by Erika Dykstra
When it comes to jewelry, Bonnie Basham follows the mantra "Go big, or go home."
Basham designed her first pair of earrings before the age of 10: Ritz crackers painted blue and fastened with paper clips. Her freshman year of college, she stumbled upon a bead store and strung her first necklace. And by her mid-20s, Basham's earthy designs were retailing in trendy boutiques and garnishing celebrity limbs belonging to Drew Barrymore, Ashley Olsen and Jessica Simpson.
"If you're going to wear jewelry, make a statement," Basham expounds. And her striking-yet-earthy designs do just that. Chunky bracelets, shoulder-grazing earrings and bold necklaces, accentuated with natural materials like wood, bone and a medley of colorful stones, are the cornerstones of her line.
Born and raised in west Texas, and now a Dallasite, Basham credits the Lone Star State, her mother, father and traveling as principal design influences. "My mom had lived in Borneo and always had some crazy, ethnic jewelry." Her father? A longtime painter favoring water colors. And through worldwide travels Basham discovered many of the rich, vivid stones and exotic woods characteristic of her designs.
Inspiring her fresh fall collection are Native American qualities like feathers (not real, but carved from various stones) and beaded armbands. You'll also find several new renditions of her signature horn necklace. Perhaps these horns look familiar? Nicole Richie put the stunning, arched-shaped stones on the map when photos of her donning the five-horn necklace - made with agate stones - graced the fashion pages of the celeb rag mags.
As for Basham's personal style, she describes it as eclectic: "Bohemian chic and turquoise are in style now, but they've always been my style. It's a way of life in the South." In her closet: jeans, vintage dresses and a hodgepodge of hats. Her hobbies? Gardening, sketching, and live music (she's a Snoop fan!). But her passion? Jewelry.
Use bold pieces from Bonnie Basham as a focal point. Pair a five-strand necklace made from deep cobalt stones with your favorite pair of jeans and a white tank. Match a simple black tunic with a pair of dangly gold and coral earrings. Or compliment a fitted, chocolate T-shirt with a single ivory horn dangling from a long gold vermeil chain.
Getting noticed - in a really good way - has never felt so natural.
www.bonniebasham.com |
