Untitled - White Bird

www.whitebirdjewellery.com
A precious setting dedicated
to creativity and to talented
jewellery designers.
follow us :
@whitebirdjewellery
White Bird presents in their purest
shape rare and refined jewellery pieces,
often one-off limited editions, and
brings to light designers and craftsmen represented in their most accurate
style. From all over the world, those
designers, women to the great majority,
are noted for their independance as much
in their style as in their development.
Precious in their essence, their jewellery plays the luxury card without showiness and remain affordable.
[email protected]
Phone: + 33 (0)1 58 62 25 86
38 rue du Mont Thabor
75001 PARIS — FRANCE
Opening hours:
Monday: 12.30 - 7.30
Tuesday to Saturday: 11.30 - 7.30
White Bird is a place for transmission, a precious setting where amateurs and collectors can freely and
with equanimity look into each designer’s own world and privacy.
The boutique executed in close collaboration with Austrian architect Günther Domenig, manages to exude
neither the coolness of a contemporary art gallery nor the hushed and stifling atmosphere of the classic jewellery store. Each jewel is enhanced by a unique surrounding mixing second-hand furniture and raw
materials, natural cane bird-cages and crystal clear glass cubes.
Press office: FAVORI
233 rue Saint-Honoré
75001 PARIS — FRANCE
[email protected]
Phone: + 33 (0)1 42 71 20 46
A self-taught jeweller, Stéphanie Roger began twenty years ago in the
finest jewellers’ maisons in the renowned Place Vendôme.
She worked in marketing and retail with Cartier, Piaget and Chaumet.
Stéphanie then managed the business of Dinh Van from 1998 until 2005.
Her deepest wish is to be as close as possible to the designers and
the act of creation and to explore the potential of the jeweller’s
craft.
With the feel of an atelier and a selection firmly grounded in her own
taste and experience, Stéphanie opened WHITE bIRD as her own special
place at the end of 2010. White Bird is a short, rewarding walk from the Place Vendôme but many
figurative miles from a traditional jewellery shop.
STÉPHANIE ROGER
Alexandra Jefford was born and raised in Geneva and lives in London.
She studied fine art at Central St Martins, concentrating on etching
and drawing. She first pursued a career as an artist and illustrator
then began designing jewellery in 2002.
She was commissioned by the V&A to design a piece for the museum
based on their Japanese Collection in 2005 and was one of four top
British designers to be showcased at International Jewellery London
in 2005. She has also exhibited at White Cube gallery, London in 2006
and Perimeter Gallery (Paris) in 2008.
A selection of her jewellery is presented permanently in the Rei
Kawabuko’s famous concept store Dover Street and the artist Damien
Hirst’s new venture Other Criteria, both in London. In Los Angeles
she is represented by Roseark.
Her jewellery has been featured in many publications including US and
UK Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Wallpaper, The New York Times and the Times.
ALEXANDRA JEFFORD
Alexandra Jefford’s approach to jewellery is inspired by her passion
for modern art and design. This gives her creations a unique edge,
making her jewellery pieces not only beautiful and seductive ornaments but also objects with a conceptual and formal interest for
collectors in the Art and Design world.
As is often the case with successful enterprises, the jewelry line
Anaconda came about organically. It began by chance in 1980 in a
modest shop in a beautiful neighborhood of Milan under the auspices
of a September night’s full moon.
Then 23, Anaconda’s founder Monica had a business buying and selling
ethnic jewelry, textiles, and other objects that she amassed through
her many travels. She threw into that mix some silver jewellery of
her own design, which she made by hand at her home in Italy and while
traveling. Soon, she found herself on a new path that has led her to
great acclaim as a jewellery designer...
Eager to better understand fabrication techniques, she began watching a master goldsmith at work. Thus, she learned the tricks of the
trade, including stone cutting and carving, without formally studying
jewellery-making.
Monica uses only the finest materials including metals, rubies,
moonstones, opal, tourmalines, spinels, and other gemstones. Her
signature gold is a very specific shade of 19K light yellow that
borders on champagne, but she also incorporates 19K rose gold and
silver. The stones she selects have great character, owing to their
natural flaws and inclusions.
Anaconda
Monica once had a boutique in Paris and is very attached to the city.
Arielle de Pinto was born in Toronto. She works between Montreal and
New York.
