video of a still life

With crystal by Lobmeyr, Baccarat and Saint Louis emerging from billowing clouds of colorful smoke, this video takes an incredibly imaginative approach to presenting beautiful objects in a way that emphasizes the delicate craftsmanship  that created them.  Filmed under water, the surreal pace of movement emphasizes the grace of the crystal.

1942 / war is nuts

Modernization and industrialization, war, disintegration - the early forties are duly represented in this crazy headpiece and necklace, made from salvaged airplane metal, on otherwise staidly dressed Annette del Sur.

new again

It's a good time for a rentrée.  Amidst a flurry of re-issues in the fashion world, Cartier is bringing back its seventies-era classic, "Juste Un Clou" which is more than just a nail since it is solid gold, made by Cartier, and still makes people crazy despite being middle aged.

The presentation and party for Milan Design Week were star-studded and drink-addled, of course, but do all these reruns indicate that we've become more interested in the long continuum of design? Depending on how cynical you're feeling, either we're recovering from our addiction to the hyper forward movement of fashion, or the big hitters are cementing their brand history with pieces whose marketing is already established.

 

color inspiration 2013

Sometimes there's nothing more inspiring than to see what's going on in a different field, and so I find myself a little over-excited at the new leather colors predicted for the 2013 fall season.  While my mind is always boggled by trying to think about what might happen three seasons from now, I know that these colors would make for one beautiful winter, even if we have to go through a whole dreary winter before we get to the winter of these life-affirming happy colors.

How beautiful would these color combinations be as gemstones?

marni throwing shapes

You can almost hear the sound effects coming off of these pieces...

chanel from the depths of the earth

Rocky Road eyebrows embroidered by Lesage set the tone for giant crystal clusters on the models {and the runway, and the clothes, and everything in Karl's vision} at Chanel.  Chanel presentations are always as much about the jewelry as the clothes, and this time it was a grand journey to the Earth's inner core, and maybe to Superman's Fortress of Solitude, with heroically sized accessories.

 

sweet romance

The textile necklaces at Dior make for a seamless link between clothing and jewelry, with soft loops that look like they came right from the dressmaker's box.

lanvin in the autumn

The oversized baroque jewels at Lanvin conjure up wild parties and dark mysteries at the same time.  These women seem to radiate trouble- the kind you want to know about.

ralph lauren's jewelry

Surprising all the attention the Ralph Lauren show got this season, but the dandy styling was handsome, if not new.  Makes me wonder why we're not all sporting some feathers on our lapels...

fall preview

After a very long vacation, it's time to check out new jewelry from the Fall 2012 runway presentations.  Since vacation is still weighing hazily on the brain, let's start with some of the most amusing stuff: Kenzo's food inspired-jewelry.  Much thanks to the folks at Opening Ceremony for going where no one else dared to go, i.e. the fridge.  Below, what looks to be perspex- and silver-coated orange slice earrings and a link bracelet composed of what are perhaps peach pits:

yigal's jewelry

Always love the work of Yigal Azrouel, and this great choker from his show for New York Fashion Week is a perfect example of why.

new york energy

The New York-based designer Eddie Borgo always seems to perfectly encapsulate the mood of the moment with his pieces.  Trendy- sure they are- but when done with so  much talent for creating something new and desirable, you can't help but admire trendy.  They're the kind of pieces that make me want to hop on the next plane back to New York, to soak up the energy of the city's constant metamorphosis and the frenetic creative folk restlessly pushing things forward there. 

Here, just a few of his latest pieces...

 

 

thank you, lanvin

And thanks to Elie Top, the super talented designer behind Lanvin's coveted jewels who put the only jewelry on the men's runways for Fall 2012.  There's a certain sophisticated subversiveness to these pieces that I am really digging.

more vicenzaoro treasures

Plenty of fun stuff to see at this show, but my favorite discovery was Etho, a fine jewelry company based in Milan.

With beautiful pieces and an unusual approach to working with precious materials, I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of their jewelry.

all jewelry by Etho

vicenzaoro favorites

Here are some standouts from the VicenzaOro show last week.  Packed with stands showing off piles of precious gems and endless bling, it's the best place to see some great new Italian jewelry.

diamond creole drop earrings by Zydo

sterling silver and rose gold cuff bracelets by Laurent Gandini

diamond earrings by Ponte Vecchio Gioielli

future jewelry

Coming soon to a desk near you is a 3D printer ready to create a prototype or even a finished product, requiring only the design to print out whatever your heart desires.  For those of us who like to make things, or own things, serious ground is about to be broken as these miracle machines become better and cheaper.

Already widely used on an industrial level, it's only a matter of time until designers become familiar enough with this new tool to start creating pieces that were hitherto impossible, pushing the aesthetic boundaries of jewelry into some exciting new territory.

Starting Jan 13th, the Aram Gallery in London will be showcasing some new works from designers using 3D printing technology for jewelry and more. The "Print to Send/Send to Print" exhibit is a glimpse of what's to come.