October 28, 2016

Mark Davis: Hypercrafted Jewelry

October 28, 2016/ Kathleen Marino

Founded in 1999, Mark Davis is an ultra-niche designer and manufacturer of "hypercrafted" luxury goods. Mark’s expert use and adaptation of alternative materials is one reason that his jewelry is so special. By applying the exacting techniques of the haute joaillerie to materials not traditionally considered “fine,” Mark has created collections remarkable for their freshness and exceptional distinctiveness.

While each collection has its distinct characteristics, all share important attributes. Quality is paramount in every respect: Mark works in close collaboration with his team of highly skilled artisans to realize his designs and to maintain exceptionally high standards not often offered today. A tremendous amount of manual labor—using both ancient jewelers’ techniques and modern manufacturing methods—is invested in every Mark Davis piece. Every item is meticulously handmade in their New York City studio. Nothing is mass-produced, and most pieces are one of a kind. Those created in multiples are available only in limited quantities.

POLYOXYBENZYLMETHYLENGLYCOLANHYDRIDE A.K.A. BAKELITE

"SUGARLOAF" RING OF LAMINATED, HAND-CARVED, VINTAGE BAKELITE "SCRAPS" MOUNTED IN 18 KARAT GOLD.

Invented by Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907, Bakelite was the first completely synthetic plastic material. It contained no petroleum or plant-derived ingredients. The development of Bakelite changed the course of mankind and the planet. Unfortunately, all the changes have not been good. Some of the properties that made Bakelite so remarkable 100 years ago have come to haunt us today. Bakelite does not melt and cannot be recycled like most petroleum plastics. Its once-desirable durability becomes a liability when it enters the waste stream.

The vintage Bakelite used in Mark's products is an example of recycling in its purest form. They repurpose material that cannot be recycled, preventing it from entering the waste stream in the first place. By treating it like a precious material, has essentially elevated its status to highly desirable as well as beautiful.

Mark Davis bakelite jewels depends on exacting techniques of working the bakelite that are similar to those employed for natural ivory, but without ivory’s associated ecological devastation. In addition, the bakelite offers a range of colors and patterns that are unique and remarkable in their own right. Thermosetting resins cannot be melted and reformed. They must be reformed by hand with labor-intensive techniques. Every piece is individually subjected to a combination of sawing, carving, filing, sanding and polishing. All work is done by hand in their New York City workshop.

VINTAGE BAKELITE BANGLES WITH 18 KARAT GOLD WIRE INLAY AND AMETHYSTS.

BANGLES CREATED FROM VINTAGE BAKELITE WITH 18 KARAT GOLD WIRE INLAY AND PERIDOT.

Mark Davis chooses to use the term “bakelite” with a lowercase “b” as a blanket term to identify a wide range of vintage thermosetting resins. These include Bakelite, Catalin, Prystal, Beetle, Galalith and others. All of the bakelite they use are vintage material which they have searched the world for. They cannibalize material from wherever they find it, including old clocks, jukeboxes, game pieces, lamps and billiard balls.

WOOD

The woods used in Mark Davis jewelry are selected for their natural beauty, durability, and sustainability. The wood that is used is from managed resources or naturally fallen trees, as well as wood reclaimed from architectural demolition. All woods are presented in their natural colors: no dye, stain, or paint are uses on them. Depending on the physical characteristics of the type of wood used, the pieces are finished with a natural wax or a more durable lacquer.

GOLD AND PLATINUM

HAND-CARVED VINTAGE BAKELITE "SUGARLOAF" RING MOUNTED IN 18 KARAT GOLD.

Mark Davis has choosen to use only recycled eighteen karat gold and platinum in our jewelry. All of the precious metals come from suppliers that are as committed to environmental stewardship as Mark Davis is.

SUSTAINABILITY

EVEN THEIR EARRING BACKS ARE HAND-MADE. THEY DO NOT USE COMMERCIALLY PRODUCED STAMPED BACKS.

"By its very nature, our jewelry is the most eco-friendly fine jewelry in the world. That is not an exaggeration. With only very few exceptions, our fine jewelry is, on average, created from 80 percent post-consumer recycled materials. In some instances, that number rises to more than 95 percent...

We have corporate policies in place that ensure an aggressive reduction in the amount of disposable consumables used in both our administrative and production operations every year. We also financially support environmental organizations that are working to remediate and prevent environmental damage to the world we all live in.