While studying print and fabric work at Concordia University she
found some spools of chain and couldn’t put them down. She eventually
discovered a way to turn the chain into fabric, and realized the
technique could be endlessly manipulated, without compromising the
weighted, nearly liquid quality of the work.
In 2007, she launched her namesake line, establishing her timeless
shapes and signature aesthetic, each distinctive silhouette an interpretation of iconic jewellery. She has since been presenting seasonal themed collections, complex garments, accessories, masks, and
tapestries.
The unique crochet technique gave de Pinto no option to draw from
the pre-fabricated offerings of the existing jewellery industry, so
she spent years hand developing all her hardware, and consulting
experienced artisans to create a seamless body of work. The collections are clearly yet subtly branded, assuring quality of hand work
and materials. She personally trained a small team of crocheters that
work out of her Montreal studio.
Arielle de Pinto
De Pinto’s work is regularly featured in publications such as Dazed
and Confused, Vogue, Self Service, and many others. She has been
featured in industry publications and contemporary jewelry books and
exhibited by international museums and galleries.
Brooke was born and raised in Los Angeles, but currently resides in
London and works both from her studio in Notting Hill and in LA.
Brooke’s love of jewellery was inspired by her father’s vast collection of fine jewellery and her passion and fascination with fine
metals and precious stones. Through Brooke’s study of jewellery
design, textile design, geology and astrology her collection began
to emerge.
The Astrology and Planetary collections are what Brooke is best
known for. She recreated the constellations with diamonds onto a gold
uneven texture that mimics the surface of the moon. Every necklace
is cast by hand and unique.
Gregson’s admiration for artists such as Alexander Calder and the
quilters of Gee’s Bend, a rural community in Alabama, inspired both
her Calder and Silk Collections. The Calder influence is evident in
mobile-inspired necklaces, and the colors of the Gee’s Bend quilts
evoked in her silk-wrapped bracelets and necklaces with diamonds.
Brooke’s original creations are highly respected in the world of
fine, contemporary jewellery in both the United States and Europe.
BROOKE GREGSON
As a consummate artist, Brooke is continually creating new pieces,
experimenting with different organic material combinations, as well
as working on her one-of-a-kind pieces.
A native Californian and mother of three, Cathy Waterman designs and
crafts magnificent artisanal jewellery in her Los Angeles studio. Her
passion for stones and jewellery dates to the early 1990s, following
a rich career as a lawyer in movie production.
Cathy’s meticulously crafted, intricate pieces draw inspiration from
nature and fairytales. She makes rings with natural and romantic
motifs such as branches, and oak leaves. Each season she also creates
fantastical earrings and necklaces.
With a penchant for its warm tone, Cathy Waterman works primarily in
22 carat gold and enhances her pieces with platinum, diamonds, and
other precious stones and materials chosen for their singularity and
originality. Lauded in the American press and distributed by sophisticated department stores including Barneys, Cathy’s designs are seducing collectors worldwide.
Her following includes celebrities and movie stars and in 2012 Charlize
Theron wore her jewelry in Ruppert Sander’s film “Snow White and the
Huntsman”.
WHITE bIRD is proud to be her first stockist in Europe.
CATHY WATERMAN
Sara Beltran started her fashion career in New York as a stylist.
After twelve years of living in New York, the artist now calls Jaïpur
home.
Her childhood romance with beach life and seashells always lingered
in the back of her mind, and literally, on the shell necklace she
handmade for fun.
The line called Dezso, Latin for «Desire» and her love for the ocean
continues to emerge in her latest pieces. She travels to different
beaches around the world for constant inspiration.
A lot
makes
loves
lized
of her pieces are shells that she picks from the ocean and then
a mold and then casts in 18 carats gold, mostly pink gold. She
using raw material as polki diamonds, kyanites stones, fossishark teeth and fossilized shells.
Now being in Jaipur, she has discovered a whole new world in stones,
as she is doing her own carved stones in shape of shells. Colors are
always inspired by the ocean and by special moments in her life. Its
known that surfers use shark tooth for protection when going in the
water.
Dezso
Disa Allsopp was born in London and grew up in Barbados. She studied
jewellery in London and Edinburgh and set up her studio in London
in 1996.
Her inspiration comes from Ancient jewellery such as the Egyptians,
Romans, Etruscians and Columbians. 18ct gold is used to create rings,
necklaces, earrings and bangles.
