Autumn Fashion with Pearls for AW 2012

Looking ahead to what we will be seeing this later this year, pearls feature prominently in a number of the new Autumn fashion collections for Autumn-Winter 2012-13 (AW 2012).

Playing with the usual perception of pearls as purely classic gems, a number of this Autumn's collections came with a jewellery twist, most notably from leading New York-based designers Oscar de la Renta and Tory Burch. Rather than elegantly adorning the necklines and arms of the models on the catwalk, their designs were decorated and embellished with faux pearls and other gems.

Tory Burch revealed her AW 2012 ready-to-wear collection during February's New York Fashion Week. Evocative of a well-to-do girl who is “under the spell of the wrong kind of guy”, the collection is classical but a naughty sense of fun.

The designs are tailored and feminine with warming winter colours of beige, burgundy, blue and gold. The autumn fashion textures are beautifully varied with wool, tweed, lace, organza and leather. Pearls are prettily sewn onto the sleeves of a beige sweater or to outline the seams of a two piece jacket. Collars of wool and mesh are decorated with grosgrain ribbon and clusters of pearls.

Oscar de la Renta also approaches jewellery in a more unconventional manner. The new collection is lavished with ornamental jewels dangling from belts, buttons, ties, and shoes, and even being printed on fabric.

There is an abundance of pearls throughout, with round spherical pearls, dropped shaped pearls and mabe pearls featured on chandelier earrings, hairpins and brooches. These match beautifully with the colours of the collection, which are black, dark navy blues, pale pinks and light blues. The overall style is luxurious, even opulent.

The appeal of reworking the typical image of the pearl into these modern ready-to-wear collections is immediately successful and fits with some of the key autumn fashion trends.

With our own new jewellery collections underway, we can't wait to show you these designs later in the year.