2011 Spring Spirit Collection launched

This blog post brings some great news: We have just launched our new line of Spring jewelry as part of our Senzu Spirit Collection!

SZFNL42:  http://bit.ly/goNvbl

When we developed this Spring range of jewelry, we put the emphasis on fun and lightness. Our aim was to create a line that is versatile yet elegant, so you can wear it with a suit or with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.  The jewelry will work great throughout the spring and into the summer, as weather warms up and clothing layers are shed. 

There are 11 new necklaces and 4 bracelets that all follow the Senzu mandate of good quality materials and a unique design that you'd only find at Senzu. Using aluminum and other light-weight metals and materials such as cotton, brass and glass, of course all lead-free, nickel-free and cadmium-free, the line is centered around the continuing trend of metallics and plays with textures, shapes and tones within the colour ranges. 

This year's Pantone colours, Silver Cloud as well as Russet and Silver Peony, are well represented in the collection, either on its own or in combination with gold and silver tones. As the quintessential neutral that consumers can rely on to coordinate with everything in their closet, Silver Cloud it is one of the most versatile colours in this year's range. 

SZFNL37: http://bit.ly/goSZc1

Senzu features it in the form of smokey, opaque glass beads that have been worked into both necklaces and bracelets. 

As Chrissy Lorenzo mentioned in her article on this year's Pantone chosen colours and their effect on mood: "Why does silver cloud seem to go with everything? This hue is multi-faceted and has many undertones. When paired with a deep purple, for example, blue-ish undertones in this color will come out for a seamless match. When paired with white, it will have a cooler, lighter look. For this reason, it's a great color to play off what's already existing in your wardrobe! Why you should wear it: gray-blue colors have a calming effect and inspire relaxation and creativity. A perfect color for a wall in your office, or a blazer for work. It will center you and leave you focused."

SZFNL38: http://bit.ly/ecfIbk

The warm chocolatey tones of Russet come back also in one of their wood and glass beaded necklaces. 

I've given you a sneak peek at some of the pieces in this blog, now go check all of them out on www.senzustyle.com! 

It is also posted it on Senzu's Facebook Page photo album, a great opportunity to 'like' our page and stay up to date on events, promos and special offers for our Facebook fans ;-) 

For daily updates and more 'insider' info, follow us on Twitter @senzustyle and @cristelmd. 

Styling it up!

Cristel, 

Your Senzu Style Insider. 

The LBD & other styles that never fade, literally!

Good morning everyone,

Having just come back from Shanghai on a Senzu sourcing trip, I was welcomed by some good news out of England this morning. It just goes to show you that true style never goes out of fashion and never fades away. Now we can actually say this and mean it literally, thanks to the scientists at the University of Leeds, who came up with a black dye for fabrics that does not fade in the wash. It was about time, right? ;-)

As was reported on also in The Toronto Star a few days ago, Partick McGowan and colleagues at the University of Leeds are proud of the dress because “black is the hardest colour and the most sought after. More than 50 per cent of clothing is black.” Glad to hear I am not alone in favouring this colour as a basic! It is flattering on most people, makes you look a bit more lithe and goes with nearly anything. Plus, the little black dress is one item that nearly all us ladies have at least one of, in our closets. 

Though I am not big on techie-speak, I thought it was worth quoting Mr. McGowan's process to create this little miracle (Nerd alert: science paragraph coming up!).  

The eco-friendlier process behind the dress and the dyes “turns a traditional problem in polymer chemistry on its head,” said McGowan. The process uses PLA or polylactic acid, a polyester derived from renewable sources. “It biodegrades, it is carbon-neutral, and it doesn’t rely on products from the petroleum industry,” he told The Star. 

“We’ve eradicated the wet-dyeing step and achieved a homogenous colouration.” Fabric dying traditionally uses oil-based material, lots of water, high temperatures, and creates considerable waste. Each type of textile needs to be dyed differently or takes the colour differently, even in the same garment. “The dye actually stays attached to the polymer. When you wash your PLA fibres, it doesn’t come out.”. 

Separate research is developing hair dye “without some of the chemicals perceived to be nasty. Organic is one of our goals.” concludes McGowan. Now would that be nice, to be able to colour your manes without all the horrible chemicals? 

When Sumitra and I started Senzu, we also wanted to ensure the colours and materials in our jewelry were long-lasting, which is why we love our Stainless Steel line. 

It is also a recyclable, very durable, non-staining, hypo-allergenic, and long-lasting material that will keep the same beautiful sheen, look and colour for a very long time with minimal care. 

Just like the non-fading LBD! 

Styling it up with a wink and Senzu jewelry of course,

Cristel, 

Your Senzu Style Insider.

PS: Don't forget to join our FB page too, for all the latest updates, and follow us on Twitter @senzustyle

Fashion Colour Report for Spring 2011

Good morning and I hope you've had a great start to the New Year!


This blog post is all about colours. What's hot, and what's not? We asked the experts!  This spring 2011, with the help of the colour 'authority', Pantone, the feature colour for all of 2011 has been named as Honeysuckle, however of course we are not monochromatic, monotone or one-size-fits-all people, and inspiration and colour-plays can be found everywhere around us. 

Citing exotic destinations like Africa, India, Peru and Turkey as inspiration for Spring 2011, designers worldwide continue to satisfy consumers’ need to escape everyday challenges and dreariness with intriguing color combinations that transport them to foreign lands and exotic cultures. 


“The colors that designers have chosen for the spring season present an interesting marriage of unexpected warm and cool tones,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “By cleverly combining complementary colors, those that are opposites on the color wheel, they have created a striking intensity to the palette. These unique color combinations make it possible for consumers to pair existing pieces in colors traditionally associated with fall, with new favorites to punch up springtime wardrobes.”


Senzu is also playing on the same contrasting, yet complimenting aspects of colours and textures this spring and summer. Without giving all our plans away, we will be introducing a range of 27 new earrings, necklaces and bracelet sets into our Elements Collection that will really pop. Watch our website, our @senzustyle tweets and this blog for updates when they will become available! 

Of course, our Senzu jewellery already represents a voyage around the world, with pieces this year from India, The Kingdom of Thailand, China and Malaysia. 


Silvers, yellow and pink gold tones, as well as the more muted black rhodium and charcoal grey hematite continue to be important base colours to bounce the brighter colours off. As the Pantone colour specialists put it in their 2011 Colour Report: "Another dependable background color, Silver Cloud, is the quintessential neutral that consumers can rely on to coordinate with everything in their closet." 


Which for Senzu means that we will shortly also be introducing, handmade by our jewellery artists in India, a great new line of fun jewellery for our Spirit Collection. That's all we'll say for now, you'll just have to follow us on twitter, our Facebook Page and of course the Senzu website for updates and to get it before everyone else! ;-)


Sumitra is off on a well-deserved vacation this week as she worked throughout the holidays, and I will be departing for Shanghai on a sourcing trip this Sunday, so the next blog will be from the great city of Shanghai! We've never been there before, so Brad and I are really looking forward to sharing our new experiences with you. 


2011 will truly be a year of hot Senzu jewellery, travel, global influences and intra-cultural experiences! Style it up with me! 


Cristel