I hope everyones summer has started off wonderfully! I’ve been a stranger for the past few months, but the love for my readers remains. I’ve had a busy agenda, traveling and preparing for new and exciting things to come for DANIELLA KRONFLE. 

One of the highlights of these past few months was the honor of being invited as Vice Chair of the Tribute to Oscar de La Renta during the 12th Annual New Yorkers for Children Gala, at the Mandarin Oriental New York.   

It was certainly a night to remember as the gala took place in the fabulous ballroom on the 36th floor, with breath taking views of Central Park. The venue was designed by none other than David Stark and presented by Saks Fifth Avenue, who joined Lead Beauty Sponsor, Le Métier de Beauté. Among the event Chairs to support Oscar’s dearest charity were  several New York socialites including the dear Dana Auslander, Alina Cho, Nicole Esposito, Elisabeth Noel Jones, Susan Shin, and Honorary Chair Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos. 

Notable guests included Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo, the stylish gatekeeper of America's most luxurious store, who wore a vintage Bulgari Serpentine necklace and stunning champagne-colored gown;  perfume and cognac heir Killian Hennessy and his lovely wife Elizabeth Jones Hennessy; the gorgeous Oscar PR Girl, Erika Bearman who I very much enjoyed meeting. She is so stylish and sharp. 

At our table we were joined by an incomparable group of tastemakers including the charming Amanda Weiner, Senior Accessories Editor of Harpers Bazaar, the amazing James Aguiar, National Fashion Director of Modern Luxury Group, Juana Libedinsky, of Vanity Fair Mexico and Spain, my dear friend Caroline Childers, publisher of Jewelry International, and Emma Pearse of the New York Times and New York Magazine. Last but not least my dear friends Andrea deNiemeyer and Johana Shahani and my partner in business and crime Maria Jose Puente. We had so much fun sharing our own Oscar stories and how he has helped shape our careers and personal styles.

This was one of the most special nights of my career. The organizers asked me to write a few words that I want to share with you here:

"As a Latin American designer, Oscar's work and success will forever inspire my path. He remains the quintessence of class and elegance, and creations the very definition of exquisite artistry. He was privy to a truth too many designers ignore-that feminine beauty can never be created, only embodied and given prominence through adoring and timeless design."

Cheers to you Oscar! You are deeply missed.

 

I have, and you might have also as well, checked out what is new for spring this year and all the designers agree on one trend: bright colors. Whether they be pastels, neons or your classic basics, this spring is bursting with colors and big statement pieces. Luckily, my collection is full of amazing pieces that are on trend, and here are my top picks.

Charmed Collection:




Butterfly Themes:









Not So Mellow Yellow:  






Dreamy Pearls:

Every year, just after the pressure of Christmas presents is over, another gift related holiday creeps about. Yes, I am talking about Valentine's Day. Even though this might be stressful for some people, men I am referring to you, shopping for your valentine does not have to be a difficult task. 

Here is my nifty Valentine's gift guide, complete with all the pieces from my collection guaranteed to be on her wishlist. this is sure to make shopping a breeze. 

Think Pink: 

Audrey Hepburn once famously said "I believe in pink," and I could not agree more. It is a universally flattering color, and it is an indicator of romance and of course love. 

Both the pink sapphire earrings and the pink sapphire ombre hoops above are just two of my pieces in this popular hue. Both are created to be classic and eternal in their design, and can be worn for generations. 

Charmed Life:

My signature collection, comprised of "Cuore" and "Papillon" in an array of colors and gems, has been a runaway success. Every piece from my "Charmed" collection has made it to many an editor's must-have list, as well as very desired piece to own by women everywhere.

Any of these great necklaces, as well as the matching earrings would make a fantastic gift. I especially love the heart for Valentine's for obvious reasons. 

Take Miami everywhere you go with another classic design of mine, the "Miami" hoop. Available in an array of colors, this lightweight and versatile hoop is a great addition to any wardrobe.

Pretty Even On a Budget

Slowly but surely gaining cult status, these iconic pieces have taken the world of jewelry design by storm making them a must have among fashionable women everywhere. Here are two of my favorite it girls wearing their lucky charms.

What started with a simple Cuore, or heart design necklace, followed by the Papillon or butterfly design, is now a full fledged collection which includes earrings, necklaces of different sizes and many different gemstone combinations. The original gems were amazonite, rose quartz, and onyx, and we slowly added all of the beautiful gemstones you see here, which include cornaline, mint quartz, rutilated quartz, mother of pearl, indigo and navy quartz, malachite, tiger eye and white agate. 

Papillon in most of our gemstone combinations

On November in Las Vegas, Nevada, the most influential Latinos in the world of music gathered to celebrate the annual Latin Grammy Awards. On this night, I had the privileged of styling the jewels for the two most important women on the green carpet, Grammy host Jacky Bracamontes and green carpet host Chiquinquira Delgado.

Even though I have bejeweled these beauties for other events before, it is always an important feat. After all, the entire world is watching, and the choices made will stick with us at least until next year. Taking all of these things in consideration we start the process a few weeks in advance. I go to fittings, we exchange phone calls and ideas, and we settle on a few different options before finally picking "The One."

Above are two behind the scenes shots of Jacky being fitted by designer Nicolas Felizola. We always have such fun at these fittings. Her dress was made of a one of a kind fabric, so it was important that the jewels were very unique as well. For this gorgeous yellow look, we chose two very clean pieces, with architectural details, much like those in Jacky's dress.

Her earrings and matching statement ring are part of my Ombre collection, which uses different colored gems to create a beautiful degrade design. For her yellow dress, we went with a palet of bright yellow and fire sapphires, beautifully handset in 18kt yellow gold. 

For her green carpet look, Chiqui also coincidentally chose a yellow gown, hers by designer Angel Sanchez.  If I had planed on having two girls in yellow on the carpet I would not have been able to do so so successfully. And yet, when I saw the fabric of Chiqui's dress I was nervous. Two gorgeous women wearing the same color! What to do? How do we set them apart? Well the solution was all in the jewels. 

For Chiqui we went a completely different route. Instead of choosing jewels in the same color family, we went with a high fashion, high contrast idea, and chose pieces from my "Wanderlust" collection in turquoise and black diamonds. The results were spectacularly stunning.  

People forget the importance of accessories, and in this case, jewelry. As I said, jewels were what was going to make or break these entire looks. It was the jewels that kept them from being two similarly yellow dresses, and made each dress stand out on their own. No wonder they were both awarded best dressed by People magazine and its readers. What an honor!

Since Jacky was the host, she had many outfit changes through the night, and for this gorgeous number by Nicolas Felizola, we chose a brand new ring from my Radiant Orchid collection, and diamond drop earrings.