http://www.lbsandbox.com/cms/ en monir@bglobalsourcing.com Copyright 2010 2010-01-18T18:52:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/golden_globes_fashion_recap/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/golden_globes_fashion_recap/#When:18:52:00Z I must admit, I’m a sucker for a red carpet fashion extravaganza. So of course I commandeered our household television from 6-8pm ET to watch last night’s stream of celebs strut their fashionable wares for the Golden Globes. Although an umbrella was the accessory of choice for all, the LA downpour certainly didn’t dampen any of this year’s winning styles. Read More...First off, congrats certainly go to The Good Wife’s Julianna Margulies, both for her well-deserved win, and for her understated panache.  I’d love to introduce her to Lori’s upcoming Johari collection, which features tiger cowry shell and quartz delicately stacked rings and earrings and gorgeous reclaimed wood bangles.  Jewelry-wise, this year’s Globes weren’t big on necklaces, favoring a plethora of layered statement bracelets and glamorous earrings instead.  Except for Julia Roberts, who was stunning in vintage YSL and a bold medallion piece from Van Cleef & Arpels.  Peach and pink were rampant this year, and Emily Blunt wins my award for favorite dress.  A layered pinky-coral tulle and chiffon number from Dolce & Gabbana, it made me think of sandy warm beaches and the soon-to-launch Nautilus collection from Lori Bonn with its shout-out to lush seascapes through blue mave pearl and rainbow moonstone.  Christina Aguilera’s peach and metallic strapless, Elisabetta Canalis’ Grecian goddess, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s coral mermaid all carried on the trend.  And Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks’ ivory skin, red hair, and blue eyes would provide a perfect showcase for any of the collection pieces. Of course what’s a Hollywood red carpet without its fair share of black and white, but favorite in this category definitely goes to Olivia Wilde in metallic beaded Gucci.  Plus this dress, along with several others, will be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going towards relief efforts in Haiti.  “It’s my way of turning all this fashion madness into something positive,” she said.  2010-01-18T18:52:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/young_victoria_inspiring_lori_bonn/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/young_victoria_inspiring_lori_bonn/#When:20:28:00Z The new Young Victoria movie has me waxing nostalgic over my childhood in the UK…and my juvenile fascination with the strange, soap-operatic history of the monarchy. Read more… My love affair began the day I stood on a balcony proudly waving my Union Jack as my father met the Queen.  From there I dove into the tangled lineages, the battles for the throne, the ever-beguiling scandals, and the ornate dress and gorgeous jewels characterized by each era.  And then I found the Sex Pistols, and my attention turned to decidedly more working-class tastes. …. But now that love has been rejuvenated and re-kindled.  With Lori Bonn’s exquisite designs, I can satisfy my inner regal across any era—from the dark filigree, hematite and quartz of Tudor, to the bright elegance of the Windsor collection, and Bonn Bon’s updated Victorian charms.  I love it all… Some people dress up for Lord of the Rings.  I shall drape myself in Lori Bonn and channel my own queen.  2010-01-07T20:28:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/bonn_bons_make_mom_more_charming/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/bonn_bons_make_mom_more_charming/#When:17:47:00Z My mother loves her charm bracelet.  She’s had it for years, and between all the birthday and Christmas gifts, the charm is now completely spilling over.  She loves this piece of jewelry though, the meaning behind each of the little silver trinkets, and it’s rare that her wrist does not sport this treasure trove of memories.  Consequently, I can hear her coming a mile away.  This was great in high school, when I had just enough jingly warning as she was approaching my room.  But now it makes for some very distracting conversations as the air around my gesticulatory mother is punctuated by the bracelet’s not-so-charming shimmy and clamor.  read more… So for Christmas this year, I’m really excited to give her an updated, sophisticated version of a charm bracelet with Lori Bonn’s slider bracelet and charms from the Bonn Bons collection.  There are so many different charms to choose from (over 100) and each of my family was able to select something meaningful from each of them.  My mother collects unique pieces and this will truly be a sentimental, personalized gift that will never go out of style.  Plus, for my eco- and budget-conscious self, it’s feel-good all the way around with Lori Bonn’s “Clear Conscience” initiative and bracelet and charms each under $100.  It’s no wonder they’ve been such hot sellers this season!  I can’t wait to see her face when she opens the gift (and breathe a tiny sigh of relief that only the Christmas bells will be jingling this year) 2009-12-17T17:47:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/holiday_jewelry/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/holiday_jewelry/#When:18:17:00Z As the holidays rapidly approach, the invitations to holiday parties are rolling in.  Like many people, I don’t have a ton of disposable cash with which to buy several new party dresses, so I’m going to stick with a simple LBD and make the accessories the key element.  Read more... WhoWhatWearDaily is one of my favorite fashion resources, and they’ve just released their gorgeous December editorial that perfectly expresses my personal fashion feelings for the holidays.  Now is the time for statement jewelry, and thankfully, Lori Bonn is at your service!  Whether you’re on the hunt (like me) for bold necklaces, drop earrings, cocktail or stack rings, Lori’s got you covered!  Below are a few of my standout favorites to consider from Lori’s Tudor Collection that would absolutely make any holiday ensemble.  