Edmonton Journal
Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Page: E1 / FRONT
Section: Look
Byline: Olivia Cheng
Dateline: EDMONTON
Source: The Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - It dazzles the eye, delights our inner diva and redefines personal style for a whole new generation of funky fashionistas.

No doubt about it, bejewelling ourselves with bling is big.

And with celebrities like hip-hop producer Pharell Williams and rock princess Gwen Stefani decked out in custom-designed diamond accessories, budget bling is becoming the latest must-have for those seeking star style while staying within a stargazer's means.

"This stuff is the hottest stuff right now,"confirms Time Square's Su Jan Lee, one of many Edmonton retailers cashing in on the budget bling craze. "I think this is definitely going to start a new trend here."

Fuelling the frenzy for flashy jewelry is the fact that consumers can now personalize belts, bracelets and even cellphone straps with faux gemstones.

Stores on Whyte Avenue are jumping on the bling bandwagon by embellishing items with Swarovski Austrian crystal rhinestones in a rainbow of colours.

"We can bling your cellphone, your MP3 player, your lighter, your sandals, your makeup compact, (even) hairclips," says Marni Dlin of Spirit of the Rock. "Almost anything you can think of decorating."

"Personalized accessories are becoming the thing to have," says Cheryl Harrison, director of fashion at Marvel College. "It's a way to be unique because it's hard to wear designer clothes every day. But when it's all about that one little thing that makes you more unique and more individual, then you can stand out every day through (accessories)."

As bling moves out of the luxury market and into the mass market, the term itself is invading mainstream consciousness.

"Bling bling" began as hip-hop lingo. It was coined in the late '90s by rap crew Cash Money Millionaires in a song paying homage to their love of excessive sparkle. From there, CNN newscasters set a new hipster standard by saying bling bling on air. And in 2003, the Oxford English Dictionary added bling bling to its lexicon -- defining it as "a reference to elaborate jewelry and the appreciation of it."

Today, hip-hop artists continue to flaunt their love affair with it -- constantly plugging their latest piece by Jacob the Jeweller, who's arguably the reigning king of creating customized bling.

While the real thing remains out of reach for most of us, Lee says a little creativity and a few rhinestones are all it takes to turn a run-of-the-mill accessory into a personalized statement of style worthy of any rock star.

ocheng@thejournal.canwest.com
_