Mixko! Love them so much! So delicately beautiful yet just enough edge to make you look twice and think a little harder.... So, i'm not sure why, but lately whenever i am about to leave home and hop a flight, i feel like i need to set a giveaway in motion (and pick a winner when i land) ~ interpret it as you will, maybe its the guilt of being away from the sites? But none the less, Nahoko was nice enough to send one Mixko Here Comes The Sun rainbow over for me, and one for you (you = future winner who follows @NOTCOT and sends me a tweet reply sharing what you think should be at the end of a rainbow... it doesn't have to be a pot of gold! What would make your day? i'll pick a winner when i get in to NY off the redeye on Weds the 21st of Oct.) ~ so we can match! I adore this necklace, there's something radiantly happy about it ~ who can't smile when they see a dove pulling a rainbow across your chest ~ especially when you walk away and they notice the final drop of rain hanging from the clasp? Check out the unboxing on the next page ~

And for those who want it spelled out more clearly - for a chance to win: follow @NOTCOT and sends me a tweet reply sharing what you think should be at the end of a rainbow... it doesn't have to be a pot of gold! What would make your day? i'll pick a winner randomly from the tweets when i get in to NY on Weds the 21st of Oct.

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Tags: fashion - giveaway - jewelry

UPDATE: Winner had been notified via email! Waiting to hear back now...

Ok, kids. So here's the deal. I'm in Reims for the weekend with Veuve Clicquot for their harvest (SO excited)... but that also means they have me on a crazy schedule, and the wifi is less than optimal, and luckily Robin and Caroline over at Bittersweets are far too generous and life savers on the timing, so while i go possibly a little extra quiet this weekend/monday/etc... lets do a giveaway of one of my favorite necklaces from the last few years. I love iconic little symbols that remind me of phases/eras of my life ~ and the Silver Cocktail Sword from Bittersweets to me represents everything from the first year of NOTCOT to the launch of Liqurious to just a love of swords (in plastic form! turned silver!) and more... as you can see, some of my other favorites i wore on the flight over (i literally snapped this pic in the bathroom before hopping in the car to get to the airport!), i also have my Alex & Chloe Chill Pill (reminding me not to ever work myself quite as hard as that season again) and Bittersweets Rocketship (just like those i used to doodle in AP Physics as a 15 year old!). But i digress - To win a Bittersweets NY Silver Cocktail Sword Necklace - leave a comment with your favorite symbol/icon/etc and what it means to you ~ and i'll pick a winner when i reach London on Tues! More pics of it on the next page...

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Tags: fashion - giveaway - jewelry

What could be more perfect for a gorgeous saturday post? Mixko first gave us the rain cloudy English Summer Necklace... and freshly launched is the Here Comes The Sun Necklace (are you hearing the beatles in your head already? Or is that just me?)... "7 layers of ribbon rainbow and the last drop of rain on your back. Silver plated findings and chain, czech crystal bead, polyester ribbons, plastic dove object." SO pretty, so simple, and i don't think you can help but smile when you see it... their concepts are always so elegant as well... AND, they even have an etsy store for easier shopping for the americans... see more pics of it on the next page!

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Tags: fashion - gifts - jewelry - shopping

While waiting for a friend for dinner last night i found myself hanging out in A+R ~ which is always dangerous and oh so fun. Well, i started having WAY too much fun playing with the Nervous System bracelets and rings... the there is something so visually and tactilely fascinating about their pieces... in particular i gave in and purchased the Wave Bracelet in white (after trying on everything they had in various sizes, and the rings too!)... honestly the rings weren't nearly as fun as the bracelets, but now i AM intrigued by the rings in the silver...

The whole Cell Cycle Collection is quite mesmerizing! Take a peek at close ups of my bracelet as well as a look at the full collection and the story behind it on the next page!

p.s.
i can't even tell you how badly i want a rapid prototyping machine right about now...

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Tags: fashion - gifts - jewelry - shopping

Rose thorns... i never realized how much they can resemble fangs/sharks teeth... until staring at this gorgeous jewelry collection by Dominic Jones - Who is he? Well the NYT's The Moment sums it up nicely - "Dominic Jones, the 24-year-old London jewelry designer and club kid about town, is a daily must-see with his bright shock of hair, which on any given hour is blue, purple or red. He's also getting attention for his high fashion Goth jewelry line, which is backed by his friend Alice Dellal, the model and "It" girl." Take a peek at my favorites on the next page...

