Exclusive - Kelly Bensimon from 'The Real Housewives of New York City' Dishes on Her New Jewelry Line
Filed under: News
This real housewife has a real jewelry line. Are you buying? Photo: Theo Wargo, Getty Images
Now the model/designer/reality star is moving beyond the negativity and onto a new collection, dubbed "Kelly," which she designed alongside jewelry giant Pascal Mouawad.
StyleList snagged an exclusive interview with Bensimon on her new venture.
StyleList: What was the inspiration behind your Kelly line?
Kelly Killoren Bensimon: I was sitting at the Anna Sui fashion show and I was looking at all of her Native American-inspired clothing and I thought, I love that look. But the bad thing about Pocahontas is that she's, like, in the kayaks.
So I took her out of the kayak and into the disco so she could have a little fun. The core of the line is Navajo and American Indian inspired, with big cuffs and bangles. There are also earrings and medallions, because I love the idea of layering medallions. It's all base metal and Swarovski crystals.
Kelly describes the look as Pocahontas hits the disco. Photos: Kelly Bensimon
SL: And we see a lot of serpent pieces. What's that all about?
KKB: I love the idea of the snake because it's mysterious and also alluring. I wanted to do something that was unusual, but classic. So when you look at it it's beautiful, but you look closer and it's a snake.
StyleList: Were you conscious of making the prices accessible?
KKB: After being the editor of ELLE Accessories I saw that there was a huge void in the market. I wanted teenagers to be able to go and buy a pair of bangles at a good price. You don't have to be rich to look good. You can buy a $30 pair of earrings and it can change the way you feel. And that's awesome.
Beautiful and dangerous -- we're willing to take the risk! Photos: Kelly Bensimon
KKB: People don't think you can mix gold and silver, but I love to mix it up with one arm full of gold bangles and the other silver. You can really do whatever you want as long as you're confident.
Bensimon's line "Kelly" ranges from $32 - $336, just hit Intermix boutiques and IntermixOnline.com.
Soho Accessories 8-11-2009 @ 7:57PM
I wish her well...as well as Bethany seems to be doing..Good for them!
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Dr. DMS 8-14-2009 @ 3:04PM
Naturally KKB has woven a snake into her jewelry design. That way it's both a portrait of the artist and a representation of her character- as that of a glittering sociopath. Even if you have a natural and perfectly reasonable aversion to snakes, it's possible that you might not initially recognize that her pieces are snakes. DR. DMS
PS. I find her distinction of "Navajo and American Indian" to be confusing since Navajos are American Indians (Indigenous Peoples).
She also says she got the idea at someone's fashion show, so it sounds as if, once again, a claim could be made for having appropriated someone else's ideas as her own.
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really??? 10-06-2009 @ 2:05AM
pocahontas was in a kayak? REALLY?
C A N O E...
but hell, its your story, tell it however you like...so it was terrible she was in a kayak, because her 90 year old husbands car broke down?
Michelle 8-16-2009 @ 8:49AM
I am sure all she did was look in the mirror to get the idea for jewelry designs of a snake!
To quote her, her own self description: "So when you look at it it's beautiful, but you look closer and it's a snake."
As far as the snake jewelry it self, most women HATE snakes, so good luck with that, Kelly!
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Manhattan, 8-18-2009 @ 6:17PM
I think this jewelry is not very attractive and quite ugly. similiar to the person who represents it.
I wouldn't pay $7 for the pieces.
Maybe if the designer were more honest, it would show in her work. She seems to make stuff up a lot. I wonder why ? ? ?
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