All posts tagged: Jewelry Design

Ones to Watch: ‘Meet the Cat’ Jewelry

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Ioanna Koulouris was born and raised in Athens, as part of a very artistic family (her mother owned a clothing atelier, while her father was a self-taught handyman). She studied Statistics at the University of Piraeus and, upon graduating, worked in advertising until 2005 – when she, thankfully, decided to change career paths. She went back to her mother’s atelier, attended art seminars, experimented with different forms & materials and eventually designed her first collection and founded her own company: ‘Meet the Cat’. Using a range of both conventional & unconventional materials such as wood , rubber & cement (!) Ioanna creates original, alternative, statement jewelry pieces – which will add that certain je ne sais quoi to even the plainest of outfits. Just look at some of her earlier work: Her latest (SS2015) collection, AZTECAH, features “geometric cuts of gold, silver and pink gold-plated brass, embroidered with colorful threads” and is (as its name clearly implies) inspired by the art of the Aztecs. Here’s some of my favorite pieces, for your viewing pleasure: The …

Ruby Robin Botanical Jewelry

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Today’s design post is slightly different, in that it deals not with interior but with jewelry design. It is no big secret that I am slightly addicted to Pinterest – and it was on one of my regular visits that I discovered the talented Khrystyna (a.k.a. Ruby Robin) and her gorgeously romantic range of Botanical Jewelry, which I immediately felt the need to share with you all. Each piece is, in the artist’s own words, a “wearable keepsake”, lovingly handcrafted “using a range of strange and beautiful curiosities, found in the woods and on the mountain sides, combed from the windswept beaches and picked in the wild meadows” and meant “to inspire a sense of childhood wonder in the wearer, taking you back to that feeling of excitement you had as a child when you found a fragment of a speckled blue robins egg in Spring, a perfectly formed seashell on a windswept beach or some other small marvellous thing from nature”. Now, I don’t think I could be described as a romantic, by any …

Designer Focus: Ileana Makri

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Jeweller Ileana Makri was born in Greece and, after initially obtaining a degree in Business Administration, went on to follow her passion and studied jewellery design at the G.I.A. (Gemological Institute of America, in Santa Monica). Back in 1987 Ileana opened her first Athens store, where she eventually showcased her signature jewellery line (in 1996). Her designs were an overnight success and the collection was instantly picked up by Barneys New York. Fast forward 18 years to the present: Ileana’s designs are being sold at high-end retailers worldwide and worn by an ever growing list of celebrity clients (including Uma Thurman, Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum, Lenny Kravitz, Faith Hill, Rita Wilson, Ashley Olsen, Courtney Cox, Hellen Mirren, Jessica Alba and Debra Messing). She is also known for her collaborations with talented London-based designer, Mario Schwab & fashion label ‘The Row’ (of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen). Unfortunately (but, probably, luckily for me) most of her designs are too expensive to even begin to consider owning. That said, they are still sparkly works of art & amazingly …

Fashion Obsession of the Day

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I just discovered Cadenzza, an amazing online jewellery store. Along with it I also discovered, among many others, Mr. Anton Heunis & his timelessly elegant range of handmade jewellery. His stunning pieces include “drop earrings, pendants, cluster necklaces and rings – all plated in gold, silver, rhodium or gunmetal and set with Swarovski crystals or resin and glass stones“. Technical details aside all of his designs are simply jaw- dropping and, if I have to be honest, I think you owe it to yourself to visit Cadenzza & order something! Darn, that’s exactly what I would have done, if only online orders could be shipped to Greece (instead, I’m just dying a bit inside…). Off to look into whether I can get these elsewhere. If you happen to have any idea, do leave a comment below. [Image: © Cadenzza/ Anton Heunis]

Ones to Watch: Klaidra Jewelry

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After (what I’ll admit has been) a long time, “Ones to Watch’ is back with another extra- special design duo: the sisters, Klairi & Faidra Gaspari. Klairi & Faidra have, according to their own account, always been interested in making things -especially those they’d love to wear but couldn’t find in stores. A couple of years back they decided to share their passion with all of us and… the rest is history. Velvet, leather, suede & feathers combine with tassels & pom pons to create the most amazing jewelry – which immediately lifts even the simplest of outfits. You can find more about Klaidra (including info on stockists) here and you can also purchase some of their designs online here. {All images © Klaidra}