Wearable Art Blog

Duro Olowu

2012-02-05T09:38:28-05:00

A brief item in the 'Sunday Styles' section of the NY Times (print version, not online) piqued my interest about Nigeria-born fashion designer Duro Olowu. Believe it or not, he trained as a lawyer before launching his brand and boutique in London in 2004.

Olowu's unique approach to fabric, his hallmark, reflects his love and wealth of knowledge of European and African prints. He designs most of his fabrics and prints himself, but he also uses vintage textiles.

Just look at the way he combines these prints that at first blush look like they don't belong together.

Silk Kimono Dress

In an interview in Italian Vogue, Olowu said that he sometimes uses vintage original fabrics, but he cautioned: "It's not recycling. It's reclaiming and sustaining what already exists...."When I started, people were always like, 'Oh my goodness, why would you mix this print with that print?' and I said: 'It's instinctive.''

A dress from Olowu's Spring 2012 Collection from Elle.com

He describes his style as "Afro-chic" inspired by his mother who would mix something Jamaican (where she grew up) with something Nigerian and English.

Merino Jacket made of merino wool and cashmere

Olowu is curating a show at Salon 94's Freeman Gallery in the Lower East Side of Manhattan from February 9 - March 4. The show will include pieces from his 2012 spring collection as well as a selection of vintage and contemporary photography, textiles, contemporary art, furniture, music, books and objets trouvés. Wish I could be there to catch it!

Print Swing Dress, 100% silk with stud-fastened cuffs

Michelle Obama, a fashion statement in her own right, has been photographed wearing Olowu's creations many times. Here's one for you from the Fancy Hub.

Olowu has a great story not only because he's creating fashion inspired by his growing up in Nigeria but also because he was able to break free from the expectations of becoming a lawyer. How lucky for him and the rest of us that he decided to pursue his passion for fashion.

You can see more at Duro Olowu and Couture Lab.

Colored Pencil Jewelry by Andrea Melissa Arias

2012-02-01T19:52:19-05:00

In a recent Klimt02 newsletter, I found an item about the colored pencil jewelry of the Venezuelan artist Andrea Melissa Arias, and I decided to find out more.

Arias's pieces resemble miniature oil paintings. I admit, I'm drawn to the vibrant colors (which is why you won't see me showing you much in the way of simple silver jewelry on this blog).

Each of the works below is made with colored pencils and silver. Arias uses resin to bind the pencils together.

I love that Arias shows off the tiny spaces between the pencils in the vibrant necklace below and that she smudges the brown wood surrounding the lead.

Here's how Arias explains the smudging: "I discovered during this process the unexpected mix of colors and marks made by the saw blade, resembling the way of drawing on walls - dirty, smudged and faded, like scribbling outside the lines." This playfulness is probably why I like her work so much.

With the ring below, Arias makes the actual shapes of the pencils a prominent part of the design. They're stuck together with such irregularity. There's even lots of lead poking out of the sides of the pencils.

The bracelet below is interesting because of the way the pencil tips seem to be floating in the resin in 3-D fashion.

You may be reminded of the work by Maria Cristina Bellucci, the artist who put colored pencil jewelry on the map. Arias's work is different; it's not so 'perfect'. In fact, she seems to take pleasure in using irregular shapes that, when put together, form a coherent whole, even if they don't line up perfectly. Plus, Arias's use of smudges and smears makes her pieces distinctive (as with the brooch below).

Arias acknowledges that she's not the first to do this kind of work: "I know that I am not the first and only one to use color pencils as an element for design objects, but my research was to transform the pencils into a new material at the same time preserving their function and history." The history is her memories of childhood and the way children play.

I'd love to hear how you like this work, especially in comparison to the colored pencil jewelry of Maria Cristina Bellucci.

You can see more by Andrea Melissa Arias at Klimt02.

Crocheted Fashion by Diễm My

2012-01-25T19:40:45-05:00

I learned about the talented young fashion designer Diễm My, who is based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on a recent visit to Not Just A Label, my favorite site dedicated to showcasing young designers in contemporary fashion.

Diễm My is from a family of tailors. As a child, she helped out in the family’s shop where she came to love fabric and hand-crafting. She later went on to graduate from Vietnam's Mod'Art International.

Just look at Diễm My's gorgeous hand-made dress, below, made by crocheting and knitting techniques. This design (like all of the dresses shown here) has two halves: in this case, it's an orange outer dress and a bleeding green knitted brief with two red fabric roses inside.

The elegant Babylon Dress (below) is made in two sections: the top is made of crocheted transparent silver polyester fibres and the bottom made of grey, man-made fur.

The stunning red dress, below, is made of wool and cotton fibres which are connected with a crocheting technique.

The dress below is made up of a net of fibres, fabric rounds and big pleated fabric roses. Every detail in this dress is connected together using crochet. Like the other dresses, it has two parts. One is the long see-through dress and underneath are black briefs.

All of these pieces are electric because Diễm My combines crocheting techniques with fluffy, highly textured materials and stunning colors to create drama and sex appeal. You can see more of her exciting work at Not Just a Label.

Jewelry Artist Tanel Veenre

2012-01-18T20:29:51-05:00

I'm excited to offer you the third and last post in a mini-series on werable artists from Eastern Europe by introducing you to Tanel Veenre from Estonia, whose work has been shown in galleries around the world.