Disa uses traditional techniques such as forging, reticulation, and
patination to produce her unique finishes to the 18ct gold and Sterling silver metals. Her travels to East Africa and origins in Barbados
can be seen in her use of gemstones. Aquamarines, Golden Citrines,
rich Garnets and Rubies are just a few of the stones she uses. White
and coloured Diamonds are set on unique bands and rough and rare cut
gemstones make Disa’s work contemporary and current .
All work is individually hand made in her London studio and bears
the UK Hallmark.
Disa Allsopp
Catherine Lévy, who created Dorette, was born in Paris where she
has lived and worked ever since. At a very young age, she would make
jewellery from what was close at hand: chick peas from the kitchen,
pebbles extracted from the gravel, rabbit poo she’d collect from the
mountains, or snail shells. These tendencies naturally directed her
to l’École Nationale Supérieure de la Creation Industrielle, where
she studied design. She then joined forces with Sigolène Prébois to
create objects for homes, signed Tsé & Tsé associées.
Catherine has always travelled extensively, especially to India.
Dazzled by the profusion and the beauty of jewellery worn in the
streets, she dreamed of models mixing Indian techniques and traditional forms from French provinces, and imagined large hoop earrings,
ancient wedding rings, seven-band bracelets, grigris and nose rings.
She searched for, and found, precious and semi-precious stones,
coarsely cut, that she chose for their colors and forms rather than
for their value. The first pieces made in Indian workshops delighted
her so much that the pleasure she felt wearing them must have been
contagious.
Dorette jewellery never weighs heavily on fingers, never scratches
necks or pulls on ears… The multi-coloured stones, both modest and
precious, diffuse a singular murmur and are always cheerful company.
Dorette
Ileana Makri was born and lives in Greece. A globetrotter at heart,
she travels extensively for inspiration and spends a lot of time in
London, Paris and New York, cities she has previously lived in.
Originally obtaining a degree in Business Administration Ileana then
went on to follow her true passion and studied jewellery design at
the G.I.A. (Gemological Institute of America).
In 1987 she ventured into retail with “Mageia” later to become her
flagship store and always a reflection of her diverse world of interests, anything from clothing and accessories to artwork and of
course jewellery.
In 1996 the “Ileana Makri” signature jewellery line was introduced
in the store and was instantly being picked up by Barneys in New York.
In just over a decade Ileana Makri has built a solid international
reputation and business as well as capturing the attention of high
profile clients such as Uma Thurman, Jennifer Lopez, Heidi Klum,
Lenny Kravitz etc.
ILEANA MAKRI
Ileana is fascinated by multicultural symbols and their meaning.Her
jewellery features a range of mystical and figurative symbols in gold
and gemstones.
The underlying “rock chic” approach to the design makes her jewellery
uncompromisingly contemporary and simultaneously timeless. In her
own words Ileana Makri creates “jewellery for no special occasion”.
Drawing on the philosophy to create jewellery that “arouses emotions
and gracefully reflects the essence of ones inner beauty”, Jacqueline
Rabun’s designs are rich in symbolism and organic purity.
She began her exploration in jewellery design in 1989 having arrived
in London from her native United States of America.
Her debut collection was well received commercially and critically
for its poetic approach and fluid, conceptual shapes that evoke organic forms – themes which have evolved into her signature with her
ongoing collections.
Her characteristic jewellery is given greater dimension, combining
wearability with precious with the use of diamonds and gold.
In 1997, Jacqueline started her long-term
Jensen creating fine jewellery collections
renowned, the Cave collection, encouraged
quility and to retreat to one’s inner space
plation.
JACQUELINE RABUN
collaboration with Georg
for the brand. The most
its wearer to seek tranfor stillness and contem-
In 2007, she then opened her own store in Grosvenor Crescent Mews, a
charming residential area in London’s Belgravia and until now continues to expand her collections combining wearability with precious.
Born in Algeria Jean Grisoni is a self-educated man. In his early
years he begins a professional career as a graphic designer, and next
as an artistic director in various renowned parisian agencies. By
then he opens his first consulting agency in visual communication.
His clients are mostly cultural institutions and a choice of glamourous brands.
It is while collaborating with la Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) on a
line of precious items that Jean Grisoni discovers jewellery design,
and is thrilled by this new field, which will not keep him from developing his other interests.