The precious metals used in our products, as in almost all jewelry produced today, are recycled. We purchase our gold, platinum and silver from suppliers who have received independent, third-party certification confirming that the metals are indeed recycled. Additionally, our suppliers have received independent, third-party certification of their refining processes and systems. If not properly and responsibly executed, the reclamation and refining of precious metals can be almost as harmful to the environment as the production of newly mined ore. By working with suppliers who are regularly subjected to rigorous auditing and testing, of both their products and processes, we can confidently assure our customers that the precious metals in our products are eco-friendly."

MARK DAVIS

Born in Manhattan, Mark spent his formative years in Malaysia. An aesthete since childhood, he was expelled from the International School of Kuala Lumpur for refusing to wear a uniform he considered ugly. His expulsion notwithstanding, Mark returned to New York to attend Parsons School of Design, the Fashion Institute of Technology and New York University.

An internship in Christie’s jewelry department followed by a job with an estate jeweler in Manhattan afforded Mark the opportunity to handle a tremendous number of fine and exceptional jewels. These experiences were instrumental in teaching him both about the importance of fine craftsmanship and the value in working for himself.

Mark began designing and producing his first line of jewelry in 1999, and the fashion press quickly took notice of his distinctive aesthetic. Just months after they were created, his first pieces appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, W and Elle.

Fascinated since childhood by all things mechanical, and convinced that exceptional production methods are as important as fine design, Mark built a complete in-house production facility, where he conceives, designs and produces his jewelry along with a team of skilled artisans who work under his close direction.

Mark’s aesthetic is frequently described as “future classic.” Even when the materials used are vintage, his jewelry has a distinctively contemporary feel that is current without being trendy. His continual development of new designs and concepts offers clients an ever-expanding selection to discover, enjoy and collect.

Visit the Mark Davis website for more information.

January 07, 2016

Björn Weckström: Lapponia and Princess Leia

January 07, 2016/ Kathleen Marino

Björn Weckström, the designer behind Lapponia, received an interesting phone call in spring 1976. George Lucas's secretary placed the call to inquire about commissioning silver jewelry pieces for a new movie that Lucas currently had in production - the title of the movie was never revealed during the call. Lucas was specifically after jewelry designed by Björn Weckström. The scene for which the jewelry would be needed was going to be filmed in approximately 6 weeks.
George Lucas was not a known name in Finland, and Weckström didn't know him either, but he was intrigued by the project. Space and science fiction themes had been present in his earlier work, so the thought of designing jewelry for a space adventure movie was fascinating.

Weckström started to sketch a necklace suitable for the movie, but his work was soon interrupted when Lucas's secretary contacted him again. There had been a change in the filming sequence of the scenes, and the jewelry would be needed already in a week's time – a week was too short for that. Weckström had to tell the secretary that the situation was impossible.
The conversation then turned to Lapponia's existing collection. The movie was currently being filmed at the Elstree studios near London and several jewelry stores in Europe kept Lapponia's products in stock. As luck would have it there was a Lapponia retailer on Bond Street in London. Weckström gave the address to the secretary who said that the production team would go and look at the collection available.
In the store the production team had found just the right kind of jewelry for the scene and later sent a message to Weckström that stated that Lucas thought the jewelry was fantastic. Weckström was happy for the success, even though he still didn't know in which movie the jewelry would be displayed. There was no communication from the production team after the last message.
Star Wars premiered in Finland as late as on 16th of December 1977. A friend of Björn Weckström's saw one of the first screenings of the movie in Finland, and immediately recognised Weckström's jewelry in the final scene of the movie (the award ceremony). Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) wears the necklace "Planetoid Valleys" and "Darina's Bracelet" as she presents medals to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford).
Soon, Weckström himself went to see the movie. Seeing his own jewelry on a big screen, in an international movie was quite an experience. When designing the Space Silver collection in 1969, Weckström could not have imagined that the pieces would become a part of a cult phenomenon.

The interruption of the design work that was started for the movie later bothered the designer and after seeing the movie, Weckström returned to his original sketches. From these sketches he developed his ideas further. The Poema necklace was based on the original design, and this necklace was manufactured in limited series during the 1990's.
Planetoid Valleys and Darina's Bracelet are still available in Lapponia's collection:

Planetoid Valleys
Darina's Bracelet

Sources:
IMDB, Wikipedia, Lapponia archives, Lucasfilm Ltd

July 17, 2015

Victoire de Castellane

July 17, 2015/ Kathleen Marino

Victoire de Castellane, is known for her spectacularly unexpected color combinations and bold imaginative style. Everything is one-of-a-kind: no two are alike. The jewelry is fun, whimsical, colorful wearable art. Her pieces tell stories that enchant, delight, and challenge all the conventions of high jewelry with their playfulness.

