Clutch and Clasp

This week Topshop had to destroy more than 1000 £35 dresses after a copyright battle with Chloe.

(Daily Mail 07.07)

Chloe dress £185, on the left and Topshop dress, £35, on the right.

Fashion plagiarism has always been a problem with many publicised cases, such as, Monsoon v Primark Liza Bruce v Marks and Spencer and indeed Ralph Lauren v Armani. The high street has become increasingly fast at identifying and translating designer trends from the catwalk. Although Designers are now hiring specialists to scour the high street for evidence of copied designs. Law cases have also been made easier as a Design Company can now highlight an aspect of a design, such as a buckle or unusual heel, to demonstrate a copy. Before this a Designer had to prove an identical copy, which was exceptionally difficult. 

“Dids Macdonald, Chief Executive of industry watchdog Anti Copying in Design, warned retailers to expect heavy financial penalties for copying,   “Copying is endemic within the industry.

“This year we have seen 220 settlements- 20 per cent of which have been on behalf of the fashion industry.

“People are becoming more savvy in terms of knowing their rights and High Street retailers need to be more careful about the way they imitate others.” (Daily Mail 07.07.)

The current top two sellers in our summer sale are:

Peacock Blue Freshwater Pearl Earrings.

These earrings are reduced by 40% from £27.95 to £16.95 and are in  Stylist Laura Russell’s top three for July.

Candy Pink Jade with Swarovski Crystal Pendant.(Limited Edition.)

This pendant is reduced from £24.95 to £19.95.

Both of these pieces have been selling well and there are a few left of each style.

Our special promotions continue with every purchase at www.clutchandclasp.co.uk. This month sees offers on Theatre Breaks;

Rates from £95.29pp. Edinburgh Playhouse.

Also included are 42rd Street Theatre Package and Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers Theatre Package, both in Glasgow.

A list of 3-5 Star Hotels around the UK are alos included with up to 50% off. Hotels include;De Vere Deluxe Cameron House, Loch Lomond,  or stay in edinburgh for the Festival at Menzies Belford Hotel, Belford Road Edinburgh or indeed stay in St Andrews at  theOld Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa. There are also a variety of Hotels throughout England, such as The Apex City in Tower Hill, London.

Please email info@clutchandclasp.co.uk for further information. All orders irrespective of value are invited to take advantage of such offers.

We are happy to announce a new collaboration with Laura Russell  of Satisfashion Personal Styling and Shopping offering wardrobe consultations and personal experiences to develop a style that is unique to you. www.satisfashion.co.uk.

Each month Laura will be selecting her top 3 pieces from our collection along with advice and ideas on how to wear each piece.

Laura’s Top 3 for July!

White Freshwater Pearls, Agate and Smoky Quartz

£69.95 currently in the sale at £49.95

“This is my favourite piece. It is really vintage looking and is a piece that will last forever. I love the mixture of the pearls, a real unique twist on a typical pearl necklace. Worn with a simple white shirt and jeans and will also look amazing over your LBD!”

Rock Crystal and Amethyst Bracelet

£24.95, currently in the sale at £19.95

“This is an amazing piece that will take you through each season but will be a big colour for AW07. I think that you could brighten it up wearing 2 bracelets in different colour’s from the clutch and clasp collection. What an amazing price for beautiful stones, go on treat yourself!”

Peacock Freshwater Pearls £27.95 currently in the sale at £16.95

“This is my classic piece for this month.They will never date and can be mixed with so many clothing colour’s and can be dressed up or down. Brilliant for a timeless classic!”

In our current sale, running until the 31st July, we have a selection of jewellery with discounts of up to 60%. As we specialise in small quantites of each piece, some indeed are one offs, once we have sold out of some of these pieces, they will not be restocked. Currently we are selling the coloured semi-precious stone bracelets well. The most popular being the chalcedony and turquoise howilite bracelet.

£49.95 currently £34.95.

This a gorgeous vibrant bracelet with a sterling silver catch and heart charm. The strong blue sits well with this summer’s colour palette.

It has pretty swaroski crystals between each semi-precious stone. This is also a Limited Edition Piece and there is only currently one piece left.

Also selling well in our sale is another Limited Edition Piece, the Peach Jade and Swarovski Crystal Pendant.

£27.95 currently £16.95

This is another colour of this summer, a coral/peach hue. It is a very pretty pendant with a sterling silver chain. Again there are only a few pieces left of this style.

The Summer Sale at www.clutchandclasp.co.uk is now on with prices up to 60% off designer handbags and jewellery.

Luella Linda- £525 now £275

We have revised our postal charges and they are now as follows:

0-£50 postal cost-£1.99

orders £50 and over will be posted free of charge!! We have asked alot of our members for their opinions on our costs, and although many said that our costs were below average we have decided to provide our customers with a free service. All orders will still be sent using Royal Mail Insured Postage.