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Tags: fashion - gifts - gold - jewelry - shopping

On NOTCOT favorites, SDCC highlights always including visiting the Rocketworld booth to see what Patrick/Otter X and his crew have been up to. Just as it was really fun to see how many unexpected product offerings were popping up at Dumbrella's booth ~ Rocketworld is also expanding and evolving through collaboration in some great new directions... incredibly cozy floppy plush toys (with velcro hands and skull - and a little belly button!)... super limited edition silver jewelry pieces (only 5 of some of them! i couldn't help myself)... stickers!... 2 series of new toys... mini exact replica T.A.D. Gear backpacks for the IWG... letterpressed cards... and even a peek at a *possible* animated IWG to be! In a time where many companies (esp some of the toy guys it seems) are hurting a bit, and it certainly felt like less new launches this year... the Rocketworld booth was almost all brand new products, and really expanding the line by bringing in friends who are masters at plushes and jewelry. See lots of pics on the next page!

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Tags: gifts - jewelry - kids - letterpress - nature - rocket world - SDCC09 - shopping - toys

Mmmmmm carbon fiber. But have you ever seen it COMPRESSED? into a block... and them formed into a watch body? Sure the Monocle products were fun, but when introduced to Robert of Bell & Ross, and this beautiful BR 01-92 Carbon Fiber watch (available Nov 2009) ~ i was mesmerized. And ironically he claimed that there isn't enough interest from the female demo for carbon fiber (so, no smaller sized carbon fiber beauties for us)!!! Yet Julie of LAist and i couldn't take our eyes (and fingers) off this watch! The details are gorgeous, perhaps even more so in person than in these pictures... but i blame the flowing champagne and my attempt to shoot pictures while carrying on a conversation... It was also cute that amongst the impromptu pitches he gave me, he started showing me pictures of watched and displays on his iphone too... see more images on the next page!

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - jewelry - shopping - watch

Ooooh, pity these weren't available for Valentine's Day ~ they would have been the perfect gift for SO many Artecnica/Tord Boontje lovers! Freshly launching from Artecnica is this beautiful line of charms, aptly named, Charming, designed by Studio Tord Boontje. They are available in 24K gold plated and silver plated finishes, and they are mini wearable versions of those iconic Boontje flora and fauna woodsy motifs ~ my favorites are package 1... and 2... and 3??? So hard to choose! See all the packages on the next page ~ the birds, bunnies, deers, flowers and more are too cute!

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - jewelry - shopping

On unusual jewelry gift "packaging" ~ how beautifully intriguing is new Abandoned Comb Amulet by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons? There are only a limited edition of 30 pieces made!

From their description: "The Abandoned Comb Amulet consists of a hexagonal sugar-glass pyramid filled with Brooklyn rooftop honey. Free floating in the candied bubble is a solid 18k gold honeycomb necklace sculpted by bees. It is protected by a glass dome with a rubber stopper. The usefulness of the Abandoned Comb Amulet is defined by the resulting choice of a Solomonic dilemma. One must either forcefully exhume the honey drenched gold by violently shattering and eating the casing, or find value in the object's current form and care for it as it deteriorates on its own.

Regarding the process: "First, abandoned honeycomb from Brooklyn rooftop hives is gathered. Next, in the ancient 'lost wax' tradition, the honeycomb is burned away and replaced by molten gold. Resulting is a perfect hold replica of the wax comb."

It's a fascinating story/process/concept for what may finally result as simply an 18k honeycomb necklace, but the delicious "unboxing" process really adds a new dimension even more delectable and beautiful to display than most. See more images on the next page!

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Tags: food - gifts - glass - jewelry - shopping

Wow. So i'm sitting here completely mesmerized, conflicted, fascinated, and DYING to pop out ALL the rings. NOW! So far my self control has kicked in and i only popped out the first one for the sake of showing you and photographing it... and sandpapering... and ok ~ so here's the deal ~ basically i'm totally obsessed with By:Amt's latest: Stainless Steel Ring A Day.

