By Terrah BakerWayne Bonnerbell of BonnerBell designs and Lauren Embree of Lauren Embree Jewelry will unveil their fall/holiday collections on Sept. 12 at the Wine Cellar in Fayetteville, which will highlight collaboration and independent work with a variety of classic and original designs, with inspiration varying from The Great Gatsby to Moroccan culture.
Bonnerbell said his fall/holiday collection was specifically about dialing back the bright colors of spring and summer, and adding a bit of elegant detail. For him, it was about taking intimate pieces like lingerie and lace and combining them with office-appropriate fabrics and designs that allow for subtle details with a professional feel.
“I really had a ton of color in the spring, so for fall I really wanted to dial that back and have one or two colors and have everything else be grey and nudes, more subtle colors. And I was really inspired by the idea of wearing what you wear at night during the day,” Bonnerbell said.
For Embree, its always about the fine details as her jewelry is meant to be eye-catching with a sophisticated and fun feel. This year, she created two lines each with varying themes. The first she called Nomad, which highlights bohemian-style pieces with vintage treasures from along the spice trail — places like Tibet, Afghanistan and Morocco.
Her other line is called Savannah Nights and is a nod to a southern-style with a more discerning taste. It is the more formal collection with southern-inspired colors and motifs.
While the two will offer different visions of what fall/holiday fashion will hold, they also came together for a collaboration that found middle ground in 20’s-era fashion. For this line, Embree’s jewelry will be a one-of-a-kind collection available for individual purchase, while the others will be geared more towards wholesale. She said she’s most excited about things like the hand chains that will consist of pearls, crystals and an elegance seen in the Gatsby movies and the early 20’s.
The two were able to take both of their inspirations and make purses and other accessories where Embree added the finishing touches of jewelry to the fabrics and designs that Bonnerbell put together — taking already great pieces to a whole new level.
As easy as it was collaborating on fashion and jewelry, Bonnerbell said that choosing The Wine Cellar — now under new management — as the host site for their fashion unveiling event was also an obvious fit.
“They were really great to pair with us. When I told them the inspiration for the collection it seemed like a natural fit. They kind of already have this speakeasy, jazz-club kind of feel,” Bonnerbell said.
The event will take place on Sept. 12 with both Embree’s and Bonnerbell’s collections being on display and available for custom order. There will be food, drinks, music and video. Anyone interested in attending can join the Facebook event at www.facebook.com/events/227996394016185 or email BonnerBell at Wayne@bonnerbell.com.