Victoire de Castellane was born into the French aristocratic House of Castellane, that can trace their lineage back to the 10th century. Her family tree includes reigning princes, bishops, generals and noblemen. One of the more notable members was De Castellane’s great-grand-uncle Boni de Castellane (1867–1932). He was a Parisian dandy and legend of the Belle Époque who married American railroad heiress Anna Gould.
De Castellane was brought up by her maternal grandmother and her uncle, Gilles Dufour, who was one of Karl Lagerfeld’s principal assistants, first at Fendi then Chanel.
De Castellane credits her love of jewelry and it's creation to watching her paternal grandmother, Silvia Rodriguez de Rivas, Countess de Castilleja de Guzman, "change her baubles to match her different outfits several times a day." Her first jewelry-making feat was accomplished at the age of five when she dismantled a priceless charm-bracelet belonging to her mother, transforming it into a pair of earrings. At 12, she created her first ring using gold melted down from the religious medals she’d received at her Communion ceremony.
It is this rich family heritage that both inspires and shapes her work:
“I love the idea of artisanal work, craftsman work, and I have all kinds of influences.
See, I am Parisian-born, but my grandmother was Spanish, and I have Cuban blood
from my great uncle. But, what can I say? I feel like a French woman; Paris is really
my city, my town. I do love to travel, though, especially to Latin countries, to stay close
to my Latin roots. My grandmother was from Andalusia—she was a really strong character
and very feminine. She was always matching her clothes to her jewelry always wearing
lipstick, her nails painted until she was 90.”

In the early 1980s, the teenage de Castellane frequented famed Parisian nightclubs such as Le Palace where she first experimented with dressing up in playful, flamboyant styles, often sporting Mickey Mouse ears or a devil’s horns headband and wearing lingerie on the outside of her clothing.
This creativity and irreverent regard for the conventional "rules" for fashion lead her to join Chanel in 1984 where she started as a studio assistant. Soon she was working alongside Chanel legend Karl Lagerfeid overseeing the house’s costume jewelry designs. She continued at Chanel for 14 years during which time Lagerfeld remarked, "She follows the rules I like best in life: Don't compare. Don't compete. You look at her. You get the message." (The New York Times, 1987)

Since 1998, she has been the creative director of Christian Dior’s fine jewelry division. Her sources of inspiration are said to include floral and natural motifs, as well as a global mix of pop culture, such as "Technicolor, Alice in Wonderland, Manga characters, the Brothers Grimm, Walt Disney Pictures, Venus Flytraps, Bassett’s Liquorice allsorts, the visual excesses of Bollywood and the darkest depths of the subconscious." -"Affluence Under the Influence", W (magazine)
Every year de Castellane creates a High Jewelry collection and at least one Fine Jewelry collection for Dior Joaillerie, as well as numerous one-off pieces.
As of June 2012, there are 40 Dior Joaillerie stores in 17 different countries.

De Castellane also produces her own collection, Victoire de Castellane, which includes high jewelry, one-of-a-kind pieces. In 2011, de Castellane had her first solo exhibition of personal work at Gagosian Gallery in Paris. The exhibit entitled Fleur d’excès, the show featured a collection of ten one-off pieces with faux-classificatory monikers such as: L. Es Delirium Flash, Quo Caïnus Magic Disco and Heroïna Romanticam Dolorosa.
In 2014 "Animalvegetablemineral", the second personal exhibition of unique object by Victoire de Castellane was presented at Gagosian Gallery Davies Street, London & Gagosian Madison avenue, New York.
De Castellane's latest work for Dior is entitled Soie and is inspired by silk strands and fabric. She recently told Vogue Magazine that “It’s fantastic—you start with the idea of something very soft, but you work with something hard,” Diamonds, cut and set to mimic the shine and movement of fabric, along with pink sapphires in gold, intended to evoke pleating. Everything is one-of-a-kind and again de Castellane demonstrates her unique idea of color spectacularly pairing the unexpexted.
Naturally, when you pour so much passion and love into gemstones and the pieces that are created aaround them you develop an attachment and sometimes it is difficult to let them go. De Castellane confessed to Vogue Magazine and has said, “I hope they will be happy in another family." One can only imagine that her clients who anxious await her collections will cherish these pieces of de Castellane's exquisite imagination

Current Collection

The most recent High Fashion Collection Designed for Dior is entitles Soie and is inspired by silk strands as well as the look and movement of fabric.

A Selection of Past Collections and Exhibits

Her personal work has been exhibited in art settings, including her solo show, Fleur d’excès, at Gagosian Gallery in 2011, and her second personal exhibition of unique object in January and March 2014 called "Animalvegetablemineral" presented at Gagosian Gallery Davies Street, London & Gagosian Madison avenue, New York.