It comes with 7 rings and a piece of sandpaper ~ the rings are in these adorable polished stainless steel cards... that you can pop out, or not. That you can disconnect, or not. That you can wear all at once, or not... See? It's overwhelmingly awesome and conflicting and exciting all at once. It really doesn't help that once you pop the first one out and slip it on your finger more ideas start racing, and you can't stop wearing/playing with it. I think this just jumped up onto the perfect gift list... as long as you pick the right size. Think about it ~ for $99 to get 7 rings, or 7 necklaces, or 7 rings AND 7 necklaces.... it could be one amazing gift, or you can even split them up into 7 precious stainless steel rings for your bffs.... or the coolest gift tags on presents? Or if you're a planner, i guess you could really do one ring each day of the week, but who has that much self control? They could even be rings + awesome shiny iconic chrismukkah tree ornaments!

Anyhow, you get the point, Ring A Day = awesome gift with way too many possibilities. Also looks great on as a ring. So check out more pics on the next page, and i think i need to go pop out all the rings now! Will update with a pic in a few...

Oh! And don't forget, if you order this you also get to choose a free diamond ring! See the coupon on the next page...

UPDATE! As promised, i went and popped them all out and sanded and took a few more pics ~ jump to the new pics...

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Tags: fashion - gifts - jewelry - reviews - shopping - steel

Alex & Chloe ~ here's a close up look at their packaging and some of their products... basically, i kid you not when i told you we love the people/stores/brands we're supporting with the coupon book and giveaways! I FINALLY gave in and got the Solitaire Inverted Diamond Ring! And i'm totally smitten with it ~ Alyssa, Linhchi, and I couldn't resist giving in to a few other pieces too! Including my other favorite, Alex's Chill Pill necklace, which is my new reminder of how overworked 2008 has been, and to cut back and focusing more on fun crazy projects (2009 will be awesome!).

So beyond close ups of the items, i also wanted to share their packaging with you!!! We are definitely kindred spirits in our aesthetic choices ~ i swooned when i saw their black on black cards and boxes ~ i love gloss black on matte black... wrapped in black tissue... sealed with a logo sticker... So take a peek at it all on the next page, as well as a look at their freshly launched t-shirt collection!

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Tags: fashion - gifts - jewelry - packaging - review - shopping

Ready for more shopping ideas? Well Best Buy is sponsoring our roundups for the next few weeks ~ you know the drill, our picks, they're just supporting us to make it happen! So here's a roundup of potential gifts we'd love to give or receive as found over at NotCouture! Click the images to find out more!

Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - jewelry - roundup - shopping

While in Paris i stumbled across a new store (new, as in there are 6 currently open around paris, and quite a few others in the process of opening around france), The Kooples. I suppose what struck me first was the black and white interiors, bright white lighting (apparently the designers were adamant about making sure the lighting didn't interfere with the perception of the clothing colors), and the slightly american apparel feel with the candid photography - but with a far more... London rocker meets Saville Row with a Parisian twist? It's hard to describe, you have to go see it ~ but the tailoring of every detail is impeccable, yet these perfect jackets and shirts had fun subtle yet hardcore skulls on metal buttons... and when unfortunately a jacket i loved didn't have my size in the color i wanted, i couldn't help myself and got a really fun necklace (pics on the next page). As for the branding, beyond the black, white, and photography ~ the packaging is nice too, see the bag on the next page! And like Acne, they even have a magazine/newspaper that is just starting off as well...

Their site describes it as: "The Kooples, c'est le retour du chic de rue, un état d'esprit Paris-Londres, une inclinaison musicale, la mode comme manifeste, et un vestiaire pour deux. Depuis cinq minutes ou depuis quinze ans, pour une nuit, pour un certain temps, c'est un mode de vie, un jeu." The Kooples is the return of street chic, a Paris-London mindset, a musical inclination, fashion as a manifest, and a cloakroom for two. For five minutes or the last fifteen years, for one night, for some time, it is a way of life, a game.

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Tags: fashion - gifts - jewelry - paris - shopping - travel

Babies everywhere! Or i'm apparently reaching that age where i have found myself constantly baby shopping for friends suddenly... So is it any surprise that Jill Fehrenbacher, of Inhabitat, in the midst of her pregnancy has launched Inhabitots, the latest addition to the Inhabitat family? Also, the new logo for the calm blue site is an adorable Owl with child! While many of the products there are right up our alley (and have shown up on NOTCOT previously) ~ they are eco-friendly, clean and modern... and my latest discovery on Inhabitots to add to the backup list for new-parent shopping is what is a bit scarily called "Teething Bling" by Smart Mom Jewelry. If you pick the subtler hues, its not a bad necklace/bangle, and the nice thing is, it's completely safe for your child to teeth on, and saves your usual jewelry from the nibble marks. My only worry is... will this help condition your baby to think its ok to chew on jewelry in the long run?

