With the eclecticism of this season's trends, it would be difficult to update your wardrobe without committing to at least one of the current fashion themes. The question, though, is this: is it better to go boho, Russian, Edwardian, late-'60s graphic, or even a little bit country? Thrown into the mix is the deep diversity of accessories available. An entire wardrobe of jewellery is essential for each of these looks. Fret not, fellow fashionistas: the big advantage to all this choice is the crossover. As easy as matching that Edwardian blouse with a boho tweed vest, a pair of classic boho hoops accessorized with a teardrop of onyx will easily fit with a Russian-style waistcoat. And with the ever-increasing expertise and attention applied to the making of fashion jewellery, it's now possible to buy quantity and quality.

Louisa LaBarbera features an extensive range of looks in her collection year round: from tassels to cameos to pearls on one end to hand-hammered rings to jet to pop-art plastics on the other ($65 to $1,000). Her approach to making the collections is an easy one to apply to selecting pieces for the new season: "I think people are just doing what makes them happy, designwise; for me, the inspiration is the materials. I see the necklaces being created while I'm working with them. If I find a really funky vintage pink plastic bead then I'll just make what I think goes with it." With the plethora of choice available, it's easy to go from jet beading to wooden bangles on the wrist to layered and long necklaces.

LaBarbera had her start at Beadworks in Toronto, sister to the Beadworks here on Granville Island, right out of high school. While she was at university, her jewellery sales became more profitable and the dreamcatcher business run out of her dorm room took precedence over environmental studies and geography.

Between two university attempts, LaBarbera made her way to Vancouver in 1996 where she met Madalena Corsi, then owner of Sharp and Friends and now owner of Jeweliette (692 Seymour Street), where much of LaBarbera's line is stocked. "Back then my materials were silk and glass beads and surgical steel, and over time I worked with Mad to improve the design and the materials. She's been a real mentor for me."

During our sunny sitdown over tea, LaBarbera takes some time to highlight some of the signature pieces for this fall/winter. She motions to the necklace currently around her neck. "The one that I'm wearing are my Majorca pearls [$195], the highest quality of synthetic pearls. They are man-made but extremely highly praised, even in the fine-jewellery world."

Definitely blurring the lines between fine and fashion jewellery is LaBarbera's loop collection, hand-hammered and made of 14-karat gold-fill wire (which, unlike gold plate, doesn't tarnish) and semiprecious stones such as black onyx, jade, amethyst, citrine, and garnet. "I'm doing a lot of black and gold for fall because black is the new black.

"And babies are the new Chihuahua," she jokes.

One of her opera-length necklaces (70 to 85 centimetres) features cascades of varying-sized gold-fill wire loops, all hand-hammered ($375). Another piece, perhaps partially inspired from her studies in ancient history, is a 40-centimetre necklace, almost a choker, with three strands of salmon branch coral and a locket pendant cameo ($225). Her Victorian beaded black onyx and black crystal choker has a difficult-to-find black cameo pendant as its anchor feature ($255).

Her current collection of earrings showcases large hoops varying in size from one to five centimetres in diameter ($85 to $225). Each hoop features a combination of teardrops in black freshwater pearls, faceted black onyx, chalcedony, wood beads, gold chain, and turquoise.

Having moved back to Toronto several years ago, LaBarbera does her best to make both cities her home. In the process, she's developed a notable client roster from the jazz world: Renee Rosnes, Shannon Gunn, Kate Hammett-Vaughan, and Amalia Townsend of Sekoya, as well as Sophie Milman. With her jewellery also available at Accessity on Toronto's tony Cumberland Street, she says that her next step is to move more toward 14-karat gold and fine jewellery. Which means another choice for us.