These Dainty Accessories Inspired By Nature And Animals Will Complete Your Resort Wear Style This Summer

 

Imbibe the summer vibe with pretty, cool, and dainty accessories that will match that trendy pastel, easy-breezy dress. While the style mantra of many women during this season proves to be "less is more," dressing up while lounging by the beach in a very Instagram-perfect moment sure sounds like a beautiful idea.

 

READ: Say Goodbye To Swimsuit Woes With A Chic Cover-Up

 

But even when you're not vacationing in a beach destination, you can still incorporate some summer-appropriate and vibrant elements to your outfit by putting on accessories that serve as instant fashion pick-me-uppers.

Recenty, French jewelry design house Les Néréides opened their second store in the Philippines for a limited time at the Power Plant Mall in Makati. The store opening coincided with the debut of the brand's Spring/Summer ’18 collection that takes women to a fantasy world where "land and sea collide." The collection features designs of birds, fruits, flowers, and sea creatures that come in vibrant summer-inspired hues. You'll love the intricate details of each handcrafted item.

As was the case with their debut collection, there are only two to three pieces per design, so you'll be happy to know that you'll have the premium of owning a covetable piece that is limited and special.

 

READ: Your Summer Look Won't Be Complete Without A Cool Bag

 

Founded in 1980 by Pascale and Enzo Amaddeo, Les Néréides is an iconic French jewelry design house known for its handcrafted romantic and lyrical designs. With this brand, costume jewelry takes on a unique and whimsical approach. Currently, Les Néréides has around 100 stores and 300 point-of-sales in 40 countries around the world. Its first branch in the Philippines is at Greenbelt 3, Makati.

The brand is distributed in the Philippines by a group of friends that includes Martha and Arthur King, Anne and Peejay Yambao, Paul Syjuco, Kristine Dee, and Ninoy Roco. 

 

Les Néréides Philippines Distributors (from left) Paul Syjuco, Kristine Dee, Martha King, Peejay Yambao, and Anne Yambao. Not in photo are Arthur King and Ninoy Roco.

 

Metro.Style chatted with the owners of Les Néréides in the Philippines. Read more about the brand here:

 

What's the story behind the arrival of Les Néréides in the Philippines?

Martha King: It was because of a trip to Santorini, Greece with my husband, actually. Three years ago, I bought my first pair of Les Néréides earrings, and then when I brought it here in Manila, every time I’d wear it, my friends would really appreciate it. My friends, Peejay and Anne Yambao, liked the design, so they started buying also from Singapore and Hong Kong. And then I think, one time, Peejay wanted to buy his wife, Anne, a bracelet, so he emailed Les Néréides, and that’s when the discussion led to bringing the brand here. So after that, Peejay asked me if I wanted to join the team, and definitely, I said yes. So we started talking to Les Néréides in Paris, and now we have the brand here.

 

How long did it take for your team to bring Les Néréides here?

MK: It was super fast. I think around September last year, that’s when Peejay contacted Les Néréides, and they wanted to bring the products ASAP. December was so hectic for us. But it was easy, because they already have the system. They just sent us the lookbook, and we started choosing the products to bring here. We opened our first store in January. Then in February, my friends went to Paris to, of course, get to know more of the brand. And then by September, I’ll be the one going to Paris naman. Twice a year, someone from us needs to go there and really sit down and get to know the collection.

 

How do you decide on which products to carry?

Anne Yambao: All of us, we sit on it. We get an email from the headquarters, and they show us a catalogue. All of us would make our own orders and we would just base the final lineup on the average number. That’s how we decide.

 

What are, so far, the bestsellers?

Peejay Yambao: There are two: the first ones are the bracelets that have different meanings per bracelet, and the second one would be the mini necklace ballerinas.

 

What are your personal favorites?

AY: I like the flowers and the birds.

MK: I’m wearing them right now. These are under the Exoplanet collection which invents a fantastic nature between land and sea. There are fish, flowers, and carnivorous plants that compete with the peculiarity of the octopus. Something very unique. 

 

Martha King is wearing her favorite Les Néréides pieces: the Exoplanet octopus on stone semi-rigid bracelet, Exoplanet octopus on stone earrings, and Exoplanet octopus on stone necklace.  

 

What would you say is the edge of Les Néréides over other jewelry brands?

PY: First and foremost, every piece here is unique. When I say unique, every piece is handmade and handpainted, so the amount of artistry in the piece is incomparable. Actually, even in the deisgn phase of the product, every piece here starts with a drawing. So, just like fine jewelry, people are gonna draw first and they’re gonna show you all the colors they put in and ask you, "Do you like this?” Even with this setup, every piece, they make a drawing first and have sort of a focus group discussion on whether they think a design will work. And if they say yes, then they go into production.

 

Define a Les Néréides woman.

AY: Someone who’s unique.

PY: A woman who’s sophisticated, feminine, inclined to believe in romanticism (because all the pieces are very romantic), and lastly, progressive (because the pieces are so intricate that you have to wear them with confidence).

MK: A Les Néréides woman transforms herself into a dream world, because when you wear one, it’s something that leads you to another universe—like, I’m wearing this peculiar octopus accessory, where else can you see this?

 

See the Spring/Summer '18 collection here:

 

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Les Néréides is located at G/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati and at 2/F Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati.       

 

Photos courtesy of Les Néréides and Leung de Leon Marketing Services