Heaven Bodies Retrospective

My fascination with religious iconography derives from the notion that there was once a time where the majority was illiterate, inciting a need for symbols and color coding to propagate church literature. That story was further built upon as humanity developed, and now, we see these once instrumental designs used to create depth in fashion, movies, music, etc.

The Met this summer hosted the exhibition "Heavenly Bodies" ,which I must confess has been my favorite Met Gala theme by light years. Taking the wardrobe that has been reserved for the elite of the church and having it perverted by the royalty of Hollywood in their self importance is a historical parallel that probably makes every art history nerd giggle with glee.  Having grown up in the Catholic church, I'm very aware articles of clothing are indicative of status within the church.  Different outfits mean you rank a certain way, so having Rihanna dress as the highest church rank possible, that takes a lifetime to achieve, and a vote to secure, cracks me up especially since she is a woman doing so.  And above all else, the outfit was stunning, as was it's counter part in the exhibition by John Galliano for Christian Dior.

Walking into the exhibition you are swallowed by the scintillating gold mosaic, jewelry, and vestments lit and alive under the museum hot lights. On one side a line of Byzantine mosaic inspired Dolce & Gabbana dresses, the other side a more modern aesthetic of 90's Gianni Versace garments.

The dresses were displayed above the viewer, forcing you too look up with the same devotion you would show an alter or stain glass in a church.  The importance dictated by position, setting the mood of the show. The Met's permanent collection surrounded this linear path that pulled you along deeper into the museum.

The common thread of the first two rooms was gold. Encased were ancient relics of a time when Christianity was new and Justinian & Theodora were attempting to make Rome great again. Metal-smiths painstakingly planishing containers of gold, hoping not to tear the thinning metal, or else the project would be lost.

Tiny beads of granulation individually placed by a trembling hand with no modern assistance or convention, just mastery.

Stones primitively set either by carefully cut inlay or by crushing the stone into place.

Bezel set cabochon stones, the idea of faceting a distant invention. Instead, the mineral is half drilled and set on a peg to secure the stone within its gilded casing. The peg not even hidden as it is today with pearls. It shows through the middle of the translucent stones, taking the viewer away from the color of the gem and back to the reality that this was the technique of the time.

Bloodstone made an appearance as expected considering it's mythos of being the rock at the base of the Crucifixion Cross, speckled with Christ's blood.

Imitating the floor plan of a basilica, you are carried down these first rooms, like aisles, to where the exhibition really opens up dumping you into two larger more open rooms.  Before the grand reveal, you are corralled and crowded in a tiny area where visitors attempted to see the Reliquary Cross and the duo of leather jackets paying homage by Versace and Christian Lacroix. Faces pressed to glass.

In the same claustrophobic area, Chanel's cross woven vest loomed over early Christian artifacts, once used as tools for prayer, now fashion ornamentation. This point driven further home by the garish display of Chanel cross bangles, massively not humble, contrasting it's calmer predecessors. The juxtaposition of 2d geometric byzantine art to the garish bejeweled Chanel.

Also produced by Chanel, we have the  18kt rock crystal crosses sharing a case with an authentic Byzantine cross necklace. The crystal was believe to be representative of the resurrected Christ and a metaphor for the "river of life."

With a sigh of personal space and drastic temperature change, you enter the cool open gallery representing the width breadth of a domed basilica.

Inside you were met with throngs of people, foreign and domestic, to see famous fashion houses re-tell the story of religious vestment.  A cacophony of mixed tongues whispered in awe of the cornucopia of art and design sprawled throughout the room. An outfit design conversing with the painting that gave it muse. Watching the merriment of old christian foundation intertwine and give life to the modern reinterpretation.

I spent the better part of my afternoon there and it still didn't feel like enough.  It was absolutely remarkable how the seamlessly incorporated the permanent collection meshed with the borrowed couture bringing together history nerds and fashion enthusiasts to celebrate one theme.  The Met set the bar very high, especially considering it was the most visited exhibit in it's history, clocking in at just over 1.5 million visitors.

Pyle on the Jewels

Fresh off the heels of New York Fashion Week a hunger was stoked for new fall style and it can be satiated by the independent artists featured at The Pool Trade Show this weekend taking place at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.

One jewelry artist, Amy C Pyles, has an edgier collection perfect to invigorate anyone’s wardrobe that is really looking to bolden their style.

There is a strong energy in her jewelry that is brought to life with a repeating line motif found intermittent with leather and gem elements to create a striking visual palette.

Contemporary in foundation, Pyles incorporates non-traditional items like found vintage objects as a focal points and elevates their purpose by integrating them with various types of chain, her specialty.

I always love coming across work like Pyles’ because you can invest in one piece and it will serve you all season.  With this much versatility, you can easily style a new necklace or bracelet into your current outfit favorites to freshen them for fall.

If you’re in the NYC area this weekend be sure to check it out:

http://www.amycpyles.com/

http://www.pooltradeshowbrandbook.com/

The Rockefeller Emerald, World's Most Expensive Emerald per Carat

In May Christie’s announced it would auction the famous Rockefeller Emerald at its New York location.  Mid June that promise came into fruition when Harry Winston bought the ring for $5.5 million, making it the most expensive emerald, per carat, ever sold.

The rare Colombian emerald stone is an untreated 18ct octagonal step cut that was purchased by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1930 as a gift for his wife.  The emerald was originally set as a brooch, then converted to a platinum ring by their son, David Rockefeller, when he inherited the stone in 1948.  The stone was set by the Rockefeller family jeweler Raymond Yard.