From his native Mediterranean sea, Jean Grisoni has kept an eye for
ornament, a relish for powerful jewellery and the lust for chains…
When walking on the shore he harvests lost and found items to make
good use of them in his studies.
Thus he makes opposites meet with each other: the rough and the
refined, the coarse and the polished, the ordinary and the precious,
the incidental and the conceptual, the antique and the contemporary. His own artist’s statement often stems from a dissimilarity a
contrast.
JEAN GRISONI
As much a designer as an image professional, his personal approach
leads him both towards the jewellery world along with the design of
graphic pieces.
Karen Liberman’s jewellery collection celebrates the rich details and
decorative elements found in various cultural and artistic traditions
throughout history.
Raised in Australia and deriving inspiration from her Moroccan-Middle
Eastern heritage, references to ancient techniques as well as a
preservation of these old-world crafts for the modern day forms the
foundation of this collection.
Karen
hand-picks
ancient
coins,
precious
and
semi-precious
gemstones from some of the world’s best lapidaries: Burmese
rubies, sapphire cabochons, and carved tourmalines. The stones
and coins are chosen for their individual character and beauty.
These are then combined with silver and gold creatively detailed and
finished by hand.
Karen works closely with talented international artisans to create
pieces that are beautifully crafted. Each piece is unique with its
own personality yet forms part of a story. The jewellery can be worn
as individual pieces or collected and layered over time.
A creative spirit, she is also an amateur photographer and gardener
whose travels have greatly influenced her classic gypsy style.
KAREN LIBERMAN
Located in Melbourne Australia, all pieces are sold to exclusive boutiques and through Karen Liberman Studio by appointment only. The
Aman resorts collection of luxury hotels also carries a selection of
her jewellery range.
With a decade of 3-D design experience in New York, Asia, Europe and
South America, Lena Skadegard has traveled in search of the unexpected, identifying new notions of beauty and preciousness. Dividing her time between three continents, her collections reflect and
synthesize place, history, faith and landscape while emphasizing the
preciousness of organic, raw materials.
Raised visiting the Kashmiri Himalayas and the Danish north coast at
holidays, a combined background, appreciation of the wild landscape
and the aesthetics of diverse cultures inform her sensibility, while
continued travel sustains her curiosity and keeps materials, textures
& palettes intriguing.
No two pieces are identical - every gem, stone, fossil and shell
leads to a different exploration according to inherent qualities,
encouraging unexpected friendships. Simple settings emphasize the
natural elegance of a polished North Sea fossil while delicate gems
are paired with robust nylon cord tied according to Pacific Island
tying traditions.
Most gems are set to kiss the skin - according to many traditions
this activates protective properties of the stones. Each finished
group is blessed & immersed in rose & marigold petals, pomegranates,
fruit, incense and holy water, intended to bring joyful energy to
the wearer.
Lena Skadegard
Lia di Gregorio has lived in Milan since 1990 where she designs and
produces her jewellery collection.
She loves pearls yet conceals them; she plays with simple, clean
geometries enriching them with unexpected details. She applies the
technique of embroidery onto precious materials and uses gold thread
as if it were silk to sew small diamonds, rubies and pearls.
From her sketches to her models in paper, wax and wire, manual skills
and creative concepts grow intertwined.
Her studio is a meeting place for creative minds.
LIA DI GREGORIO
Lito Karakostanoglou opened her “Open Studio” in Athens in 1999
showcasing primarily one-off pieces with a variety of materials and
styles. Lito was originally trained at Boston in marketing management
and advertising.
Being self-taught in jewellery and despite her success in Athens, she
wanted to further enhance her craftsmanship, so she moved to Paris
in 2004. For two years Lito studied sculpture and life drawings at
École des Beaux Arts and technical drawing for jewellery at École de
la rue du Louvre. During that time, she created pieces for Kenzo and
Jean Paul Gaultier. She also designed charms for handbags of Zadig
et Voltaire.
Lito returned to Athens in 2007 much to the joy of her loyal clientele, to re-open her shop inspired this time by the concept of the
“Cabinets of Curiosities”. She is currently focusing on introducing
her work abroad.
Each piece by Lito takes its root from a particular story in her
scouting of gems around the world and creating something exclusive
and personal for her clients.
