out to be a good way of meeting people as well.

Wearable art comes in all shapes and sizes and takes its inspiration from many aspects of nature. Some designers use non-fiber materials such as leather, plastic sheeting, metals, etc. to create truly unimaginable, breathtaking and lifelike works of art.


As always, it is a matter of choice when selecting jewellery accessories for your wardrobe. You can go for jewellery that is fashioned after a flora and fauna theme where designers for example produce lifelike interpretations of nature.



Look for ethnic and exotic jewellery pieces including brooches in:

-Copper and Brass
-Stone
-Clay
-Glass
-Silver

A banana leaf in copper and brass in the form of an earring or pendant or orchid brooches made from leather are just a few examples. The more lifelike they look the more they will create intrigue and interest.


Most recently I came across a leather necklace in the shape of a hibiscus flower widely grown in the Caribbean shown below.


This necklace draped delicately around the neck and created a soft dramatic impact. Alternatively you can opt for the more abstract or eclectic pieces that are simple and eye-catching like this orchid brooch below.

Accessorizing your wardrobe with wearable art does not only mean jewellery accessories but also includes belts, handbags, scarves, hats etc. Again look for accessories where designers have imaginatively transformed an everyday item into a work of art. Texture also becomes important. Look for bags for example which:

-combines leather with other materials such as goatskin, crochet, studs
-has an unusual shape
-uses leather with an embossed background or coloured leather
-has an unusual handle
-has a bold pattern

Look for elegant and timeless handcrafted accessories that you can use time and time again.

Even if they are a bit more expensive than traditional jewellery just think that if you paid £50 for a piece of wearable art and was able to use it 25 times then the cost per wear is £2. More importantly you will have it for years to come providing it is a well made quality piece.

Then again can you put a price on the pride of wearing it and the compliments and attention you receive...priceless.

Black Tie Dinner Accessories

When sticking to the traditional black for your Christmas Black Tie Dinners accessories need not be boring. The Schenkel semiprecious stones Collection at Munique offers this gorgeously chunky and dazzling bracelet handcrafted from rock crystal and silver pieces. This very abstract and creatively constructed bracelet gives the appearance of frosted ice and can be bought with a matching necklace.

The art of accessorising

Accessories add interest to an outfit, they make it look special and they also hold the whole look together and make it look finished. You will notice some people are masters at accessorising and can make a very plain outfit look really amazing and stylish by adding the right accessories. But how should you choose which accessories to wear with which outfit?

There are so many different accessories to choose from. They include shoes, bags, jewellery, belts, gloves, scarves, hats and tights. How you choose to accessorise each outfit will depend on the look you are trying to create. For example a simple little black dress may be accessorised for a party with patent black shoes, a silver clutch bag, a sparkly silver necklace and bracelet. A more casual sweater dress may be accessorised with some thick tights, boots, wide belt and chunky beads. The key to accessorising is not to over do it. Only wear one accessory that really makes a statement teamed with maybe two or three other more subtle accessories.

When choosing accessories, you need to think about the outfit that you are accessorising. An eye catching dress may look too much with statement accessories as well. Some other considerations when choosing accessories are:

· Mood – Do the accessories match with the mood of the outfit and the look you are trying to create? Unless you are a real trendsetter a gothic style scarf will not look great with a power suit.
· Colour – Do the accessories match or compliment the colours of the outfit? – Contrary to popular belief black does not go with everything. Accessories are a great way to add colour to an outfit and experiment with different colour combinations.
· Silhouette – How will the accessories that you add affect the overall shape of the outfit? eg wearing a belt will completely change the look of a loose fitting top or dress.
· Drawing or diverting attention – do your accessories draw attention to your best features and draw attention away from your worst features? If not they should e.g. draw eyes towards a pretty face with a neck scarf, a neat waist with belt, long legs with some gorgeous patterned tights.

As with any fashion and style advice the only real way to find out what something is going to look like is to try it on. Try on two or three different accessory combinations with an outfit and choose which looks and feels best.

This chunky Onyx and Lava Stone Bracelet is really unique and intersting and looks great with black, grey or white outfits.

A new fashion and style blog is born

Welcome to Munique fashions, a brand new blog about fashion and style. We hope to bring you the latest trends and fashions with a big helping of individual style that will make you look gorgeous and feel great. Munique is all about being trendy and fashionable, whilst being stylish and individual. We hope that you enjoy reading!


Munique also has it's own range of unique, quality handcrafted fashion and accessories from artisans around the world. These exotic designs communicate rarity and say something about you the wearer. At Munique we say that our unique fashions are a conversation with style which starts “where did you get that”? Because when you wear our products that’s what people will ask.


Necklace "Bali Girl"