Our video on surfer-jeweler Jill Platner by Gregory Mitnick As longtime fans of Jill Platner’s nature-inspired jewelry, we waited a few years to find the right moment for documenting the artisan’s creative process and studio. This video catches up with Jill at her Crosby Street space as she works on her current collection to learn more about how she started and what informs her work.
Friendship bracelet-inspired necklaces from a graphic-designing blogger The ultra-crafty graphic designer, jewelry designer and blogger Kate Miss produces simple necklaces that are so lovely it’s difficult to procure one before they sell out from her online shop . Almost two years ago the Long Island City-based designer developed a renewed interest in the friendship bracelets of her childhood, partly, she says, “out of nostalgia and partly due to the boom of the whole native pattern trend.” The knotted bracelet that she thought would look “pretty amazing” on a necklace has since become her signature piece. Interspersed with the friendship bracelet and brass drop necklaces (also a perennial favorite) are forays into mood and seasonally-inspired pieces, like a woven necklace crafted of leather and Lucite beads—a style introduced today in her holiday sale. While her necklaces grace the pages of many indie designers’ lookbooks and even found their way into Target’s Red Hot Shop last summer, many of her enthusiastic clients came upon her jewelry by way of her blog, For Me, For You . She has a clean, vintage-inspired aesthetic and is careful to steer clear of subjects sure to be found on every well-known design blog. After all, she laughs, “Does Anthropologie really need another blogger gushing over their appliqu
Woodworking scraps-turned-fashion in Navajo-inspired necklaces The side project of CH contributor Mike Giles and his girlfriend Judy Lawrence, Miju jewelry is a peek into how the two mix Mike’s furniture design with a creative Montreal-based partnership. For Fall/Winter the duo created “Manha”—an 11-piece assortment of laser-cut wood gems. Of the Native American-inspired collection, one of our favorites is the “T-Bird necklace” (also available as a brooch). Taking the classic Thunderbird silhouette, the duo then added detailed etching for geometric texture and an overall appealing design. Painted either gold or a combination of red and blue, the necklace hangs at a perfectly situated place across the collarbone, allowing for full visibility that works with a variety of necklines. Each piece in the collection is made from solid walnut—remnants from other designs Giles creates in his Montreal-based woodworking shop, Furni . The Manha collection sells online from the Miju Etsy site, with prices starting at $36.
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Manha
Fashion fantasies-come-true at Los Angeles Tron pop up Disney continues to fan Tron fever with the release of several items of higher-end, wearable merchandise for men and women by designers like Rousseau , Hayden-Harnett and Rotenier that will be available all in one place beginning 19 November 2010 at the Tron Pop-Up Shop inside Los Angeles’ Royal/T . The concept allows Tron fans to become as authentically part of it as Tron main character Kevin Flynn did when he entered his employer’s mainframe in the original film. We’ve put together our favorite pieces from the women’s couture collection here. Among the dozens of retro-futuristic items available are jewelry pieces, like Rotenier’s sterling silver Lightcycle Cufflinks ($345). Tom Tom’s Derez Earrings have blue topaz stone ($155) and match a Grid Escape Ring ($195) and Light Runner Cuff ($265)—both gunmetal plated with mirrored lucite. It also has a Legacy necklace made with antique bronze chain ($395), exclusive to the pop-up store. Jerome Rousseau’s shiny Quorra Platform Sandal ($795) will perhaps be one of the most coveted items of them all, standing tall at five inches and unavailable outside of the pop up until February of next year. Those looking for more practical accessories can choose between the various bags and clutches by Hayden-Harnett ($129-$478), with matching cuffs ($98-$110). The shop closes on 23 December 2010, convenient for those in search of a last-minute gift for the holidays.