Photo courtesy of Christie's

Other notable stones that were held by the Rockefeller family was a 101.73ct flawless diamond that was also bought by Harry Winston for $26.7 million in 2013. Another is the 62ct Rockefeller Sapphire from Burma that was acquired by the family in 1934. The stone was cut by Pierre Cartier into a rectangular step cut and mounted into a brooch. The sapphire sold for $3 million at Christie’s New York in 2001.

Photo courtesy of Christie's

Harry Winston is accumulating these infamous stones in hopes of opening a Harry Winston museum in New York to house these significant gems.  

Sources:

Forbes

CNBC

Favorite Jewels at NY Fashion Week

This past week the style savvy lurked online seeing the new trends to look for to reign in fall and spring.  Glossing over cold shoulder blouses, velvet dresses, suede skirts, and mixed patterns galore.  But no outfit is complete without the perfect accessories to compliment the style story being created. Taking a look at what was accessorizing the runway, I picked a few of my favorites.

First up is Tory Burch accessorizing skeletal fish pieces.  Whimsical, fun, but not distracting.  In fact the bronze earring was a great bold shape complementing the model’s hair and face, but the neutral color blended into the look instead of taking away from it.

Next Altuzarra smartly utilized boldly colored hoops to emphasize their pieces.  The design is simple, a large twisted hoop that was used throughout the entirety of the show. The size was perfect, not large enough to distract but large enough to give a pop of color from a distance and really round a look.

Tibi went with emphasis on one ear, creating a torqued of kilter energy to the models walk.  Having the earring dangle on a thin wire gave the illusion an amorphous metallic shape floating above the model’s shoulder.  It was an interesting decision to add heaviness to that area of the body, but one that really worked. The earring really elevated the looks of the show by subtly setting a mood. The earring itself appears to be fold formed metal which gives off a feel of liquid metal, setting the tone for the model’s walk, fluid and with intention.

Rodarte styled beaded headpieces to complement lace looks. Once again there was a lot of emphasis on one side of the head but this this time beaded strands strung along below the chin to connect to the other ear.  The draped strands swayed rhythmically to the models walk feeding into the energy of the show.  The headpiece created a regal look reminiscent of Hindu wedding jewelry making it by far one of the more romantic jewelry choices used this year.

Source:

http://www.elle.com/fashion/trend-reports/g28724/spring-2017-jewelry-trends/?slide=2

Treasures and Talismans Exhibition at the Cloisters

I had the pleasure to trek up to NYC see the Treasures and Talismans: Rings from the Griffon Collection exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.  Stepping back in time to the medieval era where precious materials were not in excess and the lack of technology proves that the marvels on display are impeccable works for their time.  These rings were gaudy and rich with meaning as well as ceremony. These jewels were a representation of the individual and their personal experience whether it had to do with the acceptance of mortality in the form of Memento Mori (remember death) rings, Posey (poetry) rings, or to demonstrate marriage to the church (clergy status rings). We can see the importance of meditation and reflection in this era that is evident through the jewelry and other works of art from this time.

These rings were so personable in that they were specifically made for an occasion or thought since jewelry really was not widespread or a common thing to posses, so it held very high value to those lucky enough to have something commissioned.  

The medieval time span is interesting in that technologies were gained and lost due to poor documentation, disease, and constant feuding.  In fact, some jewelry on display were pieces left over and re-purposed from the Roman Empire, since the technology for carving cameos was lost, these became really prized pieces to own.  Through these artifacts we can really watch how people in the medieval times struggled to maintain information and technology.  It really puts into perspective the renaissance that follows as we see a boom in science and art as everything is well documented and shared compared to its medieval predecessor.

                                     

In the exhibit’s works we can see very specific stylization that points to the medieval time period. Such as the hand engraving of Posey rings where a hand written inscription was written on the inside of the band; often a poem or saying.  On the outside hand engraved designs were used as decoration. 

The more common engravings were hunting scenes.

                                             Or plant lattice work often called Giardinetti.

The cabochon stones, since the technology for faceting stones did not yet exist, smiths of this time smoothed out the stones surface and really had an emphasis on the color. 

Architectural construction, we can see the importance and value of the stones here as the goldsmith built almost steeple like structures that echoed the architecture of the churches at that time.  There was utilization of arches and buttress like foundations to hold the setting up high above the hand.

 

Interestingly enough, there was use of diamonds in this time period, though colored stones were much more prevalent.  Once again, the technology to cut a diamond did not exist so the raw stone was incorporated into geometric structures.

 

Another characteristic that really caught my eye was the pearl accents; the technology to set a pearl was non-existent to medieval gold-smiths, so they would use cold joining techniques.  We see two examples of setting on display, the first is sampling threading a drilled pearl onto a post and flatting the end securing the pearl like a bead. 

The second is a little cleverer in that a bezel is created to seat the pearl then a singular prong is used to hold it in place.

And very distinct to medieval jewelry are Memento Mori rings, a reflection and reminder of our mortality.  Often the pieces will open revealing further design. This is a common motif to not to keep the main feature of the ring in plain view.  

We see the same thought with the Posey rings where the message is written on the inside out of view.

If given the chance I highly recommend the trip out to see the Treasures and Talismans: Rings from the Griffon Collection.  The exhibition is on display through October 18^th in the Glass Gallery at the Cloisters.  I cannot express how amazing of an experience it was too see these works in a medieval setting versus that of a sterile museum space.  I have not seen an exhibit that breathtaking and enjoyable in a long time.  Truly a step out of time.

All pictures were taken by me at the Glass Gallery in the Cloisters

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