2009-12-08T18:17:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/thoughts_on_sustainablity_from_the_road/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/thoughts_on_sustainablity_from_the_road/#When:19:01:00Z I embarked on a cross-country drive last Tuesday. We left Brooklyn at 7am, made it to Indianapolis in one day, then on to Kansas City, Dallas, Austin and now we're in Marfa, Texas in the middle of nowhere Western Texas. Read more...My friend, Victoria, whose cross-country move is the purpose of this trip, rented a Prius for the drive.  So far, and again, we made it to Western Texas, she’s spent $130 on gas and we’re averaging 45 miles to the gallon.  Being almost exclusively a rider of the subway, I’ve never spent any time considering miles to the gallon; my only interest in cars can be attributed to my Minnesota roots and my time spent around the motor heads of my childhood for whom what was beneath the hood was far more interesting than how much gas was being guzzled.  But in catching Victoria’s miles-to-the-gallon fever, I’ve begun to wonder, why wouldn’t you drive a hybrid car?  It’s comfortable, safe and it saves a ton of money, not to mention the fact that it doesn’t wreak havoc on the environment.  Looking at a line of monster trucks lined up outside of our hotel in Indianapolis, I couldn’t help but think about carbon footprints and how senseless most of this over-consumption and waste is.  I mean, I guess if you work on a farm and have to haul trailers and feed and whatever farmers have to haul, I can see the point of driving a Chevy Dually, but let’s face it, most people who drive giant SUV’s aren’t doing any kind of utility work.  Those folks just like the look or the feel or the power or whatever and are not willing to sacrifice their sense of style for the sake of the environment.  Or maybe it’s just easier to go with the flow and drive what your neighbor is driving.  Maybe, like not recycling, people are just lazy.  All of this pondering makes me, once again, stand in awe of Lori Bonn and her commitment to the creating beautiful jewelry that is both environmentally and socially sustainable and, important point, she does all of this without sacrificing style.  When she decided she needed to make this commitment, it wasn’t as if there were a ton of ready-made resources to make this possible, her company had to work hard to make this possible.  It definitely wasn’t the easiest course of action but instead of being lazy about it, Lori worked for it by finding sustainable resources, researching ethical factories, meeting with factory workers and continually challenging herself with designing gorgeous jewelry using “alternative” gemstones.  Lori Bonn’s hope, which is mine as well, is that others utilizing her medium will take advantage of her company’s headway in this area and commit themselves to these practices as well so that real change can take place.  I mean, if it’s possible to make and wear sustainable jewelry without sacrificing style, and Lori is proof that this is possible, why wouldn’t you?  2009-12-07T19:01:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/putting_your_money_where_your_mouth_is/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/putting_your_money_where_your_mouth_is/#When:17:10:01Z I was really excited to meet No Impact Man live and in person the other night.  I’ve been following Colin Beavan, a.k.a. No Impact Man, through his blog for quite a while, and I can’t help but be in awe of how soundly this man puts his money where his mouth is... Read More Colin’s blog followed his experiment to change his lifestyle—and that of his wife and his toddler—to create no net impact on the environment for an entire year.  This meant everything from eating locally grown food and riding bikes everywhere, to foregoing toilet paper and shutting off their apartment electricity.  The blog quickly earned Beavan a book deal, a documentary film and a certain amount of celebrity in “sustainable” circles throughout New York City.  I find it fascinating that Beavan (and Beavan’s wife, Michelle Colin!) made such a thorough and personal commitment to effecting positive changes on the environment, and having met the guy first hand, I can say he seems like a pretty good guy (and I’m happy he got his stolen rickshaw back!).  Lori Bonn’s ClearConscience movement is another effort of putting one’s money where one’s mouth is that I admire.  In thinking about the impact doing what she loves—creating beautiful jewelry—was having on the environment and the community, Lori decided that she needed to take proactive steps to ensure that Lori Bonn Designs was being as socially and environmentally sustainable as possible.  She and her husband, CEO Bill Gallagher, have taken admirable steps towards continually evolving this process, creating a fair trade and sustainable design standard.  Like Colin, they decided that rather than sit around talking about what should be done, how things could be better, they’d go ahead and do something about it themselves.  Their hope is that others in the jewelry industry will follow suit.  Now if you feel like doing something in your own life to positively impact the environment (other than only buying fair trade and sustainable designs from Lori Bonn, of course), check out Colin Beavan’s latest experiment, the No Impact Project where you’ll have an opportunity to take practical steps towards creating a better world.  2009-11-23T17:10:01+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/leaving_a_legacy/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/leaving_a_legacy/#When:20:24:00Z Several months back, CEO of Lori Bonn, Bill Gallagher, explained to me some of the philosophy behind taking an active role in developing the Clear Conscience Jewelry standard.  Read More… While the company humbly describes their efforts as one small company’s small contribution towards having a positive effect on the universe, Bill explained further that it’s vital to both him and Lori that they create some higher purpose for their business (especially in this economic client) than survival.  He sited Chip Conley as an inspiration behind this philosophy, and suggested that having a purpose--say, leaving a legacy that reaches beyond a financial legacy--will help companies transcend their difficulties.  