lookbook: the 2 bandits

"And the seasons they go 'round and 'round / And the painted ponies go up and down / We're captive on the carousel of time / We can't return we can only look behind / From where we came / And go round and round and round / In the circle game"

So goes the chorus of Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game," and for jewelry designer Tamar Wider, there couldn't have been a more striking song to fit with her latest collection for The 2 Bandits.

"It is inspired by the circle/cycles of life. Most of the shapes are literal, including circles and half circles," she explains. But for the Texas native, it wasn't just the folk singer who influenced her design process; it was her roots: "I'm all about Texas glam so I went big, not home!" That translates to big hoops, onyx stones, and more than a few statement pieces. And you find traces of her hometown in surprising ways; take the Big Tex earrings, which according to Wider were named after "our folksy icon--not a real person--at the State Fair of Texas since 1952. He burned to flames this year, [but] he remains a childhood memory forever."

The lookbook, however, was not shot down South, but rather at the saloon bar Old Place Cornell just outside of L.A., where Wider had a bit too much fun with model Teresa Oman. "We partied a bit at the hotel the night before the shoot," remembers the designer, adding, "She was wearing a visor that said Bacon in bacon font on it. The story behind Bacon is way to long to tell, but hilarious. We decided that we have to use it in one of our shots. It ended up being one of my favorites!" Go through the lookbook below to find your own favorite--and then, if you're feeling inspired,

shop The 2 Bandits current collection through the NYLON Shop

!

Visit the2bandits.com

for more info. And check out the jewelry brand's most recent lookbook--featuring Taylor Warren and a really cute cat--

here

.