One to Watch: Ankh

There's nothing I love more than a good chain. Deliciously tacky to the point of being cool (well, in my mind, at least), the chain is my go-to embellishment to add chutzpah to any boring outfit. Chain handle bags, chain necklaces, bracelets - short of chain belts, I have and proudly wear just about every chain-derived accessory possible. Usually more than one at a time.

Which is why I was so excited to meet the lovely Racquel Honore at a shopping event back in December. She's the designer behind Ankh, an LA jewelry line that is based around - you guessed it, chains. But unlike the chunky variety you might be thinking of, she works only with the most delicate kinds, draping them and layering them and dipping them in fun paint colors to form necklaces, chopping them up and dangling pieces icicle-style from hoops to form earrings. They definitely have a club kid feel, but in the best possible way - all you need is one of her pieces to dress up a big white tee, blazer and jeans. She's also totally happy to make bespoke pieces in whatever color or style you want.

The only thing I love more than a chain is a great piece of abstract expressionist art, and lucky for me, Ankh has that covered too. The limited-edition 'Pollock' collection is made of pieces from a vintage Jackson Pollock puzzle from the 1950s - named the world's most difficult puzzle at the time by puzzle experts. Pieces of the puzzle have been made into charm bracelets and necklaces and earrings, in some cases wrapped in wire - am not sure why the wire, but it definitely does more good than harm.

www.umbrellanoir.com

One to Watch: Dorothy Lee

LA fashion is often deemed "wearable," which is basically a nice way of saying boring. True, t-shirt dresses and $300 jeans are hardly the stuff of six-page Vogue spreads, but most of us will agree there's something to be said for simple, yet flattering pieces that don't require a lot of effort. I, for one, can't say I miss the rigors of London's competitive dressing, where artful layers and ironic accessorizing are as essential to an ensemble as underwear (well, it's essential outside of Hollywood, anyway).

That said, Dorothy Lee's eponymous label is wearable in the best possible way. Yes, the Angeleno's Spring collection involves a lot of jersey tank dresses in neutral colors - but the jersey she uses is so soft, so luxuriously light that it looks like it was hand-woven by cherubs. Yes, she appears to have a penchant for camp shorts, but by cutting a six-inch horizontal slit where cuffs should be, she lends them a sinister, subversive sexiness, making them look as though they were carelessly torn in some sort of illicit tryst. And yes, the line's tops and jackets are mostly of the loose-fitting babydoll variety, but they incorporate the most subtle of draping and pleating and ruffling, propelling them just far enough over the line between classic and interesting. Is little wonder, really, considering Lee's background - anyone who's descended from an architect and interior designer, trained at Central Saint Martins and Parsons, and an alum of Peter Som and Chanel is bound to know how to make less look like so much more.

If the girl who's a fan of this deliciously wearable line is boring - well, I guess I'm Lauren Conrad.

All images from Dorothy Lee's Spring 2008 Lookbook. Collection available at www.revolveclothing.com

One to Watch: Marquis & Camus

My personal philosophy on jewelry is that there's no point in wearing it if it doesn't make a statement. I think I got this from my grandmother, who had a massive collection of costume jewelry - heavy beaded clip-on earrings that would have looked at home on member a remote African tribe; bright pink marbled reading glasses; and as many chunky gold bangles as her wrists could possibly bear.

So perhaps because of this, I am always attracted to jewelry that starts conversations, makes people ask questions - and why I've become a little obsessed with Marquis & Camus, the new collection from New York based jewelry label Potion, Inc. Each piece in the collection is made from bits and pieces of antique jewelry and found objects - everything from keys to pocket watch gears to chandelier crystals.

True, you can walk into just about any Urban Outfitters and find 'vintage inspired' jewelry, but there's something that's so much more authentic about these pieces. Each one has a story behind it, like the earrings above, which look as though they were made from a man's watch strap - you can actually picture a strapping New York banker wearing this to work every day decades ago. And the fact that each piece is limited-edition by nature (as designer Sarah Kang actually picks each object by hand from flea markets and estate sales) means you won't spot another girl at your knitting circle wearing the same thing.