Lito
Design emanates from the properties of her materials themselves
rather than following some abstract notion. Gold embraces semi-precious stones and natural materials like corals and shells. Each piece
retains its own energy and purpose.
LoquetLondon is a new British luxury jewellery concept created by
Sheherazade Goldsmith with Laura Bailey that launched in June 2013.
The gold framed crystal ‘Loquet’ is designed to open and be personalized with collectable charms and birthstones. From a lucky horseshoe, a gold initial, a September sapphire or a diamond studded shooting star, each ‘Loquet’ is a unique and bespoke gift, a love letter
coded in charms.
A true labour of love, Sheherazade and Laura have developed LoquetLondon alongside a wealth of young creative talent and worked closely
with established London jeweller Michael Ventura.“Every ‘Loquet’ tells
a story. Each charm represents an emotion, a special memory – What’s
in your world? What’s in your heart?” says Sheherazade Goldsmith
“Fill your virtual ‘Loquet’ with a treasure trove of luck and love,
a glint of diamond, a sapphire glow. For a one-of-a kind necklace to
cherish, for yourself or a loved one”, says Laura, who wears hers
doubled up, day and night.
Classic from a distance, original and curious close-up, a ‘Loquet’ is
an eye-catching talking-point. A flash of colour, a spark of gold, a
desert-island memory, a child’s birthstone.
LOQUETLONDON
We carry our stories close to our hearts.
Natasha began her path to success at The Slade, one of the most
prestigious art schools in Europe where she studied Fine Art
Painting and gained a First. During this time, Natasha’s unique sense
of form and colour harmonies was the early precursor of the designs
for her future jewellery collections.
Following her degree, Natasha was awarded the acclaimed Traveller
Award and chose to study in New York where she was given the opportunity to work alongside the internationally renowned jeweller Jessica
Rose and was given the space within her studio on West Broadway to
further her studies and skills.
Much of Natasha’s inspiration comes from the beautiful Island of
Ibiza, renowned for its stunning natural landscapes, artisan earthiness and its kaleidoscope of natural sunlight. After relocating with
her family to Ibiza, Natasha opened her shop and studio in 2009, in
St Miguel, the North of the Island.
Natasha uses her instinctive eye for details and her trained eye for
colour to perfectly balance unusual precious stones with hand-melted
gold nuggets. Each design possesses an original beauty and character
that cannot be recreated in another.
“My designs are subtle yet strong as with the random beauty found
in nature”
natasha collis
Having graduated from Bunka Fashion College, the Tokyo native Naohiko
Noguchi, born in the late 1960s, began his career as a freelance fashion
and accessories designer in Italy and France.
In 2004 he launched Noguchi Bijoux, characterized by refinement, delicacy, and a sense of poetry, which mirrors his own discreet and mysterious nature. The 14-karat yellow or white gold, his metal of choice
owing to its soft color, envelopes small diamonds, white, brown or smokey gray, with a rare delicacy.
A subtle sheen, an air of patination, and Noguchi’s aversion to fashion
trends renders the jewellery timeless, without compromising its contemporary allure.
Hand-crafted like a miniature sculpture in his Tokyo workshop, each
piece is full of charm and magnetism and seems tailor-made to the individual who wears it.
The collection is sold exclusively at his Tokyo boutique and at a few
carefully selected shops around the world. At his discretion, it is not
available online.
NOGUCHI
Noor Fares is a young London-based jewellery designer who draws her
inspiration from her time spent travelling and exploring the different cultures of countries all over the world. Noor grew up in a
creative family, playing in her designer aunt’s atelier and making
things out of whatever came to hand. Her fascination for the beautiful pieces found in her mother’s jewellery box soon progressed to
many hours spent amongst the souks and flea markets she encountered
on her travels.
On leaving school, Noor took a degree in History of Art where she
expanded her knowledge and appreciation of Fine Art, enriching her
taste and informing her inspiration. At this time, Noor’s love for
fine jewellery grew and she began to design and commission her own
pieces. This led to her taking a course at the GIA where she expanded
her knowledge on the craftsmanship of jewellery-making and the properties of precious stones. In turn, Noor’s personal creations drew
admiration from friends and family, naturally leading to the launch
of her own brand N.oor in 2009. Over the past three years, Noor has
grown as an international designer and thus her brand has developed
to be titled as her namesake today: Noor Fares.