Tags: accessories - baby - fashion - gifts - green - jewelry - kids - shopping

Daphna Simon's Jewelery has a gorgeous, naturally inspired, yet edgy look and feel ~ and i love her use of the wood and her perched leopard, grizzly, and wolf on her rings.

Tags: animals - fashion - gifts - gold - jewelry - nature - shopping

NOTCOT Note: Love these awesome necklaces that Anna from Sub-Studio found!

Bernadette Deddens is a London-based accessories designer who views accessories as props that can add small-scale drama to daily life. Her work is playful and often has multiple narratives, requiring interaction by the user. For instance, a necklace that begins by mimicking a checkered linoleum floor but that can be transformed by the wearer into hundreds of configurations, or a bracelet that is both sculpture and bracelet. Check out her shoe accessories after the jump - it's a great collection of add-ons that dress up the shoes that you already have.

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Tags: accessories - bag - jewelry - shoes - sub-studio

The press release starts off "In these days of soaring gas prices, yelps of cash crunches and real estate depression, the last thing anyone would do is destroy money. Well, anyone but Yoko Devereaux that is. Launching for spring/summer 2008, Old Money, is a collection of coins hand cut into works of art Yoko has attached to aged sterling silver necklaces. As Creative Director, Andy Salzer, explains, "It is about taking something that is so relevant in our society and then destroying it."

Somehow, i think the destruction of pennies, to turn them into 88$... is not exactly the dumbest way to "destroy money" in a recession, but that's just me. Personally, i have always admired some of the more gorgeous designs to appear on money, and this is a beautiful way to isolate those elements... now if only they would make one with that one pound coin that has the dragon on it! See a close up on the next page...

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - jewelry - money - shopping

Cartier is taking on love ~ and was kind enough to surprise me with a DHL package this morning with a little gift in it (more to come on that later) ~ in part announcing their new Love.Cartier site. Today i learned the story of their classic "love" bracelet - the iconic piece with the screw heads along the band - and a screwdriver to lock you in - "In the 1970's, imagination soared to new heights and any folly was possible. Cartier created the ultimate symbol of loving commitment: in the manner of handcuffs, the famous bracelet closes with a tiny screwdriver. Its humorous impudence appealed and was immediately adopted by legendary couples as a cult jewel. Love is a provocative talisman, a rallying cry for modern love, totally free from convention."

In their marketing comeback, they have created a site dedicated to love - manifested in music, art, and film. The music is nice if you're into that romantic mood setting stuff... and the art seemed a bit buggy on their flash site for me... but i was surprised that the films are what really caught my eye, and i actually sat here going through all 12 in order and loved them. The filmography is absolutely breathtaking ~ the black and whites, playful uses of light, gorgeous parisian backdrops... *swoon*... and they go through 12 tiny fragments of love stories tackling: The Declaration, Forgiveness, The Kiss, Infinite Love, Hero of Love, First Love, A Life of Love, A Loving Liaison, Love on Hold, Knowing How..., Seduction, and The Decision. Personally my favorite are First Love, Seduction, and Love on Hold - i'm sure you'll see why - if you have the time i recommend you go through them in order though, renowned director, Olivier Dahan, ends every pieces with a hint of what you see at the start of the next ~ and weaves them all together in such a beautiful way... see a few screenshots on the next page...

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Tags: accessories - cartier - film - jewelry - love - luxury - paris - video

I love Mixko, but any NOTCOT regular would already know that... and i've had a particular fascination for their rings (i indulged in their felt butterfly rings as well as the first porcelain skull ring last year at ICFF)...

This year Mixko has expanded their bone china ring line, and i'm excited to show you their full collection on the next page. I think the most eye catching are the updated Skull for 2008 (deeper eyes, larger forehead, bigger teeth...) as well as the Barbie inspired collection of Barby, Cindie, and Ken heads cast in bone china to be worn as a ring (can you imagine seeing all of them in a row on a fist?). They have also created a LOVE ring and Sovereign Ring, in addition to some 1D multifaceted diamond bone china rings! Check them all out on the next page! They are also incredibly affordable at a mere 20 pounds each (check them out in the store).

