By Suzy Menkes
PARIS: It’s official! Big jewelry is back. And none is bolder or more dramatic than the garden of mineral delights at Dior.
The designer Victoire de Castellane made her signature sculpted pieces with unusual stones into bracelets that offered a floral world at the wrist — or on the chest. For these pieces have removable parts, so a coral rose could become a brooch once it was abstracted from its surrounding natural world of diamond and emerald leaves, nestling with mother of pearl and jade.
“A tonic!” was the designer’s take on bringing such color and flamboyance to fine jewelry in this collection called “Coffret de Victoire,” meaning her personal jewel box. Sea horse and fish sculptures also appeared on cuffs, creating a kind of Paradise Island.
For those looking for de Castellane’s signature cocktail rings, there also was invention — not least in the lineup of tourmalines in 26 different colors.
When the fashionista’s favorite store, Colette, put colorful paper cutouts of Tom Binn’s jewelry on display to draw attention to the designer’s new collection, the shop did not expect to sell the cardboard fantasies.
But such was the demand for these “virtual jewels” in this recession moment that they are as much in demand as Binn’s pieces.
His full collection, on display at Hotel Lotti, includes sculptural gilded torque necklaces, inspired by a trip to Brazil and the modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Other standout inventions include multicolored “cuckoo” pearls — each with one unexpected color standing out like the cuckoo in the nest.
Source: www.iht.com
