Jewelry We Love: MICHE MOZAIX

Miche Mozaix consists of the creative mother/daughter team of Deborah and Lauren Asberry, self-taught jewelers who devised a way of securing bits of clay together using grout as their adhesive!

They use fresh clay, custom glazes and grouts to create a unique style of mosaic jewelry and art pieces you won't find anywhere else. Due to the process they use to create the pieces, most of Miche Mozaix's jewelry is reversible and versatile.

Their style is very different from 'traditional' mosaics and the tiles are NEVER broken. The jewelry line was introduced late in 2009 and has continued to evolve as Deborah and Lauren add additional styles and finishes to the line.

One of Deborah and Lauren's core beliefs is that it is vital to give back whenever possible and make opportunities for the jewelry to benefit others. Lauren designed both the 'Autism Awareness Puzzle Piece' Necklace and the 'Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon' Necklace so that a portion of their sales can benefit their respective causes. For National Heart Health Month, they introduced a piece called 'Heartbeat'. It consists of two tiles with the grout in place of the heartbeat line.

The most sought after pieces include the 'Peace Sign' jewelry line, which is available in a variety of colors and finishes and on everything from sterling silver ear wires to macrame chokers for men. They also create bookmarks, key chains and even bobby pins so giving MICHE MOZAIX as a gift is always in style!

Hip Chick Zine spoke to the ladies behind the jewelry line.

HCZ: What inspires you?
We're both inspired by the tropical breezes and colors of places like the Caribbean Islands. We'll be traveling there in early March to soak up some sun and inspiration and hopefully share some of our jewelry designs down there!

HCZ: What's your favorite travel destination?
Dominican Republic is a favorite destination, but also places like Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico are so colorful and lively like the feeling we try to translate into our jewelry. It's a stark departure from the frigid cold we experience here in Cleveland, Ohio!

Check out and support their jewelry revolution by clicking here. Their store can also be found here.

Contest Winner: Getting Back In The Saddle

By Vivianna Jones

Two weeks after I filed for divorce, on one of those magical October nights with a harvest moon and a surprisingly warm breeze, I found myself naked, on top of a gorgeous man two-thirds my age, in a small orange tent, beside a dying bonfire, with perhaps a few too many beers in my belly.

To call it a date would be an outright lie. There was no phone call, no assigned meeting time and place, no primping or prepping in front of the mirror considering whether or not my butt looked fat. No, indeed, it was my first-ever, and probably last, one-night stand. Err… correction… five-hour stand.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for cowboy hats, overalls, big muscles and curly brown hair, and Ben was four for four. So after sharing some campfire stories, and making sure I knew his last name, into the tent we went for some Whoopie Ki-yi-yay!

Please, before you slap a scarlet letter on my chest (I was still married,) or label me a whore, spare me just this once? After seventeen years of monogamy, the last three of which were a true test of endurance, and knowing that my husband was seeing another woman, I needed this. It was the final nail on the coffin that contained my marriage. It was a freedom ride on my journey towards liberation. It was puddin’ proof that the girl still got it!

Thankfully, the taste of hot young flesh didn’t turn me into a middle-aged vamp. Nor did I become a stalker of the sexy stranger. Instead, the memory of that one night helped me through the next seven or eight months. I was able to go about the painful business of dissolving my marriage, knowing that when I was ready, after I properly grieved, I could get back on the horse and ride again.

I blush to think of that naughty night many moons ago, but I’m saddled with no regrets. Tonight, beneath my rosy cheeks is a wide grin – probably reminiscent of the smile I was able to conjure up occasionally despite my general sadness at that time of my life. It’s not the toothy smile that immediately precedes laughter, or the one that comes to your face when you open a door and see someone you love. It’s a lips-together grin that reminds you that things were once okay, and will be again.

