When it comes to style, I'm all about personalizing one's look. And few things are more personal than jewelry—especially when you make it yourself. Take, for instance, my signature charm necklaces. All of the chains and many of the talismans come from L'Art de la Rue by M'hamed Kherroubi, a wonderfully talented Algerian designer who has set up shop on a table in front of the Apple store on Ninth Avenue and 14th Street in the Meatpacking District. M'hamed casts his own pieces and travels the world looking for old medals, coins and vintage charms, which he pairs in artful combinations on handmade, one-of-kind chains (some of which are also festooned with colorful stones and beads). To these I add bits and bobs picked up from my own travels—be it a cameo from Savannah, an elephant from India, a shell from Montauk or a tiny black wing from my friend Shelly Steffee's former shop—for truly individual pendants that remind me of my journeys and the people I love every time I wear them, which is pretty much every day. It's less DIY than DI-VINE. Just ask Emma Watson, who's also a L'Art de la Rue fan. If you can't get to M'hamed's MPD outpost, you can also find his wares at Eye Candy in Chelsea and Byoutique in North Baldwin, NY, or online at Facebook. Tell him The Fashion Informer sent you—and make it your own!
graphic design by K Sarna
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