Iconic Style, Reimagined
When we saw Aerin Lauder recreate a classic Millicent Rogers look in this month’s Town & Country, we were inspired! In her 1948 photo spread in Harper’s Bazaar, Rodgers, the Standard Oil heiress that took Taos by storm in the ’40s, made Navajo jewelry iconic and cool. A symbol of the Southwest and all of its adventure, possibility, and freedom, turquoise has never shied away from stealing the show.
Every decade rediscovers the timelessness of turquoise. “It’s an iconic style that went back to the ’40s, and it’s still important and relevant today,” says American West Jewelry Designer Carolyn Pollack.
Our brand is built on the bold styles that define New Mexico. At American West we put our own spin on classic Navajo, Pueblo, Hopi and Spanish designs, just as Rodgers did when she began designing her own jewelry on the pages of yellow legal pads, some of which you can still see in her Taos museum.
The message that Rodgers invented, that Lauder is reminding the world, and that we are taking up the banner for, is that turquoise and sterling jewelry is incredibly versatile. In the original photo by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Rodgers is pairing chunky Navajo cuffs with a Charles James blouse and a diamond brooch. Lauder reimagines the same look, pairing large turquoise cuffs with a Khaite shirt, diamond brooch and Yurman rings.
In our twist on this iconic style reimagined; we layered our biggest, boldest, turquoise and sterling cuffs to make a statement in two colors of turquoise, sky blue and green. Rather than diamonds and silk, we grounded our look in every day wearability with our quail pendant and layered Native pearls.
Feeling inspired to mix, match, and become your own mistress of reinvention? SHOP THE LOOK HERE.