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Tron: Legacy Women’s Couture
Our favorite three emerging designers from the American Design Club’s latest show An opportunity for emerging designers to showcase their work, A+: The Young Designers’ Platform took place earlier this month during the Accent on Design event at New York’s International Gift Fair. The American Design Club curated the event, aiming to highlight raw new creatives and their recent contributions to the design world. Seven out of ten of this year’s winners also had a focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility, bringing simple solutions to the world’s environmental concerns to the forefront of the design world. We picked three of our favorites newbies in the world of jewelry, compost, and cast iron cookware, who each snagged a space on the list of finalists, rounding out the eclectic list with their innovative new designs. Bin by Fuccillo Vancouver design studio Fuccillo recently turned its attention to composting—a simple but important part of a sustainable urban lifestyle. Making it easier for environmentally-conscious citizens who already freeze compostable scraps and drop them at their local farmers markets, Fuccillo created a stylish new “bin” using hard plastic and flexible silicone. The container stays in the freezer until it’s time to be dropped off, eliminating stench and pests by pausing the decomposing process. When ready for emptying, the silicone bottom stays flexible and pushes in for easy removal of the waste (without having to reach inside and scrape it out). Next month the bin will hit shelves online and in stores across the U.S. and Canada for $45 each. Hila Rawet Karni Hila Rawet Karni specializes in “industrial jewelry,” using materials like paper and leather to construct geometrically intricate patterns. We like the way the extraordinary level of detail and a passion for industrial design combine in the Melissa necklace in particular. Consisting of a series of interlocked textured, leather pinwheels, the design embodies the beauty of her creative mathematics. Paper, leather, plastic and spring necklaces come in various shapes and sizes at Hila Rawet Karni’s Etsy store. Borough Furnace Jason Connelly and John Truex were cousins before becoming business partners based on their shared admiration for industrial design and environmental responsibility. The two finally teamed up to create Borough Furnace , a Murfreesboro, TN-based cast iron cookware production team. Upcycling iron from scrap radiators or other junkyard items, the team creates high-quality cookware, including a popular dual-handle frying skillet, in their own backyard. The products are entirely recycled and handmade, not to mention classically-designed for a lifetime of use and beautiful craftsmanship. For more general or purchasing info, contact info [at] boroughfurnace [dot] com.
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A+: The Young Designers’ Platform
Mini anatomical sculptures from L.A.’s bronze addict L.A.-based sculptor Anne Ricketts creates miniature pieces of art for the body and home. Twenty years ago, she started her career with clay sculptures, but quickly transferred to sculpting in foam, wax and clay before casting her pieces in bronze. “Casting in bronze is addictive,” she says. “The tactile sense of the metal is amazing, it’s cold and hard, yet as smooth as skin.” A great deal of Ricketts’ work focuses on hearts, hands and feet, rendered in painstaking detail in sizes as small as one-inch high. The feet are arched or crossed, while the hands are clenched into fists, pointing or simply lying palm up. The impulse to pick up and and examine these minute masterpieces is irresistible, but Ricketts says that she started working in miniature as a cost-effective measure. “Bronze, especially with lost wax casting, is extremely labor-intensive and therefore expensive,” she says. “It was all I could afford to have cast.” Recently, Ricketts began creating equally small bud vases and jewelry, based on textile patterns from the ’50s. Her strong, distinctive earrings and rings fit in perfectly with her design aesthetic—expressive, sensual and inexpensive. “I like the challenge of working so small,” she says. “I also like the idea of making sculpture that people can hold, and of course afford to buy.” You can purchase Anne Ricketts tiny sculptures online from L.A.’s O.K. boutique or at Canoe in Portland, prices typically span $50-70.
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Anne Ricketts
Over-the-top macabre glam from a Japan-based jewelry designer by Meghan Killeen Not content with just simple macabre, Japanese jeweler and designer Joji Kojima ‘s heavily-bejeweled creations layer on baroque references and over-the-top fetishism, with the kind of craftsmanship usually reserved for more conservative luxury brands. His glitzy output spans gold-chained rabbit muzzles and hats made of crystallized teeth to tk and tk. Born in California, Kojima studied graphic design at Tama Art University , honing his talents while assisting the couture brand, Yoshiko Creation Paris . The label turned heads when Lady Gaga made a guest appearance on Music Japan wearing Yoshiko’s black umbrella headpiece entitled “B-612″ (from the Le Petite Prince collection). Later when Kojima introduced his custom brand Hotel Gluttony, Gaga celebrity helped catapult it into a fashion sensation too when she wore his chain mail mask on the cover of her “Fame Monster” album. Kojima’s latest A/W 2010-2011 collection turns death into design with a suspended skull ring (based on the designer’s own head) that gracefully dangles several inches above the finger. Standout pieces also include a skull mask with a working hinged jaw piece, and a fashionable accessory to violence—a diamond studded knuckle duster. The line sells through Tokyo-based retailer, Restir .
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Joji Kojima
An altruistic leather worker’s line of covetable purses, bags and accessories Portland, OR-based Talitha Leather was founded by Nate Bagley after working as a case manager for a homeless youth organization. Inspired by bible stories, he named the business after a sickly young girl who Jesus saves after her parents leave her for dead. A friend of Bagley’s was working in a shoe store, where he learned leather working techniques. Together they began collecting tools and set up shop in a basement, refining their skills at riveting and sewing. Today, Talitha Leather sells a full line of men’s and women’s accessories, including bags, purses and leather jewelry made from materials sourced on the West Coast. A portion of the profits from the sturdy bags goes towards the International Justice Mission , a human rights agency that promotes victim advocacy in the public justice system. The profits from the company also allow Bagley to offer a sliding scale for his services as a private practice mental health counselor to uninsured families and children in Portland. Prices range from $14 for jewelry to $200-$500 for handmade messenger bags and sell from their online shop or Talitha Leather’s Etsy site.
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Talitha Leather