NOOR FARES
In reference to the talismans’s and charms from the many cultures
which have touched her, Noor’s collections combine new and interesting materials - bronze, exotic woods from ebony to jet, diamonds
and gemstones of every shade – and always with hidden protection
in the form of lucky motifs. The protective eye which is so much
a part of her Lebanese heritage is always engraved on the inside
of most pieces.
OONA is a fine handmade-jewellery brand founded by Maria Moro that
aims to revive and foster traditional jewellery values and techniques.
Maria got her masters degrees in Economics and Sociology followed by
a professional career in fashion and lifestyle magazines. During the
past several years she has worked in the luxury industry in various
countries across Europe and it was through her frequent trips to
Asia that she fell in love with jewellery; always attracted to antique
pieces, gems and the techniques of local craftsmen, so over the years
she began to create and design her own pieces, learn gemmology and
revive old jewellery-making processes and techniques.
Maria lives between Madrid and Sri Lanka. Her inspiration comes from
travelling, searching and browsing for antiques and any artistic
expression from the colonial times in the Asian continent.
Art has been present forever in her life and she has an extensive
background in the interior design and fashion worlds which have given
her skills for the design and creation of fine jewellery pieces.
Oona
Oona collections’ are set with a rich variety of natural gems and
precious stones as sapphires, tourmalines, spinels... from the island
of Ceylon… using old diamonds for some of the collections with the
traditional settings on oxidized silverplate which give a characteristic finish. Fine craftsmanship with the utmost care and attention
to detail characterises each piece as it is handmade by artisans following Maria´s designs and the result is the combination of delicate
creations with a vintage inspired style.
Born in Canada in a family of wanderers, Pippa Small grew up in
England, and soon she too would often travel around the world.
Thereby she became fascinated by the people she met along her journeys and their way of life, this strong interest leading her to
anthropology studies, more specifically tribe’s behaviour towards
their ornamental customs.
It is in India, while visiting the Precious Stones Market of Jaïpur,
that she will discover stones from all over the world and meet local
craftsmen with whom she will develop long-term friendly relationships.
About ten years ago, she presented her first collection in Paris,
which immediatly drew the eyes of the Fashion community, leading to
collaborations with Gucci, Chloé and Bamford.
Pippa’s jewellery draws inspiration from the inner natural power and
beauty of the precious material she uses: stones moulded by centuries in the very core of the earth, shells carved by the tides, gold
hidden in rocks and rivers. Her jewellery pieces are bearers of their
own secret tale and life energy.
PIPPA SMALL
Concerned by keeping indigenous craftsmanship and traditional talents
alive and growing, she is part of various charity projects worldwide
which aim at giving back to people in trouble their independance and
self-sufficiency by producing a regular income.
Polly Wales studied Fine Art Sculpture before following her passion
for jewellery and retraining at the Royal College of Art graduating
in 2006. She has brought together her skills as a sculptor, her love
of traditional casting and carving techniques and her craftsmanship
to create one of a kind pieces of jewellery.
Her current collections use a serendipitous approach to lost wax
casting techniques married with the rich colours and beautiful cuts
of fine gem stones.
Polly uses sapphires and rubies directly cast into gold, creating
pieces that resemble natural gem encrusted forms, like sparkling
geodes split open, or discoveries from the deep.
This unorthodox process is unique to Polly and has become her
signature style, gaining her international recognition at major exhibitions and in craft and jewellery galleries. She is also
selling in numerous stores in the UK, Europe and USA.
Polly Wales
British designer Sia Taylor evokes the lyrical beauty of nature
through her fine jewellery. While a sculpture student at London’s
Royal College of Art, Sia spent her last term at a research camp in
the bush in Botswana. It was a creatively inspirational time, where
Sia became deeply interested in the subtle lives and forms of nature
around her.
Her fine jewellery collections, years after years are a continuation
process, which takes forms inspired by seeds, grasses, clusters of
insect eggs, and the internal structures of plants. Taylor’s emphasizes minimalist refinement and restraint to evoke a sense of lyricism and rhythm through the delicate details of her work. Yellow and
white 18-karat gold are used to create small seed like forms, which
are hooked into lengths of fine box link chain.