It’s not enough to just create beautiful jewelry and sell it, they want to try to do so by helping, not hurting, the environment and the various communities they rely on for manufacturing.  Now, you’ll have to forgive me for my very pedestrian interpretation of Bill’s well-researched and authentically lived philosophy, but however limited my understanding, I was reminded of these musings while reading some coverage of the New York City ING Marathon that took place yesterday.  I’ll admit I’m always interested in reading which celebrities participated in the marathon and discovering their times (as if I could do any better!), but in recent years, this celebrity participation has increasingly gone beyond ego and into real causes.  The NY Times article that I read sited the actor Edward Norton who ran for Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.  Along with 29 other runners, which also included Maasai warriors and singer Alanis Morissette, Norton raised over $760,000 towards promoting conservation, education and health services within the Maasai community.  Norton ran the marathon in under 4 hours (3:48), satisfying his secondary goal of beating Sarah Palin’s marathon time, and he reported that the experience far surpassed any of his expectations, that he got a “lift” at about mile 20 that carried him through to the end.  Maybe it was his training mantra, “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional,” taken from a book by Haruki Murakami, that helped him through or maybe it was the fact that he was running for a higher purpose.  In an economy where everywhere you look it seems another company is going out of business, Lori Bonn Designs just keeps growing and expanding and it’s got me thinking, maybe Bill and Lori are on to something.  Maybe when they face their “mile 20,” as every company inevitably does in this economic climate, their higher purpose means they won’t suffer but rather, they’ll get a lift.  2009-11-02T20:24:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/lori_bonn_ceo_bill_gallagher_to_speak_at_go_green_expo/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/lori_bonn_ceo_bill_gallagher_to_speak_at_go_green_expo/#When:17:58:00Z Lori Bonn CEO Bill Gallagher has been asked to speak at the Go Green Expo in Minneapolis November 6-8, 2009.  Read More… Bill was asked to speak to the general topic “Sustainable and Fair Trade Design,” and while I don’t yet have the details of his presentation (he’s creating something new specifically for this event), knowing Bill I can pretty much guarantee that it will be funny, entertaining, thought provoking and groovy!  The organizers of the conference tapped into Bill based on his extensive experience developing sustainable design practices within Lori Bonn Design, and his unique ability to speak directly to the consumer.  Additionally, the work both Bill and Lori have done with the development of the Clear Conscience Jewelry Standard puts Bill in a prime position to explain, in terms even the most uninformed consumer can understand, what “fair trade” is, why it’s important and what the trickle down effect is in choosing fair trade and ethical standards in one’s purchases.  It’s a good thing Bill is comfortable speaking in front of a large audience because the Go Green Expo organizers are expecting approximately 5,000 environmentally and socially conscious focused people to attend their conference!  Stay tuned for more details on Bill’s presentation and images from the conference, which is taking place at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  If you happen to be in the Minneapolis area, purchase tickets to attend the conference and you’ll also have an opportunity to see some Lori Bonn jewelry, which will be on display for purchase on Saturday, November 7.  2009-10-28T17:58:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/lori_bonn_shines_in_the_blogosphere/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/lori_bonn_shines_in_the_blogosphere/#When:21:03:00Z One of my favorite Lori Bonn pieces, the Sol Cushion Cocktail ring, was sited as an example of a perfect "cocktail ring" in Rachel Zoe's "Top Ten Wardrobe Must Haves" in one of my fav fashion blogs, Pumpsicle. Everywhere we look Lori Bonn is blowing up the blogosphere! Read more...After spying Lori Bonn in Pumpsicle, a little further investigation brought up tons of Lori Bonn Designs in user driven fashion blogs Polyvore and ShopStyle.com.  For those of you who don’t know about these amazing sites (and I’ll admit, I just discovered them myself), it’s a really fun dream shopping experience.  Basically, users set up accounts and then comb through the web to find pieces they love and put outfits together.  Others can follow and fan the various ensembles and each click of a picture brings users to a “where to buy” for the various pieces.  A quick keyword search for Lori Bonn reveals tons of amazing ways that people put this fabulous jewelry together with today’s hottest looks!  So go ahead, register for a user name on Polyvore and ShopStyle.com and give us your handle so we can follow each other! 2009-10-19T21:03:00+00:00 http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/goodbye_bali/ http://www.loribonn.com/cms/blog/goodbye_bali/#When:15:07:00Z The Lori Bonn family is en route back to the Bay Area after a successful trip in Bali...Cultural explorations, wild animals, lots of great food, hanging with the Bali factory "family" (which feels like a family), sourcing new products, sourcing new manufacturing techniques, exploring the capabilities of recycled silver, training on photography, and just general design inspiration and a good time pretty much summed up the adventures of the Lori Bonn family and their trip to Bali. Back home we all had a bit of a scare when we heard the news of earthquakes and a tsunami in Indonesia, but thankfully the Lori Bonn family was far from the destruction. I for one am excited to see what new collections come from this latest trip and will be happy to see everyone stateside. 2009-10-06T15:07:00+00:00