There are some monumental moments in an actresses life that don' t necessarily relate to her acting career but in many ways define the values and icon values that she will become known for. You can either approach this, as an actress from the, "when I get big, I' m going to... " perspective or you can start thinking about how to project your philosophy "on the way up."

I have been approached a great many times in my life about modeling (being genetically obliged  to my parents in all of these instances) but have always resisted just a blind attachment  to a product (with financial compensation but often little if no connection to the product on a personal level). Of course, I have by now had moments also of looking wistfully af friends making big bank from commercials and print ads that they gleefully shot with no twinge of remorse whatsoever. Shaving foam, after all, does not need to compromise ones belief in true love:o)

The summer I started initiating the move to Los Angeles to pursue the career to the next level (after 5 years of great guest starring and starring roles up north, I felt I had outgrown my Hollywood north), was the same year I met Elizabeth Moore and decided to become the face of her jewelry.

Ironically, I was not much of a jewelry wearer, diamond or semi-precious or leather boho looks. I had signature pieces that I connected with for periods of time (the snake ring from Athens, the cameo pin from one of the original makers and a silversmith original bracelet my godmother had allowed me to draw the designs for on my 16th birthday). The red carpet future looked like it was going to change that forever and I could not get over how much of what appeared at premieres went straight to the FASHION RADAR TOP TEN list within days. Actresses held the new power of fashionistas (and one might argue their stylists, the true genius for some of their looks, were the real creators of fashion fate).. but my role, as an actress, was without question to define and influence by what I wore on the red carpet.

I recall the Oscar lounge that I first saw Elizabeth' s jewelry line at.. opulent, airy, and full of young starlets and some established names elegantly being introduced to designers who had come to gift them with the hopes they might give their product that much-needed exposure to "go big". To write about this process would in itself require a separate article so for now, I will focus on what blew me away about Froote.

Having grown up with one aristocratic side of the family (and some very devoted grandmothers and aunts to the posh look of socialite elements: diamonds and fur) and also with a more bohemian perspective from dad' s side (crafted "cepelie" from the mountain people indigenous to Poland), I had a pretty good range of what defined "jewelry". Not thinking I had "seen it all," but without question that I knew the parameters... Elizabeth' s designs literally made me do a double take. Defying both conventions of cultured AND raw, the colors were what caught my eye first; I had entered her area of the lounge with only a casual interest  - the array of aquamarine and lavender stones in eye-catching clusters and a defiant blend of raw finish and sparkly majesty... this became a fitting session that would change my life. I had often thought about eco oriented designers an how unfortunate it was that there was so little correlation bewtween the worlds of couture and green...

The attention to detail in the design and Elizabeth' s dedication to push the elements of creating eco-oriented pieces by going fair trade and minimizing processing was the visionary idea (and picture) of what I thought captured the perfect balance. My fellow actresses seem to either launch fully into the green sphere of thinking or hang back wondering if they can still retain "glamour" while subscribing to the ideals professed by environmentalist philosophy. There are now also those who wear a random t-shirt that says "I' m green" who think that this automatically qualifies as eco-friendly behaviour but again, that' s another article and I think it' s important to acknowledge the success of this designer before getting critical of those just imitating the lingo.

I spent a timeless hour talking to Elizabeth about her philosophy, what she repressents as a person and what the jewelry captures in feminine energy; that blend of sophistication and untethered free-spiritedness that I so adore in my favorite female icons. Defiant but delicate, assertive but introspective, a steady gaze but also a playful wink: all the elements of beauty combined with charisma.

I believe the jewelry speaks stronger than any words I can write about it' s beauty; I can attest to the fact that it does transform and elevate any outfit I wear it with and even solo, shooting in on the black sand beaches of Maui, I felt like we were tapping into the ancient aura of Aphrodite herself.

www.frootejewelry.com

Check out the site for inimatable and distinctive pieces and my Cosmo TV audition in which instead of their material, I decided to post a behind the scenes from the photoshoot for Spring 2008.

www.dominikawashere.com/frootecosmo.wmv