One of the most striking collections created by de Castellane is the 2009 Reines et Rois Haute Joaillerie collection of 20 one-of-a-kind pieces, featuring ten queen rings and ten king pendants. Each with names evoking the stones that make up this imaginary kingdom. Reines et Roi premiered at Dior's world famous Townhouse, 30 avenue Montaigne, Paris. The collection invited viewers to enter a darkened room where they discovered (thanks to a complex and sophisticated lighting process) all the kings and queens appeared to be floating in dark windows creating a ghostly effect.
The skulls borrow stylistically from the Baroque. The skulls are sculpted in stones that each have their own lore of bygone eras attached to them: Chrysolite was used in the Middle Ages to embellish church ornaments; Jasper was worn as an amulet to cure headaches, and Jade which was reportedly beneficial for the kidneys.
In the collection Victoire de Castellane was able to stretch her creativity and imagination extravagant levels both in use of color, but also in the design of the headdresses, crowns, ruffs, necklaces and pendants on these royal figures. Meticulously created platinum mesh-work requiring many setting techniques (including an ancient technique that was rediscovered).

In 2008 a collection entitled Milly Carnivora was designed by Victoire de Castellane for Dior. This collection was inspired by the previous collection Belladone. The collection based on fantasy tropical flowers and carnivorous plants featured eye-popping neon color schemes.

Pieces from Dior Joaillerie’s Belladone Island collection were premiered on January 12, 2007 on the online virtual world Second Life. The entire collection was subsequently presented on February 27 in an exhibition in Monet’s Water Lilies room at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris.

Photos provided by Dior, Vogue, Mike Bruce © Victoire de Castellane. Courtesy Gagosian Gallery, Emily Weiss of Into The Gloss

Kathleen Marino MA, GG, AJP, NAJA

June 09, 2015

Tiara Titan: Andrew Prince

June 09, 2015/ Kathleen Marino

Lady Cora Crawley donned this pearl tiara. Prince noted that this piece is in the Russian band style (1910 – 1915), which was popularized by Grand Duchess Vladimir (1854 – 1920). Cartier produced a number of these pieces. Prince added Edwardian elem… — Lady Cora Crawley donned this pearl tiara. Prince noted that this piece is in the Russian band style (1910 – 1915), which was popularized by Grand Duchess Vladimir (1854 – 1920). Cartier produced a number of these pieces. Prince added Edwardian elements in the scroll work. Courtesy of Andrew Prince.

It's 1912, and life in the Edwardian country house of Downton Abbey is idyllic and bustling for the Crawley household. Viewers of this wildly popular show soon developed an obsession with not only the engaging human characters, but also with the fashion that seemed to be a character unto itself. This is due in large part to the jewelry that Andrew Prince has created.

This tiara Tuesday is a little different. Usually we focus on tiaras with a long history, but Andrew Prince, is bringing the historical looks of a bygone era back to life, not only in the show but also for anyone who wants to feel like an aristocrat.

Andrew Prince sites that his passion for jewelry has existed since childhood when he created "a necklace for his mother using beads taken off her wedding dress (she was not at all happy)."
But it was a visit to the ‘Princely Magnificence’ exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, where Prince became entranced by the exhibited jewels dating from 1500 to 1630. It was then that Prince decided creating jewelry was what he wanted to devote his life to.

In 1987, he went to a preview of the Geneva Sotheby’s auction of the Duchess of Windsor's jewelry. There “he held pieces created by some of the world's greatest jewellers, fashioned from only the finest of stones and set in designs of outstanding quality.” It was life-altering for the young Prince. Soon after he started work in London’s Bond Street, working for the 'Antiques Roadshow' expert Ian Harris. Under his tutelage, Prince developed an appreciation for the quality of design and craftsmanship of jewelry, rather than focusing solely on how much the stones in the piece were worth.

He then joined the renowned contemporary jeweller Elizabeth Gage and worked with her on the design and production side of the jewelry industry. He soon developed a sense of what would be possible for him to accomplish in jewelry design. Prince started designing jewelry that was bold, luxurious and large. His work caught the attention of Isabella Blow of Vogue Magazine. She wore his choker-necklace and bracelets to the 1992 opening party of Gianni Versace’s first Bond Street shop. Isabella then featured the pieces in Vogue - modelled by Helena Christensen.

