THE WORD ON WHAT’S HIP AND WHAT’S HYPE
Star Quality
The man said to have inspired Liz Taylor and Farrah Fawcett to pierce their ears denies he had anything to do with it. But that’s Lee Brevard, as amiable and earthy as his jewelry designs. His earrings in silver or 18-karat gold are worn by Cher, Candice Bergen and Rob Lowe, but they’re priced within reach of mere mortals: starting at $50 for a single lobe jewel. “I want them to be affordable,” he says. He can’t quite say the same for his $910 necklace made of polished gems.
Safe and Same
Back to school usually creates a boon for department stores, but JC Penney has been unusually deluged with requests for $11 navy twill pants. The reason? Students in the La Habra City School District have been asked (but not ordered) to wear uniforms, white shirts and navy skirts or pants, to counteract gangs who bully kids wearing opposing gangs’ colors. The idea, which pleases parents, requires patience. A spokeswoman from the catalogue center in Brea says overload orders are causing delays of a few extra days.
Spotted Fever This fall’s wardrobes demand something from the wild kingdom. Leopard is the latest spot treatment, but you don’t have to restock your whole closet. Escada’s leopard handbag ($730) and loafers ($280) are easy ways “to update a wardrobe with just a few touches of the trend,” says Neiman Marcus’ Billur Wallerich. Environmentalists, fear not. They’re made of dyed cowhide.
Big Time
Aren’t Swatch watches, those trendy Swiss timepieces, supposed to be inexpensive? Then why are some selling for $27,000? Swatches have become de rigueur among collectors, thanks to the company’s ingenious plan of discontinuing styles every six months and enlisting the world’s contemporary artists to design models. Samples of about 400 old styles will be auctioned next weekend at Butterfield’s Gallery in Los Angeles.
