Oh, the incomparable Diana Vreeland! This photo captures all of her incomparability and originality and style. Although 'style' is too weak a word since she operated in an entirely different aesthetic realm, one all her own. And her jewelry! Beyond words. Of the many things that enrapture us about Ms Vreeland, we're most captivated by her habit of wearing pairs of matching cuffs, one on each arm. An INCREDIBLE, stunningly original look that was the inspiration for some of our newest pieces. Our wide metal cuffs, designed to be worn as a pair (for maximum impact, natch), come in both a gold-toned brass or a darkened aluminum. They are rendered from recycled brass and hammered aluminum, respectively, and made by an incredibly talented artisan at a workshop in Nairobi. We can't wait to show off these beauties in public. Try a pair, why don't you??
We’re often asked about our design inspirations— a great question, but one to which a thorough answer could literally take hours. I'll spare you that but will quickly say that one of our major inspirations has been traditional, ancient jewelry. There is nothing more awe-inspiring than their timelessness and incredible craftsmanship. And we are constantly struck by how timeless and modern some pieces are—for example, an ancient shell bracelet from Papua New Guinea would look perfectly at home in a jewelry display at Barneys, or on a model’s wrist in a glossy magazine's fashion spread.
Our obsession with ancient jewelry started while doing research for our trip to Ghana—we came across some stunning gold pieces worn by Ashanti tribal chieftans and we were HOOKED. Photo below: we've got to tackle that unbelievably amazing ring next.
We particularly fell in love with the Azbeg. Fantastic name, no? It's a wildly unique bracelet shape, traditionally made of silver. The Azbeg inspired a few pieces from our new collection-- the brass studded cuff below, for example. Its history is even better: the Azbeg hails from the Anti-Atlas region of Morocco, possibly from as far back as the first century AD. The design is credited to Jewish goldsmiths who came to the area after Jerusalem fell to the Romans in 70 AD.
AMAZING photo of some our horn cuffs. Enormous thanks to photographer David Wagner! Check out his fantastic website at http://dawagner.com