The seed forms appear both in clusters – as with a pair of yellow
gold earrings - in uniform procession along the front of a necklace,
or in rhythmic variables that draw from natural compositions.
She makes every piece by hand in her studio. It is a meditation
and a labour of love, which shows through in the final product. Each
piece becomes like a work of art something precious to hold on to
and cherish.
SIA TAYLOR
Sophie Bille Brahe started her namesake company almost without noticing it. After finishing a masters in design at the Royal College of
Art in London, Sophie began to create one-off pieces for designers and
celebrities, among them a triple gold and diamond ring for Madonna’s
fiftieth birthday. Encouraged by fashion insiders – buyers and international editors – she launched her collection in 2011.
Growing up in Copenhagen, even as a child Sophie knew she wanted to be
a goldsmith. “I went to an old hippie school where they believed everybody has a talent. So they made me a workshop where I could do jewellery,” she marvels. “What a really nice way of helping me.” Her love of
storytelling is inherited, passed down through generations of Brahes,
beginning with her great-great-great grandfather, the world-renowned
astrologer Tycho Brahe.
A perfectionist, it took 18 months to assemble the Sophie Bille Brahe
team. “I wanted the right people around me,” Sophie explains. Today,
the business is run like a family company. We call it the SBB family.”
Within months of launching, the collection acquired a cult following in
the fashion industry underpinning Sophie’s ability to resonate with what
women want to wear.
“I want my jewellery to tell stories. I don’t want it to be status symbols.” Sophie Bille Brahe brings emotion back to jewellery. Empowering,
cool, understated, she makes beautiful jewellery that means something,
to last.
Sophie Bille Brahe
“My clients are independent women, very secure in their own style.”
At the workshop in Copenhagen, everything is made by hand, using
centuries-old goldsmith techniques. The language of the brand lies in
proportion and shape, simplicity and pared downness. Sophie’s clientele
of inspiring women includes Lykke Li, Rihanna and Emma Watson.
The story could have just begun like this… ever since she was a little
girl, when people asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up,
Tassia answered inevitably « a jewellery designer ». But that story
would have been so easy and so sad. Instead, Tassia took her time
without wasting it.
Academic beginnings. Tassia learns about working colours, shapes, the
art of mixing them without failing them. Therefore she enrolled into
L’Atelier de Sèvres and LISAA in Paris, with the will of expanding her
painting skills: an improvised showroom in her living room, going to
exhibitions in Paris where she likes her imagination wander, getting
great and new ideas, discovering.
Later, Tassia becomes an Art Director in a communications agency but
colours, fabrics, materials and creations are still of interest and
her focus: the ones you can work with. Tassia takes a plunge into
the jewellery field in 2003 then launches her first jewellery line
in 2007.
From that moment onwards, she assembles, undoes, thinks again, composes again, inhales and exhales in her own way « l’air du temps »,
hers, Paris’ and her will to surprise.
Tassia Canellis
You cannot put Tassia in just one box. Her jewellery explores and
reinvents itself, and always with style: classy and delicate, very
feminine with no pretention, a dash retro, charismatic and urban, and
everything is made out of her imagination. But if we had to put a
name on each creation, that would be necklaces, bracelets, brooches,
rings, earrings between lightness and sophistication...
Ron Anderson, a Michigan native, taught himself to make jewellery
while working in the fashionable boutiques of Birmingham MI and moved
to NYC to work in high fashion retail. He began to sell his handmade
jewellery on the streets of Soho in the late 80’s. David Rees, an Ohio
native, earned an art history degree, moved to NYC and worked for high
end fashion retailers Charivari and Linda Dresner.
They met in 1991 and formed the jewellery company TENTHOUSANDTHINGS.
The name is taken from a line of the ancient Chinese philosophy, the
I-Ching that is translated ‘from one thing begets the ten thousand
things’. The inherent concept of infinite creativity and constant
evolution appealed to the designers who adopted that philosophy as
their guiding principal.
The primary focus of TENTHOUSANDTHINGS has always been to work with
the finest natural gems and pearls and develop original techniques
to create unique jewellery. As self taught artisans, the designers
have developed a reputation for original and unique work that has the
integrity of antique jewelry but is distinctly modern. Initial collections were labeled “personal jewelry“ by the fashion press and helped
to solidify a new direction in fashion jewelry.
