British GQ

The holidays may be over, but big things are happening. We are thrilled to announce that our Vintage Stamp Cufflinks are in the February edition of British GQ! Take a look. 

The Holidays are Here!

And we've got some fabulous pieces. Our holiday cufflinks with vintage holiday stamps are some of our favorites. Take a look below!

Sold out

Sold out

Our First Birthday – Party on Friday!

It's hard to believe, but it's already been a year. Please come join us to celebrate in our new studio. We've got our first men's pieces, and we've got a fabulous new collection. 

This Friday, Nov 7th

250 44th St, Suite 301

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm 

Nelly Bly, A New Collection

One piece at a time, the fall collection is coming together. Photos of the cufflinks are already up, and there is more still to come. But most exciting, is the inspiration for this new line, an incredible woman who went by the name of Nelly Bly. Bly was a journalist and adventurer, but to me what is most compelling was her spirit. Much has been written about Bly, and nearly all of it describes her determination, her fire, and her grit. Bly was a true American Hero, and I am proud to have my latest collection named for her. 

Fall!

Fall is here, and our new Fall/Winter collection is almost done. Stay tuned!

Gathering Inspiration

Oh how wonderful summer is. It's hard to believe September (and the launch of a new fall line!) is just around the corner.  But it's not here yet. For the time being I'm on the road in Europe, gathering inspiration for new pieces, reaching out to new buyers, and soaking in the last bits of summer. Here's a Bent-Not-Broken cuff taking in the French views. 

Gilded Siren in Flawless Magazine

At the beginning of this amazing summer I, the intern, experienced my first photoshoot. I explained how, with the talent of other professionals, we created something beautiful in the pictures. Well good news! The pictures are out and ready to be seen by the public in Flawless Magazine. With model Stacy Ann, make up by Dawn Williams, hair by Danielle Paquette, and photography by Oksana Harris, the title Gilded Siren is very fitting. Libby B.K. is all about celebrated the empowerment of women and the amazing talent they bring to the world, and this project most definitely represents what amazing results can come from fabulous women collaborating together. This summer has been a crazy one for Libby B.K. and I have had so much fun being an intern for this company. But all good things must come to an end, so I pass on my fabulous intern torch to the next lucky lady and expect to see nothing less than awesomeness for the future of Libby B.K. Audrey the intern, signing out. 

http://flawless-magazine.net/flawless/gilded-siren/ 

Libby B.K. is in the August Issue of British Vogue

Libby B.K. has made it big time! Like “crown-jewels” big time. That’s right, we've been featured in the August edition of British Vogue!  You could imagine our enthusiasm when British Vogue reached out to US. But no one could doubt the awesome British accent (totally jealous) that was on the other end of the call. We couldn't be more excited! And yes, we'll ship anywhere. Oh, and yeah, we got the number one spot on the page... WAHOO!!! 

Makers Abound

It's truly incredible how surrounded we are by amazing local artisans and makers. The past few weeks have been booked with interviews for an Assistant Bench Jeweler, and I am truly amazed by the breadth and depth of the talent we've seen. Thanks so much to all who stopped in. Can't wait to see what lies ahead.

INGRI:DAHL thinks I'm inspiring!

Ingridahl ran an interview with me for their Mid Week Motivation Blog. I feel pretty honored. There are plenty of days when I need inspiration from others, so I'm overwhelmed that anyone might take inspiration from me. Check it out. 

http://www.ingridahl.com/blogs/ingri-dahl/14469197-midweek-motivation-libby-babbott-klein 

A Home off the Internet!

Libby B.K. is living the good life. Our products are now available at Paul Labrecque all the time. Now for all those moments you find yourself wondering, "would that piece look stunning on me?" you can see for yourself that the answer is definitely yes. Stop by and touch our pieces with your hands any time you like. 171 E. 65th Street, between Lex and Third. (In Manhattan, in the great city of New York.)

Well, that was awesome

Bushwick Open Studios is behind us, but what a blast it was. Hundreds of artists opened their doors, including photographers, painters, sculptors and designers. The street art was fabulous as was the weather. Thanks so much to all who stopped by! Already thinking about next year. 

Bushwick Open Studios Saturday (tomorrow) from 12:00 - 4:00

We know you know, but just in case you forgot that you knew - BUSHWICK OPEN STUDIOS IS THIS WEEKEND! That's right, all around Bushwick artists will be opening their studios, and you can go INSIDE the studios and look at things, and talk to people, and even buy things if you want. And our studio will be open too!

So please come by. Look at our stuff, talk to us. Even look at other people's stuff and talk to them. It'll be a blast. I swear.

Where: 230 Bogart Street (second floor in the back of the wood shop)

When: 12 - 4 on Saturday (tomorrow!)

More info is here. (Yes, yes, they spelled my name wrong. HARUMPH, I'm working on it.)

A Day of Many Firsts

Hi all! Audrey here, reporting live about my first day at Libby B.K. headquarters. What did my first day entail? Amazing women, a fabulous photo shoot, inspiring collaboration of artists, (and I won’t even go into my adventures navigating the NYC transit system….)

Many people think that New York is made up of huge companies and even bigger egos. While this might be partly true (New Yorkers are known to think highly of themselves… for good reason of course!) What I found on my first day was quite the opposite. Just give us some talented friends, a constant flow of coffee and great tunes… and there’s no stopping us. New to the city life I was excited/overwhelmed with the fast past –of everything. But hopping on and off subways and almost getting hit by several taxis going speeds that were nowhere near legal was all worth it.

