Sneak Peek: J.Crew's Crystal Box Necklaces

A big "thanks!" to Arely who shared the following post over at Mrs. O (click here to view original post). To view any of the images larger, just click on its image.

A Girl's Dream: J.Crew + Fenton / Fallon
By Mrs. O
December 22, 2009

When the first lady appeared on the December cover of Glamour magazine, wearing a red Jason Wu dress and a statement necklace adorned with jewels and bows, we were all intrigued by the same question: who made that gorgeous necklace? The answer proved to be designer Dana Lorenz for her line Fenton. The designer was as delighted to see her necklace on the first lady as we were, unaware that it had made its way into Mrs. O's jewelry collection.

Behind the scenes, Jenna Lyons of J.Crew and Dana Lorenz had met at a dinner party a few months before. A great fan of the Fenton and Fallon lines, Jenna Lyons made plans to meet at Dana Lorenz's new store in downtown Manhattan’s Freeman Alley to discuss a possible collaboration. As they looked through the Fenton and Fallon look books, there was a necklace that caught Jenna Lyon's eye. J.Crew made plans to produce the necklace with slight modifications. It was a fortuitous, though unexpected, twist, when just three days after plans for the collaboration were set, the first lady wore the same Fenton necklace on the cover of Glamour. Though on track to release the necklace for Spring 2010, J.Crew decided to push production forward after seeing the response that the necklace received (in part, by comments from many of you!).

The Carrington crystal bow necklace, designed by J.Crew in collaboration with Fenton / Fallon, features crystals and glass stones, silk ribbons dyed by hand (available in ivory or grey/green), and unplated chains. "There is a certain handwriting that J.Crew has, and Dana's pieces have a bit more edge," Jenna Lyons said. "Mixed with J.Crew clothes, there is a nice contrast." I asked Jenna how she might style the piece. "This is a statement necklace - no question," she replied. She recommends pairing the necklace with a classic jewel neck t-shirt, black blazer and jeans, or even a chambray shirt buttoned up to the top.

These pieces are the first look at what will be a continuing collaboration between J.Crew and Fenton / Fallon. The next pieces, set to debut in April, May and June, will feature the chains, studs and rock crystals that Dana Lorenz's work has become known for. Jenna Lyons said the gals at J.Crew are "madly obsessed" with the pieces. If these first necklaces are any indication, we will be too.

The Carrington crystal bow necklaces are available at J.Crew stores for $295. They'll be available online at JCrew.com beginning December 30. We'll follow up with a post when they are!

As usual, the necklaces are presented in such a way that they look absolutely stunning. However, I am curious about how they will actually appear in-person (in particular, on me). ;) Would they lay as nicely? Would the bows get in the way? Are the chains too much? Is it too big?

Lastly, you got to love how Jenna thinks this necklace should work with a jewel neck t-shirt, blazer, & jeans. The outfit Jenna described seems like her "go-to" now (which isn't a bad look). I actually think how First Lady Michelle Obama is dressed for the magazine cover works best— a simple, but elegant, solid-color dress paired with this necklace.

What are your thoughts on the Carrington Crystal Bow Necklaces? Do you like or dislike the style? Do you think the price point ($295) is a fair value or a bit pricey? :)