TENTHOUSANDTHINGS
In 1997 they opened their first flagship retail store and production
studio on 19th street in Manhattan. They designed and created the
interior which was a unique combination of organic materials, hand
blown glass, rough hewn wood and wool felt that complemented the
design esthetic of the jewellery and was a further illumination of
their focus on refined handmade objects and natural materials. They
recently relocated their flagship store and production facility to
423 West 14th street as the meatpacking district was being developed
and again designed and created its interior.
Maria Tash has been a designer and retailer of fine jewelry for over
21 years. Her interest began at a young age after attending a jewelry
design class with her mother. However, this affinity did not fully
bloom into a career until some years later after studying in London.
There she discovered her appreciation for the art of body piercing
and a love of Indian and Pakistani designs, most notably nostril and
ear jewelry.
Upon returning to the states she decided to turn her passion into a
business after realizing how hard it was to find a highly regarded
place that specialized in fine body art. It was not before long when
Maria opened her first piercing and tattoo spa in New York City.
Soon thereafter, noticing most all navel pieces sold were made only
of industrial steel and lacking overall quality and style, Maria’s
talent and innovation started to take effect. She promptly began to
design her own line of fine navel jewelry. Faced with the challenge
of creating pieces that were not only hypoallergenic and strong, but
also comfortable and beautiful, Maria set out to do just that. And to
ensure that her jewelry met the highest of her standards, she wore
each design herself to test its durability
and comfort.
Venus
by Maria Tash
In addition to having attended New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology for jewelry making and design, Maria keeps current on the latest trends and innovations in the fashion industry through journals,
lectures and seminars… and most importantly through her constant
interaction with her customers.
She is considered an authority in the field of body piercing and has
discussed the many facets of the industry in various television and
print media outlets.
Yannis Sergakis is the descendant of a well-established family of
Greek diamond traders. He was drawn into the alluring world of precious stones while still a child, when he spent hours observing his
uncles in their workshop.
Soon, Yannis began collecting and trading jewels. Much later, he realized that his true passion was not collecting but creating jewellery.
Not a conventional route, but one that indicates his deep love and
appreciation for the fine art of jewellery.
After studying gemology and design at the Gemological Institute of
America, Yannis Sergakis worked as a trader alongside his family
until 2004, when he set up his own business.
More interested in creating exquisite jewels than signing them, he
started collaborating with renowned jewellery houses in Greece and
abroad.
Over thirty collections later, with the maturity of a designer who
has spent a decade honing his craft and the assertiveness of someone
whose sought after pieces sell at the world’s most exclusive boutiques, Yannis Sergakis has taken the most important step yet – creating his own signature line.
Yannis Sergakis
Childhood memories of growing up in Japan, prior training and careers
as a fashion designer in her native country and as a dancer in New
York all provide Yasuko Azuma with inspiration for her elegantly feminine and intricately detailed 18k gold precious jewelry collection.
Along with her husband, Richard Ito, Yasuko Azuma launched her first
full scale collection in 2003, under her own name, after mastering
the craft of delicate hand piercing and a hand finished “diamond
dust” texture. Both techniques continue to be part of her signature
style and have garnered the attention of leading retailers, press
and consumers.
Her love of fabrics, particularly vintage Kimonos patterns, her affinity for the old world charm of fans and Ranma (the pierced work on
sliding doors in old homes in Japan) and the refined movement she
strived for during her years as a dancer all inform her collections.
Yasuko’s childhood passion led her follow in her mother’s footsteps
and to study fashion design in college. After graduation, she worked
for a large apparel company.
Yasuko Azuma
In 1994, Yasuko moved to New York to pursue her dreams and began
studying jewelry fabrication and design at the Fashion Institute of
Technology. Yasuko’s collection focuses on earthly delights, each of
which are hand carved and hand finished with her pierced work. The
changing of seasons is also a driving force in her collection. She
describes her “diamond dust” texture as “trying to capture the moment on an icy cold day in winter when the motion in the air sparkles
when it freezes.” Yasuko replicates this feeling with light hammering which creates a glimmer of matte and shine. The essence of her
designs shows through in their subtly.
IN THE PRESS
Madame Figaro
January 15, 2015
GRAZIA
March 2015
ELLE
May 7, 2015
M Le Monde
May 9, 2015
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Inès de la Fressange on Instagram
Photoshoot with Kayture at the boutique
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