The following website, www.teamsugar.com  has listed the 100 celebrities, with Brad Pitt at number One,  Angelina Jolie at Number 2 and Oprah Winfrey at Number 3. This list was compiled by voters who voted on their favourite celebrities on the following criteria; Likeability, Talent, Style, Class, Looks and Pop Factor. 

In an ideal situation I have   selected  my favourite top ten  women for whom I would love to dress with pieces from www.clutchandclasp.co.uk!

  

Angelina Jolie has a very classic style with a colour palette of blacks and greys. She always looks very stylish and tends to stick to one striking accessory, as with the earrings above. I have selected the onyx, smoky quartz, fossil, hematite and dalmatian agate Lariat as it is a classic and a statement piece. (Lariat-£89.95)

Nicole Kidman, who came 13th in the survey, always looks beautiful on the red carpet. She has been photographed quite frequently wearing red so I I have selected our best selling piece, the Candy Pink and Red Agate with Glass Lariat as it would look stunning against her skin tone and hair colour. (Lariat-£79.95)

Jennifer Lopez, Number 11,  tends to have very different styles depending on the occasion, from very casual wear to classic vintage pieces. She tends to wear very bold jewellery so I have chosen the Chunky Onyx, Tiger’s Eye with Black Swarovski Crystals. (£64.95)

 

   

Jennifer Aniston, Number 7, is famous for her femininity and helped the demand for “Y” shaped necklaces during her time on friends. She tends to wear pendant style necklaces. I have chosen a pink murano glass heart with Swarovski crystals pendant. This has been a very popular piece due to it’s simplicity and prettiness. (£39.95)

Kate Hudson, Number 68, has a quirky if hippy style of dress. I have selected the above Rubylite and Jade with Swarovski Crystals Charm Bracelet as it very pretty and quite quirky! (£44.95)

  

Scarlet Johansson, Number 38, has a very classic approach to dress and favors very classic cuts in clothing along with block colours. Such dressing can therefore allow for statement pieces of jewellery. I have selected the Onyx, Tiger’s Eye and Black Swarovski Crystal Earrings as they are a classic style that will never date! (£20.95)

Catherine Zeta Jones, Number 86, wears alot of black pieces, from suits to evening dresses. I have selected the Tiger’s Eye, Onyx and Hematite Clump Necklace with Gold Leather and Black Suede as this piece looks exceptional with a black dress and again such a classic style can really highlight a striking piece of jewellery. (£39.95)

Beyonce, Number 16, wears alot of embellished pieces, whether clothing or jewellery. She wears alot of bold and big designs, so I have chosen this Large Red Agate, with Amethyst, Carnelian, Glass, Perdiot and Citrine Necklace. (£124.95)

 

Kate Moss, Number 63, is of course synomous with fashion and has her own unique style. She has a great idea for putting together outfits, mixing vintage classic pieces with quirky contemporary pieces. I choose this piece as it from our Limited Edition Collection, of only 6 pieces, and also because it has a very classic look with a great colour mix. Kate Moss has such emphasis on her actual clothing that pared down jewellery appears to suit her the best. (£49.95)

  

Lastly, Madonna at number 4. Madonna has changed style numerous times throughout her career and currently favors a classic look with classic accessories. I have chosen the Turquoise, Opal and Swarovski Crystal Necklace due to it’s classic shape yet striking appeal. Turquoise has long been a very popular semi-precious stone and looks striking against black and white as well as clashing colours, such as pinks or greens. (£39.95)

All pieces are currently available at www.clutchandclasp.co.uk

In June the number one selling item was the Candy Pink and Red Agate with Glass Lariat. This piece has been in the top 3 best selling items for the past 3 months, finally outselling all other items last month. This piece has received exceptional feedback due to the strength in the design,  vibrant colours, quality and price. It is a very wearable piece that can be worn over any type of garment, so will add a touch of colour to any summer dress/outfit. There are only 2 of this piece left in stock.

Candy Pink and Red Agate with Glass Lariat. £79.95

On notonthehighstreet our best selling item was another red piece of jewellery, our rubylite, jade and swarovski crystals charm bracelet. Again this was our best selling item in May on their site. This bracelet is a small charm bracelet which is light to wear on a daily basis as some heavier charm bracelets are best worn for shorter periods of time. This piece has also received alot of great feedback and is a limited edition piece with only a few left. This piece will not be repeated.

Rubylite, Jade and Swarovski Crystals Charm Bracelet. £44.95

www.clutchandclasp.co.uk were asked to participate in a charity raffle at the Midsummer Ball at the Royal Belfast Golf Club. A blue murano glass heart with swarovski crystals was donated and it is hoped that the winner of this prize enjoys wearing it!

Blue Handblown Murano Glass with silver foil and swarovski crystals, £39.95. This piece has been exceptionally popular that we only have one left!