As I currently find myself casually covering New York Fashion Week I couldn't resist stepping off the fashion conveyor belt in search of a change of pace. I found friend of the blog and adopted New Yorker Brandon Acton-Bond and asked him to take part in our 'Treasured Items' series. Thankfully he agreed.
Now, as we lurked in the sartorial shadows last year we revealed that Brandon is a man who knows how to use colour and play with textures to make truly wonderful, multi faceted, layered outfits. He is someone who knows how to balance vintage, high street and a mix of labels (although, he is a self confessed Issey and Comme addict) in such a way that the admiring observer has absolutely no idea where he shops. Unsurprisingly, his cherished show and tell demonstrates all of these facets...
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Brandon Acton-Bond and the everyday cuffs
"I wear these two cuffs everyday. To me jewellery is the hardware of style and as such it should, for me at least, be as symbolic and meaningful as a tattoo. It also represents more long term thoughts and ideas on the way I see life. It has to stand the test of time and take the hard knocks and so do the ideas.
The silver Navajo cuff was given to me by my best friend Amber Doe. It's a shame that in NYC it's tough to see the people you love on a regular basis so this keeps us together. We share almost the same birthday (23rd and 24th march) and two years ago we exchanged cuffs which we have both worn everyday since. I guess it's a glorified friendship bracelet but it means so much to me.
The lapis cuff is from Afghanistan and was made in the 80s. Whenever I start a new job I always reward myself by purchasing something I've wanted for a long time. I had seen it in a random Asian Tchotchke shop in my neighbourhood for a few months but couldn't bring myself to, as they say, "treat yo self". It stands for my commitment to keep learning everyday and to always be inquisitive. I was always the kid in class who asked too many questions and I realise how important it is to keep on asking questions. I just love the size of the stone and the crappy white metal has this texture that just gets better with tarnishing.
I like to wear a bandanna or silk scarf underneath them for comfort and contrast. It seems to frame the two cuffs in such a lovely way. My right wrist is a simple cross section of how I try to dress as a whole. Every piece I buy means something to me. Here in New York, whilst we are limited economically to what we can buy, space is even more a constraint. I decided that as my rolling rack takes up half my room I wanted it to be full of old friends. As with all closets it's a constant work in progress but if I believe dressing is an art form, and these are the tools in our paintbox, then they should be a well curated and useful selection." Brandon Acton-Bond
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