Fashion Meets Culture in My Fashion Week Style

Last week, I attended the Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition, the closing event of Saint Louis Fashion Week 2016. When I first talked about the event, I couldn’t stop raving about the bold, standout pieces by Beltshazzar Jewels, one of the finalists. Well, y’all, I got to rock some jewelry from the line, and I’m now an even bigger fan. See how the jewelry perfectly accented my fashion week style.

Dress | Booties | Necklace c/o | Earrings c/o | Bag

Mixing and matching is signature to my style. From mixing prints to mixing items that fall into widely different price categories, my style brings different things together. I’m not surprised, then, that I adore Beltshazzar Jewels because Theresa, the designer and owner, is a master mixer.

A Brass necklace that combines two chain link styles. Cream leather tassels. And, get this. A conch shell pendant anchoring it all. A conch shell!

Conchs are native to the coasts of the Caribbean, and the shells are assigned varied symbolic meanings throughout the Caribbean. So, I felt a homely connection to this necklace.

Furthermore, how amazing does this one-of-a-kind necklace make my $22 mock neck sweater dress look? Just so you know, I bought the dress in a size medium because I didn’t want it to be too clingy. To make sure the necklace was the star of my fashion week style, I wore a monochrome outfit with varied shades of wine.

By the way, my earrings are by Beltshazzar Jewels as well. They are horn hoops hanging from the coolest hook I’ve ever seen. I’ll be wearing this pair again and again.