Fish Net Fashion

The Inspiration:

Fashion magazines and television programs are a great place to find inspiration for jewelry design. Not only are you likely to catch a glimpse of some great designer jewelry, but you'll get the scoop on what colors are up and coming in fashion, what kinds of textures are making it to the runway, and what sort of lengths are in style for necklaces and earrings.

Although I watch fashion programs intently, looking for inspiration, I rarely see anything on the runway that I would want to have in my closet. That is, until I recently saw a feature on the latest line from Rodarte. These interesting and fantastic designs were so unique, I immediately starting musing on how to capture their essence in beadwork.

Something slinky, netted and fierce will be the perfect match for an outfit like this one from Rodarte's Fall 2008 collection.

The Beads:

The galvanized oil-slick color of the purple mixture has a rock-and-roll quality that suits this high fashion inspiration. Paired with the softness of white ceylon, the beadwork will shine like a runway diva.

The Beadwork:

Chevron chain is the perfect technique to mimic the funky style of this Rodarte piece. I increased the number of beads in the stitches to get an extra wide band, and added a circular peyote loop to one end to make a fun and slinky beaded belt.

Update: Though this two-needle stitch is often referred to as chevron chain, it is not related to the netting technique.