“Hi-yo, Silver. Away!”


~~~~~~~~~
Vivianna Jones is a still-single mother of two, whose hobbies include writing and, as of recently, horseback riding. ;) She’s currently busy praying that her 13-year-old daughter doesn’t stumble across this article. “Purely fiction, Darling!”

* Vivianna won the copy of the book "Getting Naked Again: Dating, Romance, Sex, and Love When You've Been Divorced, Widowed, Dumped or Distracted" by Judith Sills, Ph.D.

FASHION PROMOTION WITH LULUS.COM

Check out Lulus.com and pick out a new Spring outfit to celebrate the warmer temperatures! Save 15% off your orders with coupon code HIPCHICK! It is case sensitive, valid for customers in the US and Canada, and is a one use per customer coupon. The coupon is for 15% off the total purchase and is a site wide discount. Valid from March 1st through 4th 2011 (our FB readers heard about it first- be sure to 'like' us!). Check out Lulus.com and get shopping!

SPECIAL FASHION PROMOTION JUST FOR YOU!

We'll be featuring a special promotion with additional savings just for HCZ readers at the awesome LA-based sample sale site http://www.365hangers.com THROUGH FEBRUARY 28TH! Designer styles are ALWAYS 70% off, but HCZ readers can take an EXTRA 10% off already reduced prices with THE CODE "365hcz."

Fashion without boundaries: that’s the objective behind sample sale site 365hangers. Since its debut in the summer of 2009, 365Hangers has continued to deliver fashion’s most coveted designers ranging from Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Elie Tahari, and many more, at unprecedented 70% off retail value, every day, 365 days a year.

Unlike other sites, 365Hangers showcases models of all shapes and sizes, ranging from pear to hourglass, helping shoppers discover what outfits compliment their shape the best. After all, designers make clothing for all women, despite what’s seen on the runway.

** No minimum purchase required. Cannot be combined with other promotional codes. Enter the code in the "promotional code" box. Valid from Feb. 7-28th, 2011.

Fashion Feature: THE ART OF COUTURE

By Ela Hawes
Contributing Fashion Writer


This week’s Paris couture shows express a fine elegance and day one opens its gates to the realms of Dior's embroidered red silk and black degrade, white silk, tulle jackets with a meld of wool and " tromp l'oeil " dresses. Feather whites, black and red all resembling the art of Russia and the illustration influences from Rene Gruau, the hispanic designer once more managed to put himself forward with the explosive ideas of culture and linguistics of design. Brush strokes and iridescent embroideries distilling the virtuoso chiaroscuro effect of chalk shading, the contemporary approach of John Galliano causes the impact of the first day. The eclectic hair and make-up, pastel-colored soft eye shadow and bright red lipstick unify with the Stephen Jones hat designs.

The investments in the future of fate, the surpassing realms of a visionary and the dignified futuristic street style, Armani mused with the idea of amalgamating leather, chiffon and silk with a color palette of parliament blue, neon red, neon green, feather white with a liquid mercury mirror effect. An African feel in the abstract cuts, the geometric forms and the innovative touch of architectural designs radiate to a higher state of craft and beauty. The gem stone influences on organza, the metal threaded silk and hard molded sci-fi looks have been styled with cartwheel hats and fencing mask studded with crystals. Perhaps an architect would ponder on the luxurious ideas on the future of power dressing with Armani Prive.

The royal romance of Chanel, and the paradise of the front row celebrities such as Kirsten Dunst, Janelle Monae, Vanessa Paradis, Karen Elson, Gaspard Ulliel and Diane Kruger. The obsolete approach of Lagerfeld can be seen through the commune usage of his rough-edged tweeds, will weaved, layered chiffon dresses, see through unitards and frilled petite coats. The mirror perception of a feminine look is accompanied with influences of the futuristic patterns from Shanghai, the color palette varies from a mix of floral patterns to pink and grays with much influence from the artist Marie Laurencin. The styling sparks through as Stella Tennat and Freja walk down the runway with Lagerfeld's creations.

Givenchy is renowned for dressing the likes of Grace Kelly in the history of fashion. This time Ricardo Tiscy has gone wild with his dreams of hailing her with the Japanese toys and robots and influences from the dancer Kazuo Ohno. The not explicit cuts with bird wings stitched onto the hem of the organza, the layers of chiffon compels the work of art with the giant warrior hats. As the looks were presented on hangers at the place Vendome, the feathered tulles burst with Tisci's craftwork of neon colored bodice and crusted Swarovski crystals.

A promising name for the world of fashion, the 31-year-old designer whose work has been seized by Dior, known for his elaborate work both in women’s wear and menswear, Alexis Mabille originated the theme from its actual location of runway, Musee Bourdelle's Antoine Bourdelle. The clientele list varied from Carla Bruni, Keira Knightley, Dita Von Teese and Rihanna. Mabille has created the elegance of the classic cuts with overskirts, which transforms to capes, duchess satin, lace, floral patterns, hand-painted colors and asymmetric one-shouldered gowns. A detailed styling with dangle earrings and clear make-up adds to its high quality presentation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ela Hawes is a freelance fashion journalist and an artist based in London. She has been working for broadcast TV channels and newspapers since the age of 17 as a journalist and a fixer. After working on the fashion desk of an international economy newspaper for a while, she branched out to the fashion and art industry.

Ela admires the thin line of well-tailored, creative outbursts of design and fabric. What inspires her most is the unity of intelligence and style blending itself to our everyday wardrobe. She especially loves diamonds.

PHOTOS OF PARIS by Joanna Tanger.

HCZ's Calendar: Singles Meetup in Cleveland, Ohio

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
06:00pm - 08:00pm
MOCA-nection
Singles MEETUP
Free for and open to the public

Single Blank Wall Seeks Exceptional Artwork for Discussion and Laughter... Looking for other singles interested in Cleveland’s creative scene? Come to MOCA on February 9 for cocktails, music, great appetizers, and conversation starters with other area singles seeking new connections. Enter for a chance to win discounts to hot area restaurants and keep the conversations going on that evening.

With support from It’s Just Lunch.

For more info, click here.

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