Tanel has been a freelance jewelry artist and fashion photographer since 1994. Currently, he is the design critic for “Eesti Päevaleht”, a major daily Estonian newspaper, and he teaches at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

I was immediately hooked by the range of his work and the way he transforms common materials -- including fishing floats -- into fashionable pieces that just draw you in. Also, as you'll see in his comments and in the examples of his most recent work, he's a true 'artist' who follows his heart.

Please tell me about yourself – where you’re from, your education, background, or anything that can offer readers some insight about you, the artist.

I was born into an art and music loving family. My city grandfather played piano in cafes and accordion at home and my other grandfather played the Estonian zither. My father and brother are violinists. But I didn’t become a musician, even though I have an old piano and guitar in my current home. Instead, I have always been sure that being an artist is the only way for me. Undoubtful way.

I studied in the Estonian Academy of Arts jewelry department 1995-2005 with professor Kadri Mälk and did one year (1997-98) in the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam with Ruudt Peters.

At the moment, I am a teacher at the same academy in Tallinn and I love my students.

Neckpiece: Fishing floats, wood, silver, cosmic dust

What led to your interest in making jewelry?

Destiny, with its other nickname, 'chance'. I am still not sure what is jewelry.… I sometimes feel that I can recognize a strong piece of art, I don’t see jewelry as a goal in itself. That’s why I have created lots of costumes, photos, objects and texts. These all are fragments of the same story.

Your work is a blend of beautiful and conceptual. Please tell me about your approach.

A strong piece of art is exciting. Excitement is a quality that comes into being upon the collapse of the quantifiable and measurable into the inexplicable and personal. And there should be a glimpse of mystery that comes … from the darkest mines of human souls.

So, I have to trust my intuition, there is no other way.

Brooch: Fishing floats, quartz, silver, cosmic dust

I’m taken with your most recent pieces, which are made with gorgeous colored ‘cosmic dust’. Can you tell me a little about what’s behind your use of cosmic dust?

Looking into the eternity of the sky – especially during a starry night – I feel this eternal longing. This is cosmic love. (Cosmic dust is superfine powder that reflects light. It's also used in medicine.)

Photographer: Lev Dolgachov

Please tell me about your plastic head and body jewelry. It's so different from anything that you've done before. Are you heading into fashion?

I did fashion when I was younger, but I was too weak in techniques and this whole fashion thing is just too limited and restricted by hype and market expectations. But I love good drama! I love the 'moth-effect' when I create something big just for 5 minutes in the limelight! It`s so dramatic, yet so bittersweet.

What inspired you to do the plastic head and body jewelry?

Symmetry, geometrical rhythms and pure forms. Many of them ended up as underwater creatures, but my aim wasn't so clear – there is so much mathematics in nature if you start to look at it from this angle. I have always been attracted by The Golden Section, divine geometry – as it appears in its purest form in nature. (Notice the headpiece worn by the model, above, and how it becomes a chandelier).

Below is stage jewelry in pink, red and violet that Tanel created for a fashion show with Liisi Eesmaa and Aldo Järvsoo.

What’s coming up for you this year and beyond?

Ooooohh … You know, I am already working 15 hours every day (and night) – teaching, writing, creating …. But at the moment I am working very strongly in two directions. Soon I will come out with a design jewelry series inspired by moths and nightflies. And I am working every day in my workshop with a series of regalias, precious objects that I will need to conquer in my own kingdom.

And please – don’t stop dreaming!

Tanel is an impressive artist, in the truest sense of the word. He has tremendous talent as a designer of jewelry and fashion, a clear eye for color, a willingness to experiment in different media, and an appreciation for the beauty and poetry that can be found in nature. You can see more of his fascinating work at Tanel Veenre.

"WHITE" Show at the Putti Gallery

2012-01-11T20:00:07-05:00

Now that it's really feeling like winter, it's time for a 'white' show. I recently learned about the WHITE jewelry show at the Putti Gallery in Riga, Latvia running through February 29, 2012.

The Putti gallery is dedicated to promoting the work of contemporary Latvian jewelers. For the WHITE show, Putti curated an international mix of pieces showing the many interpretations of the color white by talented jewelry artists from Latvia and beyond. Here are a few of my favorites.

The first is by Maria Cristina Bellucci, who worked for many years as a theater costume designer and now creates jewelry made from colored pencils that have been attached and formed into a variety of shapes. Bellucci's inventive work has been featured on the Wearable Art Blog.

Maria Cristina Bellucci (Italy): Necklace made out of silver and pencils

Ramjuly, who made the ring below, are two women jewelry artists: Antoaneta Petrova and Emanuela Deyanova. They pride themeselves on using only 'ethically mined' metals and stones.

Ramjuly (Netherlands): Ring of silver and gold

I know the show is about white and this ring is black. But it's so striking that I had to show it. After all, winter white is void of color, so, I thought the contrasting "white" of the diamond against the black would fit right in. The Italian goldsmith Gigi Mariani, who made the gorgeous ring below, has been creating jewelry for over 25 years.

Gigi Mariani (Italy): Ring of oxidized silver, white gold and diamond

Finally, here are some beautiful and unusual silver earrings from Valdis Brože, who specializes in metal design.

Valdis Brože (Latvia): Earrings of silver

I wish I could see these pieces in person. I guess online viewing will have to do. Even if you can't get there in person, it's worth going to the Putti website to see this grouping of talented artists.