There are some people who have changed the face of fashion blogging, some by their wit, some by their inspiration, and some by their support… Wendy is one that has done all three. She first started WBJewelry in July of 2007, shortly before a visit to San Francisco, where I first met her on a dinner date. Since then, she’s been omnipresent on the blogging scene, commenting on more blogs than I can count, writing the ever hilarious post enlightening me to the likes of Coco and IceT and of course, letting me know it’s ok to swear.
One of the things that makes her amazing, and quite innovative really, is the way she has used blogging as a tool to market her line Wendy Brandes Jewelry. Yes, of course, there are lots of jewelry blogs, most of them out of touch and at times questionable… but Wendy has gone a different route, creating a personality with her jewelry. When you read her blog, you get the idea that she’s gorgeous and witty, approachable and real. Something you don’t really get from a lot of jewelers, a world that’s mysterious, and out of reach to the masses… unless you’re counting Zales at the mall… but I’d be hard pressed to see any personality in those jewels.
I would say a lot of her pieces are highly priced, but considering the fact that most of them are made in New York City by highly skilled artisans, using quality gold, silver, and real stones… it’s reasonable. Many luxury jewelers make it difficult to tell where their jewels are produced, and they dont’ have that smiling face attached to their names either. What I love is that each piece has a surprise, poison rings with concealed hinges, lockets that open like a puzzle, hidden squirrels, diamonds on the inside of a ring. It’s all playful and carries the same sense of humor as the lovely Ms. Brandes. When I was there, I tried on just about everything, it was so much fun!
The Jeweled Lady Herself
One other thing about Wendy’s blog, is that she’s always showing her fabulous wardrobe. She was so lovely to show me all her favorite pieces, and then when I told her what my favorites were… the Ossie Clark dress and the Gold Louis Vuitton platform shoes with tortoise heel (which I couldn’t resist trying on…thank heaven we’re the same shoe size!). And of course, we had to have her showcase how many rings she normally wears, from the looks of it, six, on a good day.. if you count the million stackable rings as one, being as they are connected in the back.
And her little dog too
Wendy actually has two dogs, but the other one, Henry, kept trying to lick the lens… so we just have Gigi here being cute.
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WendyB is a doll and a scream. She is my style icon with her panache for mixing vintage with modern, hi and lo. Is there anything this woman can’t do? What a fun visit!
as i was scrolling through this post, i paused with the close-up photos of the jewelry taking up the entire screen to better examine them.
my mom came *flying* from across the room and said, “what’s THAT?! wow, those are NEAT!”
(mom’s from wisconsin, and i can assure you that “neat” is a quite highly-prized adjective!)
personally i’m oogling the dress and the platform pumps - yow, lady! it’s all gorgeous!!
Such fun to see Wendy’s designs on actual human hands! They look gorgeous on her e-commerce site, but even more appealing here. And she really can light up a room with that smile, no?
I second Sal- Wendy can really light up a room with that smile! And while I love seeing her jewelry on the site, there’s something so much more warm & beautiful seeing them on hands & in a personal setting.
All true! I love Wendy. She is the greatest. I can’t wait to meet her in person… hopefully very soon.
Luv
Poochie
Aw what a beautiful post about Wendy! Very sweet..
xx-LJ from SOS!
I LOVE Wendy! This is such a nice post and I think you summed her up very well.
<3 both of y’all!
That stuff is so beautiful! And so is Wendy!
This was a fantastic ode to Wendy, and the greatest thing about it is it’s no exaggeration-she and her jewelry are amazing! You did a great job with the photos.
These are such cute items! But could a normal girl like me afford them? I think not…
I hate to say it but I would love a knock off!
I agree with Sal and others - seeing Wendy’s creations in “real life” is even more impressive! They’re gorgeous! And Ms. Brandes really does seem like the nicest person ever! She always leaves the nicest comments on my blog!
I super love wendy♥!!
one of these days Ill be able to get me one of those fab designs of hers. Im loving that skull and butterfly so delish!!!
I just adore organic, nature-inspired pieces so my fave is the gold flower ring. And such a nice insight on Wendy! Always great to read about the person behind the brand and blog, especially with such a unique woman. Thanks!
This is a nice profile on Miss WendyB. I really like the photos of all the jewelry. Doesn’t she wear Ossie well?
WendyB is fabulous. Miss J owns one of her Ann Boleyn necklaces. It gets compliments every time she wears it- which is often.
i love Wendy. i ran into her on MySpace “ages” ago. and she is so fun online with an incredible collection of vintage dresses, my god. and is that how i found out about coco & ice-t? maybe…! i love them too.
AND of course i want those double gold swans ring!
What’s not to love about this post? I’m currently saving up for my first Wendy purchase - love her, love her jewelry and LOVE that you included a pic of Gigi! hahaha
Hope you have fun at Dress Up London tonight! Can’t wait to see pics!
Jennine, I thought I left you a comment thanking you so much for this lovely post, but I guess I didn’t! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was also so thrilled to see you and I hope London is going great!
Wendy is beyond amazing! That’s why she’s one of my faves
Hi there-A really fabulous post and the pictures of Wendys jewellery are just stunning indeed! She looks divine in her Ossie Clark dress and doesn’t Gigi look cute too!
adooorable!!
Everything you say about Miss Wendy is so true; today I get to learn about a very cool new blog (yours) thanks to Miss Wendy. She really is an awesome contributor to the blog galaxy, not to mention her design and fashion skills.
Thanks for such an excellent post *and* blog, I’ll be back!
tp
She’s beautiful!!
I’m surprised at how BIG her pieces are. The skull on the vines is amazing.
Your photos of Wendy’s jewelry are amazing!
And she wears vintage better than anyone in the blogosphere. Gorgeous.
Aww…I love Wendy. She’s so cute. She was one of the first people to comment on my blog when i first started it. I love her jewelry. I’m going to save up and buy a piece one day!
i love love love her work!! i remember when I first started blogging that i was amazed by those poison rings. still am and it’s great how she evolved. they look so cool, yet still glam!. love!
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XoXo
Zori
I NEED one of her rings, they are unbelievable!
So good to meet you last night, lovely!
x
She’s the only other person who shares my consuming passion for animal print. Her blog/business model is one of the best on-line and I always reference it when discussing the power of new media to clients.
J! These are the best shots of Wendy. I’ve never seen her in any pictures with that much clarity. Well done. I love WendyB. She rocks.
Wendy is fantastic and so humourous, those rings are lush and her shoes, i like
Thanks so much for introducing her blog-she has impeccable taste. I would kill for that skull ring.
I heart Wendy, she’s the best! And is her jewelry. I am a proud owner of a pair of earrings
beautiful jewelry. want. covet. wish. wow. beautiful wendy too!
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