My first day also brought my first photo shoot. It was in a stunning West Side apartment with huge windows and great views. I arrived ready for whatever the day brought me, expecting lots of yelling and high stress. (‘Caus, duh, that’s what you see on every reality TV show). In fact, it was quite the opposite. I met a wonderful supportive team, and heard more laughter than raised voices. Everyone did what they did best and welcomed me right into the fold. (I got a job holding the reflector screen and you’re darn right when I say I was proud of myself). With each make up/hair and jewelry change came even greater results. Scrolling through the different looks, the team effort came together seamlessly. The gold in the Bent-Not-Broken cuff perfectly complimented the gold in the model’s eye shadow and the light dazzlingly caught the sterling silver bowline necklace. With every new look, I felt more and more excited for what’s to come. Who needs big ego when you’ve got a team like this?

Check back soon – can’t wait to post when the new photos are done.

Signing off from my first post!

- Audrey

aaaand Karm.io!

We are so thrilled to announce that Libby B.K. launched as one of the flagship brands with Karm.io. Karm.io lets you shop local and contribute to your favorite charity. It's totally aligned with our goals of making the world a better place, and we are glad to be part of it. Shop now and get 15% off the Figure Eight Bracelet and at the same time give $10 to something you really really care about. Feels almost to good to be true doesn't it? Well, happy Monday.

A short reflection on the coming Mother's Day

My lines are about fabulous women, and mother's day is a day I think about the most fabulous woman of all, my mom. Even if Hallmark did just make up the holiday, it doesn't take away from how awesome my mom is. She's smart, beautiful, thoughtful, caring, energetic (oh so energetic), and never for a moment have I doubted her love for me. She's been an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember (even during those years I might have said things to the contrary, I never meant it.)

Recently, a good friend of mine lost her mom, and I remember when my mother lost hers. It's hard to write or speak about loss without sounding cliched, so all I will say is that I am thankful for my mom every day.

So cheers to moms, whether they are with us in our lives or only in our hearts.  

You loved the Half Hitch Cuff so much

And to be honest... so did we. So now it is available in sterling silver as well as the original gold-plated bronze! Yeehaw. Things are happening. 

We're growing!

Libby B.K. is growing and we are proud to announce the arrival of our very first intern, Audrey Zambrotta. Audrey is a current freshman at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island with a declared major in Public Relations. Growing up on Long Island in New York, Audrey always knew she wanted to go into the fashion business, and PR seemed like a perfect fit. She is extremely involved in Roger Williams University’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter and is currently working on the PR team for the Rhode Island School of Design’s 2014 Fashion Show. Audrey is a very driven, ambitious young woman and once her mind is set on a task there is no stopping her. She can’t wait to start her internship at Libby B.K. and is eager to hone her PR skills out in the field.

Lots of events to catch us in person this week

Lots of exciting events are on the horizon! See offline what you've seen online and try on some beautiful pieces. For this week: 

Thursday - Libby B.K. will be participating in the NYU Fashion Bazaar. The event will be from 5:30 - 8:00 pm in the Grand Hall at 238 Thompson Street. Stop by to shop and mingle with up-and-coming designers from around NY. www.nyufashionbazaar.eventbrite.com.

Friday - Monthly First Friday Studio Sale. Come see where the magic happens and the designs are made. The studio will be open and several designers that share our space will have their jewelz on display. In addition to shopping galore there will be music, beverages, and a generally good time. 230 Bogart Street (Bushwick), second floor. 5:00 - 8:00pm. 

(And if you want to learn more about the studio and the awesome community we work in, you can always learn more at happenstancejewelrystudio.com)

So, whether you're more into Brooklyn or more into Manhattan, there's a Libby B.K. event for you this week. Hope to see you!

Late to the party, but oh how I love Frozen

Admittedly, I'm not exactly the target audience for Disney's latest film, Frozen, but still, with all the hype I really should have seen it by now. I mean one awesome magical lady and another lady who goes on a quest to bring her back? This is right up my alley.

Anyway, I remember seeing the preview in the fall. At first I was excited, and then as the preview progressed I thought, harumph, another disney princess movie where the story ends in marriage. Why is it always game over at marriage? THERE IS PLENTY OF LIFE AFTER MARRIAGE. LIFE IS NOT ALL ABOUT MARRIAGE. THERE ARE OTHER GOALS THAN GETTING MARRIED.  I was, in fact, quite agitated. 

I felt especially grumpy after the disappointment of last year's Brave. There was so much hype about how it was the first Pixar film ever to feature a female lead. I rushed to see it in theaters, and then… wah-wah... disappointment. There was none of the clever playfulness of the best Pixar films like Toy Story and Wall-E, and the driving tension of the entire film was all about a girl's right to choose her husband. Seriously, Pixar? That was the only story line you could think of for your first lady-hero? And what does it say that you spent so much on her hair? So with this as background, I saw a prince in the trailer for Frozen and I tuned out. 

That was until one very-smart-very-thoughtful friend told me she had seen Frozen FOUR TIMES. Four times! Didn’t it just come out? Forget all the youtube sing-alongs with millions of views each –this got my attention. 

SPOILER ALERT

What a pleasant surprise I was in for. Frozen is the story of not one, but two fabulously unique lady-heroes. One lady-hero goes missing and the other lady-hero saves her. Then lady-hero number two is about to die, and it is the true love of her sister (lady-hero number one) that saves her. This is so awesome. 

Yes, marriage (desire to marry) still is an important plot driver – but most of the story pokes fun of and warns against diving in too soon. And to my great relief, the story did not end with any grand pronouncement on marriage at all. No wedding bells, and no (controversial?) statement on a woman’s right to choose her own mate. And most importantly, the movie was just damn good. The characters were entertaining, the plot creative, and the music great. 

So yeah, would I still love a Pixar/Disney lady-hero film that doesn't mention marriage at all? For sure. But this was a huge step forward,  and today I can't stop belting out the BEST SONG EVER, Let It Go. 

- Libby