Penn Iarocci

New Orleans

Writer at NewOrleans

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Articles

Louisiana Fish As Fashion

4 days ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

Friends, let’s not forget the importance of fish. They’re not only delicious, but also strikingly beautiful to look at; well maybe with the exception of the Angler fish. In Louisiana, especially, fish represent our culture and livelihood. They evoke memories of family gatherings and slow afternoons spent casting a reel. They also create jobs and often improve environmental sustainability.
Wholesale Store Voyage Hosts Warehouse Sale

1 week ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

It’s rare to hear fair trade listed as a top priority in most shops. But for Gigi, owner of the online and wholesale store Voyage, it’s a key value. The term “fair trade” is thrown around a lot, but if you’re not exactly sure what it means, you’re not alone. And you may be missing the good you’re doing, while you are doing it! As you might have inferred, fair trademarked products represent a commitment to ensuring that they were made under fair conditions.
The Best Local Gifts for Graduation

2 weeks ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

I’m not yet in the stage of life where my kids (or even friend’s kids) are graduating from high school or college. So even as graduation party pics began infiltrating my social media feed, I sat back with the hubris of spectator. Quite smugly enjoying my lack of responsibility, because isn’t May already packing in enough responsibilities? I figured, my time will come, but it’s not now. Wrong.
Mignon Faget-Inspired Coral Looks

3 weeks ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

Mignon Faget jewelry endures not just because it is pretty but because it is classic. Never chasing trends, the eponymous brand has always stayed true to its core customer. At 45 years old, I’ve seen plenty of jewelry trends come, go and then come right back again. It’s striking the ease with which something once considered classic can reemerge as something au currant to a younger generation. Take for example, the shell themed jewelry that Mignon Faget practically pioneered in the ’80s and ‘90s.
Bringing Back The White Shoe

1 month ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

There is no doubt that white shoes dominated the 1980’s fashion scene. They were everywhere and available in every imaginable form; as loafers paired with cheesy pastel suits, patent stilettos worn by MTV video vixens, or worst of all, as buster brown shoes like the pair I was forced to don every Easter Sunday. But fashion is cyclical, and time has a way of softening even the most cringeworthy trends. After 25 years, the white shoe has been reimagined as a coveted and fresh accessory.
Kristin and Stuart Darnell of Darnell & Co.

1 month ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

Husband and wife team Kristin and Stuart Darnell spent years making quick weekend escapes from Charlotte to New Orleans. While most of their friends opted for beach getaways, they found refuge in the Big Easy, taking a break from running their 5,400-square-foot furniture showroom. Now that their son is in college, they’ve decided to close their to-the-trade-only showroom in Charlotte and open a small shop on Magazine Street, with hopes of catering to both design enthusiasts and professionals.
Buying Antique Rings in New Orleans

1 month ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

On a recent trip to Paris, I fell in love with an antique ring. I spotted it hiding under a cameo necklace in a display case at Les Puces De Saint-Ouen (the famed flea market). It was an emerald and diamond Victorian-style halo ring, which doesn’t sound that exciting, but it was. The center emerald was rectangular cut with no facets and surrounded by small round emeralds and diamonds, a unique and organic look you rarely see today.
Gretchen Pettis Shares a Look Into Interlude Antiques

1 month ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

Louisiana native Gretchen Pettis has loved antique jewelry for decades, but it wasn’t until recently that she decided to turn that passion into a business. With a surplus of time during COVID-19 and her twin sons now in college, she reimagined her hobby, collecting old watch chains, crosses and engraved gold-filled bracelets, into a profitable venture.
Bringing Back the Long Shorts for Summer

1 month ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

Shorts go by many names: Bermuda, Daisy Duke, cut-offs, board. Whatever you call them, it’s time to liberate them from the dusty corners of your closet. Unlike in seasons past, I’m actually ahead of the shorts game this year. A few weeks ago, I wandered into a Free People store on Magazine Street, and there they were, what would become my new favorite shorts. So unapologetically long, it felt almost scandalous. Could I really wear these not quite capris, but far from standard length short shorts?
The Best Bathing Suits for Summer

2 months ago | myneworleans.com | Penn Iarocci

In 1905, Australian competitive swimmer Annette Kellerman was invited to demonstrate her aquatic prowess for the British Royal Family. Her usual swimsuit, designed for speed and agility, was deemed by the royals to be too tight and short. At the time, women were expected to wear an unfortunate combination of an oversized dress with billowy woolen pantaloons. But, Kellerman refused to compromise her performance, insisting she wear her regular practice suit.