These early experiences with his mentors and the exposure that they afforded him shaped Prince’s taste for fine 'costume jewellery'. Prince continues to believe that beautiful jewelry doesn’t require expensive stones, and that it is the elegance of the design and the quality of the workmanship that truly matters. Prince credits the inspiration for his first small collection of 'fine crystal jewelry' as being inspired by an encounter with a late Victorian brooch set in an antique market. The piece was so well crafted that he initially thought the stones were emeralds and diamonds. They were, in fact, crystal and green glass set in silver and gold, yet it was not the stones that set the worth of the piece but the quality of craftsmanship.

Fast forward to 2002, the Victoria and Albert Museum commissioned a collection of jewels to accompany the resplendent ‘Tiaras, Past and Present’ exhibition. This exhibition became one of the V&A’s most popular exhibits and the exposure gained by the show then led to Prince's jewelry into the world of film.

In 2005, he was asked to make tiaras and jewellery for ‘Mrs Henderson presents’ starring Judy Dench. In 2009, pieces were commissioned for ‘The Young Victoria’ starring Emily Blunt and Miranda Richardson.

In 2012, his fame reached new heights as he was chosen by the creators of Downton Abbey to supply a large collection of jewelry for the third series. The characters played by Maggie Smith, Shirley Maclaine, Elizabeth McGovern and Michelle Dockery were all adorned with elegant tiaras, combs, earrings and necklaces all designed by Prince.

He got the job through Geoffrey Munn, the managing director of Wartski, an exclusive London jeweler. As Prince describes it, “The program contacted Munn and said, ‘Can you lend us some tiaras?’ He said, ‘No. They’re real and we can’t let them go for nine weeks. But have you met Andrew?’ And it went from there.”

When Prince met with the show’s costume designer, Caroline McCall he was frank in pointing out that, “The clothes are sublime, but the jewellery doesn’t match.” He recalls saying, “The jewellery, as worn, isn’t correct for the characters. Lady Cora is an American heiress and would have big punchy diamonds. Lady Mary would have fine delicate pearl stuff.” Prince believes that while matching the clothes and jewelry to the personality of characters is important, matching the era is even more important. In an interview with The Savannah College of Art and Design Prince expanded on how important it is for the show to be mindful of the time periods and especially of the transitional periods that see eras overlapping when choosing the jewelry that is used:

"With costume design, one of the important things is not so much to match the jewelry with the costume, but to match the jewelry with the age of the person. You might get someone in the 1930s in their 60s wearing a modern dress, but her jewelry would be 20 or 30 years older than that. It wouldn’t be up to date because most people buy their jewelry in their 30s, 40s and 50s when they look their best. Using Maggie Smith Downton character the Dowager Countess as an example, all her jewelry would have been Victorian and Edwardian pieces. She would not have had Art Deco piece. Sometimes you see period dramas where you have a matron wearing modern jewelry and that’s totally wrong. It’s like if you can imagine someone in their 60s today wearing someone like Stephen Webster. It wouldn’t happen or it would be very unusual."

Prince also makes sure to craft pieces with the characters personalities in mind and which styles she would prefer. As mentioned before he envisioned the American heiress Lady Cora (who would represent new money) in big impressive diamonds whereas Lady Mary would have refined delicate pieces. Prince has commented that the Dowager Countess, Maggie Smith is especially particular about what she wears.

Prince has lent them well over 200 pieces from his stock; everything from simple earrings to long strands of pearls, but all the big stuff is designed specifically for Downton. In total, he’s created about 40 pieces. Tiaras are the most useless and the most fantastic," Prince told the New York Post. " [but] They always make a lady feel better."

In April of last year Prince embarked on a U.S. tour that included Bergdorf Goodman, which sells his designs, and Kleinfelds in New York City. With his beautiful line of jewelry and tiaras now available, anyone and everyone wanting to feel the luxury of wearing a tiara (if only for a day) has the opportunity. But Prince has three simple rules for wearing them correctly:

1. “Make sure it’s not uncomfortable. If it is a round band, very circular, it is going to pinch like crazy, it is going to dig in like crazy at the front and the sides. It should be oval. No one’s head is round.”

2. “See the way the tiara is angled. If you put it flat on a table, the tiara should be leaning forward, not at a right angle. When you put the tiara on, because you’re angling it to go around your face, the front has to lean forward to sit upright”

3. As for seating a tiara for maximum attractiveness, Prince has a law of proportions: “Put your thumb on your chin, and the index finger on the bridge of your nose, between your eyebrows. Take that measurement, and put your thumb where your index finger was. Where your finger now touches your head should be where the base of the tiara is, because it makes your eyes the centre of your face.”

And please, do not wear it flat to the head like an Alice band—that drives him crazy, since it gives the ceiling a lovely view of the piece, while denying that pleasure to everyone else at the event.

See his beautiful collection of tiaras and jewels at Prince's website.