Not surprisingly, Kang cites history as the inspiration for the collection - "our granmothers' necklaces and embroideries, our grandfathers' suspenders" being just a few elements. Even though my grandmother's necklaces were often made from plastic and I'm pretty sure she never touched an embroidery needle in her life, I have a feeling she would have liked these pieces too - simply because they're sure to make people stop and stare.

http://www.marquiscamus.com/

Quest for the Ideal Handbag: Junior Drake

Everybody's got irrationally high standards about something. For some, it's food; for others, it's men; for me, it's bags. I've been looking for a new bag for over a year now, to no avail - I have no interest in paying thousands of dollars for something hundreds of other women will have (or will have a fake copy of), but still want something with a bit of luxury - in the material, detailing, etc.

So I've decided to begin chronicling my quest here, in hopes that I might be able to offer some suggestions to other picky bag buyers - and also, hopefully, some of you might be able to tip me off to a few good brands as well.

First up is Junior Drake. It's an LA-based brand inspired by the legendary actress Patsy Brown, who used Junior Drake as her stage name. Drake's most famous quote,"It's not the dress, it's the girl," serves as the basis for the brand's ethos - one of individuality, spirit and class.

The main thing that attracts me to the bags is their attention to small details. Things like braiding and pleating give them a luxurious element, and their range of non-traditional colors - like apple-red and burnished pewter - make them perfect for those who want to stand out from a sea of black and brown totes. My favorite is the Andie, pictured above. It's big enough to fit a few large-format style magazines - massively important for me - but at only $448, it doesn't have a price tag to match.

www.juniordrake.com

One to Watch: Rami Kashou

The L.A. Fashion Awards are nearly upon us again - on Friday October 26th, to be exact - and along with the usual suspects, there's a name on the nominee list I really think is worth watching.

That name is Rami Kashou, a Palestine-born designer and Project Runway alum who has worked on both sides of the fashion business - first studying design at Brooks College, then working as a retail buyer and merchandiser, then moving back into design.

Because of this bredth of experience, Kashou has the unique perspective of knowing what women want to buy - and also how to create those things with technical elan. What's remarkable is the fact that he's largely self taught - he didn't finish his degree at Brooks - given the intricacy and detail of his pieces.

Take his Spring / Summer 07 collection, for example - full of razor-sharp pleating, complicated corsetry and skirts with the perfect pitch of volume, it's full of the technical wizardry that would be expected from a St. Martins-trained designer. My favourite pieces in the collection are his tailored flutter-sleeved blouses - it's no secret to most that I'm having a sleeves moment this season, and these capture the mood perfectly without seeming too fussy or fairy-princess.

Rami Kashou - available at www.letrainbleu.com

one to watch: reiss

i've never been a huge fan of reiss - have always thought it a bit dull, a bit corporate, a bit unadventurous - and i don't think i'm alone. however, i am really impressed with their spring '07 collection, which arrived in stores this week, so much so that i actually wanted to buy almost everything i saw.

thin heather grey cotton jersey dresses with interesting pleating around the necklines...jewel-toned silk pencil skirts with big buttons up the front...oversized cardis with massive, graphic buttons styled over beaded flapper dresses...everything completely on-trend for the upcoming season, with the potential to be a staple piece of my spring wardrobe. am definitely going to be making a trip back there once pay day rolls around...

one to watch: alice ritter

already the darling of new york's fashion elite, alice ritter has recently been caught on my radar - and i'm loving what i've seen. the french-born designer has been showing her sweetly romantic collections in new york for the past three seasons - all of which have evoked a nostalgic sense of casual, off-duty glamour that is ever so old hollywood.

my favourite pieces are ritter's signature bubble shorts - even though they tick multiple trend boxes for next season (high waist; micro length; volume), they are still faintly reminiscent of a simpler, bygone era, like something one would wear to pick blueberries along with a headscarf of some persuasion.

according to the designer's official website, her collections aren't yet available in the UK - so big smokers will need to hop across to collette if they want to score something from ritter's new season collection.

*image thanks to New York Magazine*