{Guest Post} Meredith Marks Trunk Show

Thanks to The Amazing Multi-Testing Mommy, I got the heads up on a Meredith Marks jewellery trunk show being held at Holt Renfrew, Bay and Bloor Toronto, from May 4th to 13th.

I have to admit, I wasn’t that big a fan of Holt Renfrew, and pretty much avoided stepping even one toe into one of their stores. You see, the first thing people figure out about me (even before they learn my name) is that I’m plus sized, so my usual habit is to stay away from stores that cater to straight-size clothing only (why look at pretty that isn’t gonna fit, right?)

Also? I had a boyfriend who used to work at the Yorkdale location, and he was such a snobby dork. So I had this preconceived notion that all Holt Renfrew employees were high-faluting snobs.

Go me. 🙂

When this picture was taken, I was telling myself to *breathe* ’cause I was about to walk in!

So, I had a bit of a dilemma. After researching MeredithMarks.com to see what would be found at the trunk show (and found a pair a earrings that so need to be in my life… even if my ears aren’t pierced…), I knew I had to lift that ban of completely ignoring Holt Renfrew to go check out these little pieces of beautiful for myself. Its one thing to ogle at a lot of pretty on my computer all day long (I LOVE MY JOB, lol.), but to get the chance to ogle these pieces in person is another kind of thrill.

And I really wanted to meet Meredith in person too, hearing that she would be at Holt Renfrew on Saturday, so I did my best to make it that day. It just wasn’t in the cards unfortunately (I later heard she made a surprise visit on Friday too, which would have been the best day for me to go, but alas, it just wasn’t meant to be this time. *pouts hard*)

Anyways, enough talking. If you’re going to be near the Holt Renfrew on Bay/Bloor in Toronto, I highly suggest you go in to take a looksee at Meredith’s work! It’s just so FAB and in-tune to Spring and Summer fashion this year.

I will admit to being a bit surprised that all of her pieces for this trunk show fit all into one case. And unfortunately Meredith’s work wasn’t getting the same kind of lighting treatment that the "regulars" were. Which I guess just goes to show how key her work is with modern fashion! I should have taken an image of the uber-lighted jewellery case lit up behind me to show you the difference, my bad. But it really speaks to the art of the pieces if they’re highly desirable without spotlights shining down to catch all the diamond glitz (and that’s Marketing 101 for you, baby!)

…You know, I really want to show you the earrings I fell in love with right now, but I think I’ll leave them for the end. And no peeking!! :p

This "Starburst" bangle (Champagne Diamond set in oxidized silver) is gorgeous, but do you see the price tag there? It is so above my pay-grade at the moment and as much as I love that sun, that type of open wire wrap doesn’t really fit around my big wrists. To truly pull this piece into your ensemble, you’ll need dainty wrists. Also a lot of chunky silver in your outfit too: belt, purse, necklace with multiple charms (though you’d want to add some gold and bronze into that mix as well) on a long chain – paired with a baby blue tank and white capri pants and the chunkiest sandals you could find.

Now if you had an exclusive dinner party to go to with that little black dress in your closet, these Courtney earrings (smokey quartz, brown and white diamonds set in 18k yellow gold) would be the earrings to rock your night! Guaranteed that your significant other wouldn’t stop staring admiringly at your neck all night long, mrroaww!

Or if you really loved your wife you would go and pick up these $1,000+ earrings for her for Mother’s Day. Trust me, you would be getting fresh apple pie for life with this one.

This smokey quartz with champagne diamonds set in oxidized silver "Lori" bangle is some serious cuff. This would be FAB-U-LOUS if you were going to one of those All-White parties. It would also look amazing with denim shorts, a hot pink or orange short-sleeved tee, long gold charmed necklace and a leather satchel if you happen to have those laying about.

Here’s a look inside that serious cuff above. Even the inside is beautifully designed, and I’m wondering if the mesh makes it more breathable to wear.

Okay, so finally meet the love of my life. And as it turns out, my love can be bought for about $1300. These "Mary Teardrop" earrings are 18k yellow gold with white diamonds…. *pausing to look at the pretty some more*… sigh Imagine my surprise that even Courteney Cox loves these earrings too! (Her daughter is all kinds of cute, isn’t she??) These earrings are the everyday kind that would go with any outfit I own (or you know, that you own too even.) Last night, I went out on a date with the hubby to watch Avengers, and these would have been awesome to wear while laughing at the Hulk and snacking on popcorn.

I always find that jewellery is better worn when you know a thing or two about the designer and what it was that inspired them to make certain pieces. So I found out that Meredith is from Chicago, who grew up in the fashion industry, and was a model herself for some time; which is an amazing line of work if you have a love for jewellery! Who wouldn’t want to wear top of the line, gold and diamond magic as part of their job description?? Her travels to Asian destinations were a big inspiration of her pieces, and her aim was to create multi-functional modern pieces with a bit of foreign flare. Something that was mentioned often about her earrings is that they could be converted into necklace medallions instead, which is a neat idea. I do have a fondness for jewellery sets, but never liked wearing them all at once, so being able to take one of those earrings and switch into tomorrow’s necklace is really cool. And she’s a mommy of three! 🙂

It also turns out that she attended GIA (Gemological Institute of America) where an uncle of mine teaches, so I’m now wondering if we’re not that far off in the chain of six degrees, lol.

Thank you Multi-Testing Mommy for giving me the heads up on Meredith Marks’ Trunk Show. I had a great time ogling at all the pretty! 😀

And what do I think about Holt Renfrew now?? I found an employee who was completely eager, and extremely nice and helpful. She knew that I wasn’t going to be purchasing any of the items (as much as I wanted too, can we say, "Wish List"?) and still took the time to show me each piece. She even helped me figure out how to get back to the subway, lol. Because of her nature, I might just step into a Holt Renfrew again the next time I need a bling fix.

Go Holt Renfrew. 🙂

Meredith Marks can be found on Facebook and Twitter