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Buzz-worthy Female Designers to Watch
SMW Women’s Fashion, Makeup & Beauty Tips
By Erin Donnelly, updated 10/18/2008 at 9:57:07 AM

Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Karl Lagerfeld, Phillip Lim…there's no question that male fashion designers have no shortage of talent when it comes to creating stunning looks for female forms. Still, it's the go-getter female designers and entrepreneurs that we love to champion. From mega-watt jewelry created just for single women to eco-minded fashion with a high-fashion twist, we've rounded up some of our best-loved styles created by three talented women. Looks like your closet is about to get a bit more crowded…

The Goddess of Green: Nadia Nour

It's one thing to recycle your newspapers and cut your electricity usage. But many women still feel queasy when the subject of “eco-conscious” fashion comes up.

Nadia Nour is changing that. The young New York-based designer has a flair for whipping up chic, glamorous ensembles that you'd swear strolled off the runway—and the fact that she uses natural and organic materials is the cherry on top. Rather than shapeless hemp skirts or boring cotton tees, Nour delivers urban, sophisticated looks that range from silky blouses and dresses to sleek pencil skirts ready to take the office by storm. And with her fall collection, every piece is saturated with intense colors, a far cry from the typical beiges and “natural” tones we come to expect from organic apparel.

Bold, confident, and good for the environment? What's not to like?

The Vintage Vixen: Karen Zambos

If you're the type of gal in possession of a jewelry box packed with Grandma's antique brooches and a stash of your vintage Levi's in your closet, you'll love designer Karen Zambos and her knack for refashioning the old into something fresh and new. With her Karen Zambos Vintage Couture line, the Los Angeles-based Zambos presents striking reworked vintage pieces that are truly unique. Her slinky Cowl Neck Mini belongs on a Parisian femme fatale, while the Open Collar Blazer could work either around the office or with jeans for a night out. And if you still have shaken your love for Brady-esque bold prints, shimmy into the retro Shimmy Top.

Can't get enough of that Zambos touch? Check out her two other labels. Elegantly Waisted specializes in hip belts, while Zambos has partnered with pal Lisa Siega to launch a line of vintage-inspired handbags called Zambos & Siega.

The Bling Queen: Ruta Fox

Sick of being blinded by your married girlfriends' jewelry? Show them you don't need a wedding license to rock your own bling. Ruta Fox of DivineDiamonds.com created her sparkling The Ah Ring ™ with single women in mind, and with fans like Oprah behind her, the former fashion copywriter hasn't looked back. A pinkie ring boasting a 14k white gold band studded with 11 round full-cut diamonds totaling almost one-quarter carat, The Ah Ring ™, Fox says, is the “diamond ring that you buy for yourself.” And at $330, the price is right for any woman to treat herself.

“I wanted to dust off the old wives' tale that women couldn't buy their own diamonds,” Fox says. She says her clients range from young women purchasing their first piece of major jewelry to newly divorced women to sorority sisters buying the rings as a group.

Oh, and the name? ‘A' stands for ‘available,' and ‘h' for ‘happy,' announcing to the world that you're single and proud.

Fox's other jewelry creations also have special meanings. Her The Snowflake Necklace ™, which glistens with 34 full-cut diamonds totaling just over a quarter of a carat, signifies uniqueness, while the sapphire- and diamond-accented Tranquility Cross ™ embodies serenity. And if you're looking for something to complement your Ah Ring ™, look to her Loves Me Earrings ™, beautiful diamond petals that are engraved ‘Ah.'

Mr. Right can wait. Jewelry this good can't.

Available at DivineDiamonds.com.

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