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Tags: china - gifts - icff - jewelry - porcelain - shopping

This has been a very strange day, and its only 11am. Yes, usually i'm still snoozing at this hour, but was up at 7am, stats broke one of our servers last night! Sorry about that, urgh, but thank goodness for the guys at wiredtree who take such good care of us.... and then had breakfast with Souris Hong-Porretta ~ the woman is incredibly inspiring, add her to the list of people to be like when "grown up", and hearing about all dot com days reminiscing about things like ChickClick (i never knew Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks was THAT heidi), i can't help but wish i were a tiny bit older to have been more conscious and active in all that was happening in the 90s... i'm rambling again, sorry, low on sleep, high on energy and ideas... and well, it's fun to get some perspective and chat with people as buzzing about the intersection of tech/design/gaming/film/art/music/internet/etc.

Moving along, mail call! Came home to a fun surprise from the boys at Diesel's Fuel For Life Fragrance department in paris... Remember what i thought was a bracelet? Well it turns out i was wrong. And they've proved me wrong by sending one over... its a big hefty shiny gold jean's chain that holds a little vial of Diesel's Fragrance, and it's refillable! Also awesome are the giant playing card like info cards that come with a CD of press pics. Gotta love the packaging. Anyhow, lots of pics below to catch you up.

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Tags: gifts - jewelry - shopping

NOTCOT Note: Here's another article from Anna Corpron of Sub-Studio!

Rahee Yoon is sticking it to the old adage that bigger is better. Rather than going for the largest carat, Rahee has created what she calls "the world's thinnest ring" - out of a single sheet of paper. She designed two books around these rings - one with 25 different ring designs, and the other describing the processes to cut the rings out of the book. The result is conceptual, ephemeral jewelry. See more of her rings after the jump!

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Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - jewelry - paper - shopping - sub-studio

As i sit here in Toronto airport waiting to pop back over to LA ~ i'm sorting through MANY pictures, and how much i *could* post while i wait... first to really grab me ~ the playfully Canadian oriented jewelry of Anneke van Bommel that i encountered at The Souvenir Shop, she manages to simplify national pride down to simple cheeky iconic jewelry pieces... from these various wood/silver antler rings, to stubby beer pins, crossed axes, and more... (see lots of pics below!) The Souvenir Shop is one of the best collections of exclusive limited edition Canada oriented design pieces i ran into, which was unfortunately at the Gladstone Hotel within the Come Up To My Room Exhibition where artists took over rooms on the 2nd floor, and honestly, you didn't miss much, because there were some of the rudest, most obnoxious people manning the door and their store ~ so luckily you can shop the wares online!

Bio from the site: "Anneke van Bommel is an artist and educator living and working in Toronto. She shares a downtown studio with 5 other jewelery artists and teaches at the Ontario College of Art and Design and George Brown College.Her work focuses on contemporary jewelery design, and explores concepts of place, memory and the symbols and icons of Canadiana."

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Tags: canada - gifts - jewelry - shopping

NOTCOT Note: Here's another article from Anna Corpron of Sub-Studio!

I have long been a fan of Paraphernalia - a line of very graphic, acrylic jewelry by Vanda Noronha. I like the monotone of black and white in the collection, and appreciate the humor in the various pieces (an Inquisitive Vulture Brooch, anyone?). They are also super affordable - ranging between $13 and $30. Not at all bad for a very eye catching piece of jewelry!

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Tags: jewelry - sub-studio

Alex + Chloe are popping up a pop up store tomorrow in Chinatown at the New High (M)art and i just noticed their new Black Diamonds collection... particularly the Anneau Solitaire - Diamant Inverse. I have had a bizarre fascination with inverted diamonds ever since Tobias Wong's Ultimate Reverse Setting Ring. Also shown here are the Sphere Noir Diamant Inverse and Sphere Diamant Inverse, which remind me of mini oxidized canon balls... canon balls coming at you with the point of a diamond. Inverted diamonds, an interesting twist on a classic symbol of luxury, and also the ultimate weapon with used with a point? See more images and info on the opening after the jump!

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Tags: accessories - diamonds - gifts - jewelry - shopping

Being a sucker for seemingly useful multipurpose designs... i'm strangely drawn to these leather wrap bracelets from A.P.C.'s spring 08 collection. This "doubled centimitre bracelet" is 100% leather with a small metal buckle and a centimitre scale embossed on the outside and 'A.P.C / WONDERWALL' on the inside. (NotCouture #1372)Now if only they'd do one in inches as well?

Tags: accessories - fashion - gifts - jewelry - shopping