Acrylics in Fashion

Synthetic materials first appeared on the market for practical purposes, industrial purposes, and now for fashion purposes, trickling down into the realm of contemporary jewelry.  Clear acrylic plastics have taken the forefront of self expression by creating a sleek futuristic look.  

Harling Ross of Manrepeller harps on the needing to find a fall fashion identity, a refreshed styling to embrace the new season (ManRepeller).  The acrylics of Corey Moranis lend a helping hand of giving a structural presence without overbearing with color or overworked design (Corey Moranis).

Acrylic rods are heated and twisted into knotted shapes, taking a very utilitarian material, and forming it into a more nurturing organic shape.  The pieces are bold in size, but completely wearable in color and design.  Even the styling of the models on Moranis’ site aid to the new millenia feel of the pieces with their minimized makeup and slicked down hair.

The surge of synthetics in fashion is not a new concept, just becoming more mainstream. Instead of being reserved for high fashion or exhibition art, it now can be purchased and worn as streetwear. The Met in New York is showcasing this in it’s latest exhibition, The Secret Life of Textiles: Synthetic Materials on display until September 17th, 2017 (The Exhibit).

We’ll be seeing more and more synthetic materials in the accessory field as products like 3d printers and laser cutters become more available as household items allowing the everyday craft artist to discover and use the medium.  There is a fear that wearables will become cold, too computerized, and perfect, losing the human touch that makes jewelry so emotional.  However, a true craftsman will be able to overcome this feat as we see in Corey Moranis’ pieces. They are simple but have been very worked, creating value through the level of care and execution present.

It’s an exciting time in modern jewelry to have a chance to create a new chapter or wearables in our craft history.

Nane Adams' Flex Rings

Contemporary jewelry artist Nane Adam’s typical work is the combination of differing metals to create swirls reminiscent to that of a fingerprint.  A staple trend that most have seen at any craft show they have attended in the last few years.

It is her work from 2004 that has really caught my curiosity, a plain silver band with colored nylon stretched within the ring’s inner circumference.  The simple design creates an exciting display of line as well as playing upon the stark contrast between cold hard metal and the colorful flexible give of nylon.  That contrast is driven further as the artist has scuffed the silver edge of the band to invoke it’s hard nature as in the same perspective you see the smooth surface of the nylon taut with tension.  Two opposing materials coming together in design triumph of aesthetics and functionality.

The nylon strands create give within the interior of the band, allowing for a custom fit unique to the wearer.  Often we are bound to a size scale of quarter sizes, and most of us cannot find a perfect fit because of the unforgivable nature of precious metals.  German designer, Nane Adam, has discovered the perfect remedy to the classic craft show dilemma of sizing, no one likes having to leave their newly purchased jewelry behind to be re-sized.  In this case the consumer can just walk away with a perfect fit as well as an exciting piece of art the echoes the architectural feats of Santiago Calatrava Valls whose bridges served as her muse. 

Sources:

Nane Adams website: http://www.naneadam.de/kollektionen/flexible.html

Images of Flex Rings: http://en.dawanda.com/product/2454893-flexible-rings

Santiago Calatrava's bridge in Dallas images: http://www.evolo.us/architecture/santiago-calatravas-new-bridge-in-dallas/

The New York Times Recognizes Five Up and Coming Jewelry Designers

Great article I found recently with The New York Times (Young Designers Re-imagine Jewelry)  featuring five young women chosen as the latest up and coming jewelers.  Most people in this industry know that the large name jewelry designers are in New York, iconic store fronts that have resided there for half a century pushing their latest fashions into the greedy willing hands of the trend-setting masses.

However in this new era we have more people than ever diligently learning this archaic craft, pushing themselves to compete with classic timeless designs.  How do they do that? Contemporary jewelry.   They take the ancient art of jewelry making and push it further, branching out and giving a new and exciting twist to the designs that we already know.  Contemporary jewelry tends to find itself on display in small trendy art galleries or available in chic boutiques, ready to be snatched up by the careful eye of those who blog and Instagram because they have a piece of fashion that is handmade and one of a kind that needs to be shared with the world as the “hottest thing”.  Many small boutiques and budding designers have gained tremendous momentum from this phenomenon allowing them to break through to be seen and share their ideas.

This article in the New York Times acknowledges this societal change and embraces it by showcasing these four young women and their contribution to fine jewelry. For more information on the artists and where to see and purchase there work, see the article linked above and below. 

                                                                Anna Khouri

                                                                Anita Ko

                                                             Gaia Repossi

                                                         Delfina Delettrez

                     

                          

                                                           Jennifer Fisher

Sources:

New York Times link: Young Designers Re-imagine Jewelry

Photos by Agaton Storm for New York Times Article