Sometimes a look is all about the accessories, especially if you, like me, dress almost exclusively in black clothing, So when jewelry designer, Abby Carnavale, reached out to me about her upcoming West Side Story inspired collection, I couldn't be more ecstatic. Getting jewelry sent to you is already exciting as is, but when it was created with your favorite musical in mind, could it get any better?
In High School I got to perform in the musical as a Shark girl. In the musical, the Sharks were a gang from the Puerto Rican community in New York that got to hold down the female lead of the show, Maria. We all danced on stage in big dresses, I got to rock my natural curls, and we wore red lipstick and big hoops. If only we had Abby Carnavale's jewelry! Inspired by the musical, her upcoming jewelry collection is split into colors based on the two gangs featured in West Side Story. Jewelry that represents the Sharks incorporates red, pink, purple and black beads. The Jets inspired jewelry comes in complimentary colors to the Sharks in blue, yellow, green and white. The design of the pieces is inspired by circles and parallels; circles that represent harmonious relationships and parallel lines that represent the divide - themes that are prominent in West Side Story.
To fit the theme of Carnavale's collection, I paired her 'Oh So Pretty kneck cuff' and 'Oh So Pretty hoops" (once a Shark, always a Shark) with warm, red lips using MAC Cosmetics lipstick in 'Fresh Morrocan' and MAC Cosmetics lip pencil in 'Auburn'. I wore my hair in a messy bun like I'd imagine a Shark girl would if she was trying to show off her gorgeous jewelry. I also opted for a plunging kneckline with the Free People Sarah Midi Dress (named after me, how could I not buy it?) to cast an even brighter light on the kneck cuff.
Abby Carnavale's West Side Story inspired collection will be available in the coming months. Make sure you follow me on Twitter and Instagram for updates when it's live! Until then, you can purchase Abby Carnavale jewelry on Etsy. Check out Abby Carnavale's website for more information on the designer and her jewelry!