A Designer Take on This Fall's Plaid Fever

As I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 will showcase a spectacular influx of traditional plaid fabrics in designer collections.  These lend themselves well to being worn a variety of ways whether punk or subdued casual is your style.  WWD released its report It's a Plaid, Plaid, World back in March to give us an early heads up that we would be seeing plaid in everything from blanket coats (love them) to mini skirts and "everywhere in between," in both menswear and women's wear.  Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, and Chanel have all included plaid pieces in their upcoming collections.  Knowing that patterns are a major piece of a season's trend, sometimes presents a major challenge to accessories designers, who sometimes feel most free with monochromatic palettes.  Some try to incorporate prints into accessories with a less than desirable result. 

This is certainly not the case for California based designer Andrea Gutierrez, whose artisan cuffs are meticulously hand sewn and assembled from select recycled materials in her Santa Monica studio.  The pictured cuff is a newly released piece in the Warrior Couture collection.  It so eloquently bridges the gap between art, fashion, and this year's plaid trend.  I know women concered with everyday wear as well as those in the world of high fashion will feel empowered (true to warrior form) when wearing this piece which is adorned with antique crystals, carnelian, bamboo, citrine, and smoky quartz.  Can you imagine how much time went into creating this piece?  You can find these cuffs as well as Andrea interacting with fans on the Andrea Gutierrez fan page.

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