by Rosanna Carlucci
Red lipstick is an icon. It is also the calling card of Hollywood bombshells and Vintage Vixens both past and present. During the Fall 09 runway shows, red lipstick appeared not only on the mouths of countless models but also adorned their necks and handbags. Designers such as Dolce and Gabbana and Betsey Johnson revived the icon of red lipstick and incorporated it into both their jewellery and handbag designs. Most notably, Dolce and Gabbana’s whimsical lipstick necklace made of gold chains and tiny tubes of red lipstick dilated thousands of pupils and set vintage hearts aflutter.

Inspired by the novelty of 50’s jewellery and artists and designers such as Salvador Dali and Elsa Schiaparelli, the collections revisit a time when makeup and vanity items were the inspiration for playful accessories such as brooches or necklaces. In the Fifties, many women would wear lipstick brooches on a chic black evening bag or fun summer dress.

So make sure you put your red lipstick on your mouth, your neck, and your handbag too. Either way, you will be sure to leave your mark!