Wearable Art Blog

Ifat Macrame Creations

Here's something that's different from almost everything I've featured here: macrame jewelry. It's made by Ifat Nesher of Ifat Creations, an artist influenced by the cultures of Israel (where she was born) and Europe (where she's spent most of her adult life).

What grabs me about Ifat's work is that she weaves elaborate patterns and then adorns them with handmade Murano glass beads from Venice or other materials, including terracotta, silver, metal or wood. The results are colorful and eye-catching.

 

The gorgeous neckpiece above features a handmade glass bead from Murano that's especially vibrant. Ifat travels to Venice to select beads like this herself.

She also uses Murano glass beads as the centerpiece of these lovely earrings (above). The beads are made with a special layering technique that produces the curvy, geometric patterns.

I admit, I have a soft spot for both of these pieces, having just visited Venice last fall!

 
The elegant 'feather' necklace (above) reminds me of a spiders web. It features a handmade bead in the middle, which nicely complements the colors in the threads.

The Sky Blue necklace (below) features a lovely Venetian blown glass bead. 

Ifat also produces pieces with a more primitive look, like the African Bead necklace with gold and silver beads and a big Dogon bead.

Though Ifat makes rings and other jewelry, I really love her necklaces and earrings. There's something about his combinations of colors and textures in these pieces that make for interesting wearable art.

You can see more of these inventive Ifat Creations at Boticca or Ifat Creations on Facebook.

 

Lilian Asterfield Eco-Friendly Tie Ruffs

Here's some great eco-friendly fashion that I happily found last week. 

Lilian Asterfield is a 'refashion label' featuring 'upcycled gentleman's neckties and vintage scarves' that are hand sewn into ruffle scarves, brooches, and jewelry for women and men.

The Elizabethan-like ruffle collars, which hug the neck and are hand-ruffled and hand-stitched, are my favorites. Below is the Double Ruffle in Bubble Gum and Black.

Nicole Deponte is the woman behind Lilian Asterfield. Apparently, 'Lilian Asterfield' is the nickname that Deponte's stylish grandfather (who must have worn some great ties!) gave to her mother. She gets the ties from eBay and scavenges nearby Salvation Army outlets located near her Boston studio.

Deponte got the idea for doing the tie scarves during a collaboration with her fashion desiger brother - he gave her a bag of ties, including some of her grandfather's, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Triple Ruffle, below, brings together three very different ties - each with soft colors - into a fun pattern of its own.

Two satin silk neckties are hand ruffled and hand sewn into the lovely white violet ruffle collar, below.

Here's a vintage silk scarf that's been hand stitched in a 1900's style hair bow and then stitched onto on a silk and leather lined headband.

 

Finally, would you believe there's even a Doggy Ruffle Collection? Your doggie's scarf will be custom sized to fit your pooch's neck. This scarf is modeled by "Bugs."

I love the gorgeous patterns, striking colors and appealing designs in these pieces, which are bound to be conversation starters. And, they're reasonably priced.

If you're lucky enough to be in the Maryland area, you can see Lilian Asterfield designs at the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore from February 24th to 26th (Booth # 3702 on the main retail floor).

Or go to Lilian Asterfield for more.

 

Beaded Jewelry by So Young Park

Metalsmith and jewelry artist So Young Park creates complex textures by piercing a metal surface with hundreds of gold beaded pins. You can see this so clearly in the lovely cuff below. She also includes other beads and stones that add to the beauty of her unconventional pieces.

 
Square Sea: Cuff of oxidized silver and precious beads

Park's work is quietly theatrical - each piece tells a subtle story. In the elegant necklace, below, the chain reminds me of strands of seaweed while the round disc in the middle of the oval pendant looks like it could be a barnacle covered stone.

Oriental Hill: Necklace of oxidized silver, 24K gold leaf and white pearls

Park, who grew up near the ocean in South Korea, is drawn to nature. She says that "my jewelry expresses desire, hope, and the power of life through organic plant forms that are rendered in simple, geometric, and sophisticated ways."

Through her use of contrasting colors in the rounded shape, below, Park finds yet another way to convey a natural form - in this case, a flower.

Chrysanthemum Ring: Oxidized silver, 18k yellow gold, tourmaline

I really like how so many of Park's pieces seem like they come from a beach. And her use of soft tones helps to show the delicate qualities in her jewelry.

Observing Ocean: Pendant of oxidized silver, pearls and precious beads

Park moved to the United States in 2001 and earned her second M.F.A. in metal and jewelry design from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 2006, she decided to start designing her own collection, and she's exhibited her work widely throughout the U.S. ever since.

There's so much more of this fascinating work to see at So Young Park Studio.

 

 

 

Duro Olowu

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

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.