My irrepressible and irreplaceable friend Lola Mitchell — aka Gangsta Boo of the trailblazing rap group Three 6 Mafia — would have turned 44 today. But, tragically, Lola died on January 1 in her hometown of Memphis. As I said in my previous blog post, I started writing a tribute to Lola the day I…
Back for a Sweet Sixteen!
Sixteen years ago today, I posted a “placeholder” announcement on wbjewelry.blogspot.com, saying I’d be launching a blog soon. Two days later, a distressed Britney Spears fled a photo shoot clad in borrowed designer goods — including one of my 18K gold poison rings — and the blog posts started pouring out of me. Over the…
RIP, Richard Belzer
I was sad to see that Richard Belzer died today, aged 78. Belzer first rose to prominence as a stand-up comic, but he became famous with a capital F when he was cast as television’s sardonic Detective Munch, a character he played on two different shows — Homicide and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit…
Martin Luther King Day Activism
If you don’t get my weekly activism newsletter, why not subscribe now? I’ve been writing this newsletter since 2017 and I have expanded it from NYC-only to include national options. If you want to make your world a better place but don’t know where to start, I’ve got answers for you, no matter what your…
2022 in Review: What Wendy Wore, Part II
Missed Part I of my personal fashion year in review? Here it is! Now I’ll pick up where I left off, which was August 2022, for which I have … nothing. Somehow I celebrated MrB’s 80th birthday with family and came away with no outfit photo or blog post. At least we took a weird…
2022 in Review: What Wendy Wore, Part I
This week, I decided to look up my 2021 “year in review” posts and was shocked — not Casablanca-style fake SHOCKED but genuinely SHOOK — to discover I didn’t write any for the first time since 2011. No year-end Jewel of the Month wrap-up, even though I had conscientiously featured one of my designs each…
RIP, Vivienne Westwood
British fashion designer and outspoken climate- and human-rights activist Vivienne Westwood died at age 81 yesterday. During her 50-year career, Westwood pioneered punk, then pivoted to history-driven high fashion that provoked critics almost as much as her bondage pants did. She never caved to convention. Even in 1992, when Westwood was so established that Queen…
Have a Very Merry Titmas
As is my tradition, I wish you all a very merry Titmas, regardless of your religious belief or lack thereof. Embed from Getty Images I considered trying something new and wishing you a Merry Clitmas … … but I didn’t want any men to miss my holiday message. Instead, I will share this beautiful —…
A Festivus (and Activist) Birthday
It was only a few years ago that I realized there was a firm date for Festivus — the anti-holiday holiday popularized by Seinfeld in 1997. Previously, I thought Festivus floated around the Gregorian calendar, Hanukkah style, occasionally landing on my birthday, which is December 23 (today!). Checking the official Festivus website right now, I…
Treat Yourself to Wendy Brandes Jewelry
Oh, hey, remember how I design luxe jewelry that’s sold on super-chic 1stdibs.com? My end-of-the-year sale started today, so it’s a good time to scoop up any high-end pieces you’ve long coveted. Standard shipping is free. If you want your purchase for a loved one’s holiday gift rather than a self-gift, I will do my…