I have a vague memory of sporting fad shell jewelry, probably in the 1980s. Hadn't thought of it much since then ... until recently, when I was introduced to a line of Arkansas-made jewelry whose main feature is mussel shells from the Natural State.
Saline River Diamonds (salineriverdiamonds.com) is a line of one-of-a-kind, handmade earrings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets whose main feature is shells gathered from the Saline River in south central Arkansas. Accented by such elements as pearls, onyx, Swarovski crystals and sterling silver, the shells are various colors, from dark to bleached white.
I had the chance to examine several of the company's pieces: a Bling Three Shell Necklace With Chain, $70; Bling Pearl Earrings to match, $30; a Single Shell Pendant on a stainless-steel wire collar, $14; shell earrings to match, $25; and Signature Earrings With Bling & Onyx, $30. The workmanship is delicately understated, but substantial enough that it won't get lost on any "ladies of substance." The most elaborate necklaces are made up entirely of shells.
Zach McClendon of Monticello, the founder and designer of Saline River Diamonds, began the company about three years ago. McClendon is an entrepreneur whose enterprises have included boat building and, currently, manufacturing what he calls the lowest-energy house in America in prefabricated sections.
"I try to give my kids, on their birthdays, something I make, rather than something I buy," McClendon says, adding that his daughter loves the river. He started out trying to make some jewelry from the river's gravel -- "and that didn't work." In the process of gathering the gravel, however, McClendon and Donna Gardner, now the company's vice president for marketing, picked up some mussel shells. McClendon made his daughter a necklace and a pair of earrings with the shells. "And here we are today," he says.
Well, not without a bump in the road.
McClendon ran an ad in his local newspaper, looking to buy pre-gathered shells. The ads drew a visit from an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officer who informed him that he had to have a resident shell taker/seller's license or a resident shell buyer's license in order to use mussel shells for commercial purposes. The cost of a shell buyer's license, which he now holds, is $1,000.
On top of that, of the state's 74 species of mussels, four are endangered and their shells couldn't be used. The allowable mussels have a size minimum.
Prices start as low as $40 for a pendant with a stainless-steel neck ring and go as high as $250 for a signature necklace.
Fashion Forward, a new subcollection for younger wearers, features chains as a prominent background for the mussels. "We created it for maybe someone that doesn't want to spend the money for sterling silver, so [the chains are] silver-filled," Gardner says. (Saline River Diamonds will soon introduce a belt, made up of a long, heavy chain with a large mussel shell as its center point.)
Saline River Diamonds has made its rounds at the Dallas Market Center and is sold at Little Rock's Historic Arkansas Museum as well as a store in Eureka Springs. It's also sold at Seasons, a Monticello floral and gift shop run by Gardner.
McClendon meets quite a few people who are surprised to find that he is in the jewelry business ... not surprisingly.
"I'm not known as a fashion kind of person," he says. "But ... I got interested in it after I made my daughter's first set. And there was a little demand when people saw it. It was just a lot of fun to see all the shapes and colors you can get out of mussel shells. You can process [them] in one color, and you can continue on and get another color. They're beautiful pieces of nature. Sometimes I don't think people appreciate the natural things that God has given us.
"If we were doing this for a living, we'd probably be starving to death," he adds.
Shining comfort
So there's a trend back to high-heel pumps and dress sandals without the platforms that, worn in moderation, have helped make heels more comfortable these last few years.
"The platform has stomped its way out of style," writes Hayden Mander in a Feb. 11 story at Refinery29.com. He quotes a Nordstrom buyer: "Now the market is switching to single sole."
All the more reason to appreciate the ballet flat, which seems to never go out of style.
Aetrex, purveyor of "comfortable yet fashionable footwear," has introduced its first ballet flat with the metallic trend that started in the spring and has continued into fall. I tried the Erica, $99.95 and part of the line's Essence collection, in metallic gold. Sleek and otherwise unadorned, the flats feature a Lynco orthotic footbed and memory foam cushioning. (If your size seems a bit tight, the footbed is removable.) Shoes such as the Erica would be good for holiday looks that involve pairing metallics-bearing sweaters with skinny jeans or a maxi skirt. Look for an Aetrex dealer near you at aetrex.com.
Sartorial eloquence
I recently mentioned the re-emergence of the Eloquii clothing line for plus-size women (Dressing Room, Sept. 14). The line was originally introduced by the retail clothing chain The Limited, was subsequently discontinued, and has now been resurrected by some of its original creators.
I've now had an up-close-and-personal encounter with a couple of Eloquii items, available at Eloquii.com. The Studio Drama Peplum Jacket ($128) is a partially lined, polyester-spandex ponte knit jacket bearing a front zipper enhanced by a two-layer, two-tone front drape. The jacket sports a Mandarin collar when closed. It's form-fitting, flattering, chic and comfortable; its packing wrinkles disappear when worn. It's available in Cabernet, Boysenberry or Black.
There's also the black Wideleg Trouser ($78), double-weave cotton blend pants with a tab-hook closure. The rise may be a tad low for conservative wearers, and the pant only comes in a 33½ inseam (good news for tall women). But the pants are flattering for those who carry their weight below the waist; the fabric is heavy enough to avoid wearing a shaper underneath. A tip: Order these a size smaller.
Goodbye
Monday, the world lost one of its most talented fashion designers of all time ... Oscar de la Renta, whose gowns Clinton Library visitors had the chance to view up close during a May 18-Dec. 1, 2013, exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Center. The creativity, workmanship and regalness that went into his apparel, worn by first ladies, celebrities and royalty, were nothing short of stunning. May there be many more designers who follow de la Renta's lead in purveying timeless elegance and femininity in women's apparel.
Got fashion and beauty news? Contact Helaine R. Williams, Dressing Room, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or email:
hwilliams@arkansasonline.com
High Profile on 10/26/2014