San Francisco Independent Fashion
Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: large white Blossom Earrings, $52, by The Harbinger Co., just one of the many locally-based accessories companies you’ll find at the Fillmore Jazz Festival this weekend.
More snap judgments…
New collections from Made Jewelry, Nola Bella and Elixir9 are on our minds this week. Here, a quick sampling from each.
Photos (from top): Fillmore pendant, Made Jewelry; Long hammered glimmer pendant, Elixir9; Opera Rhinestone Necklace, Nola Bella.
More San Francisco jewelry…
We’ll give anything with more-than-meets-the-eye sensibilities a second look, so you can believe our peepers were locked on the 80+ pieces on display in the latest the San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design exhibition, Designers on Jewelry: 12 Years of Jewelry Production by Chi ha paura…?
First, what on earth is Chi ha paura…? Literally translated from Italian, it means who’s afraid of…? But it’s also the name of a foundation from jewelry and product designer Gijs Bakker (who also happens to be the founder of Droog Design) that challenges artists and industrial designers to create contemporary jewelry rich in ideas, rather than bling.
We stopped by a preview of the new exhibit last week to find numerous pieces that impressed with their provocative messages, clever use of unconventional materials and curious twists on the traditional.
Among our favorites were a gold cross pendant comprised of hundreds of tiny brand names, a pair of gold sunglasses meant to be worn in the hair instead of over the eyes, a chunky silver ring that doubles a safety whistle and a ring that presses a message into the wearer’s skin (gently, of course).
Along with being fun to look at, the exhibition makes plain contemporary fashion’s often-elusive serious side with works that are just as focused on rich ideas as they are on outward-facing ornamentation.
On view through May 16, 2010 at San Francisco Museum of Craft + Design, 550 Sutter St., www.sfmcd.org.
You could say that jewelry designer Jessica Winzelberg made just the right trade at just the right time. When the Lower Haight resident left her 100-hour-a-week job at a Bay Area investment banking firm last August to pursue goldsmithing at San Francisco’s Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, little did she know the company would end up declaring bankruptcy within weeks of her departure.
“It made me realize that I am on the right path,” muses the designer, whose collection debuted in October and is exclusively available at San Francisco boutique Metier.
Working with a combination of natural opals, metals and precious and semi-precious stones, Winzelberg manages to produce pieces whose earthy coolness and luxurious materials combine in a way that positively oozes bohemian chic. Multi-hued opals sourced from Australia meet the sparkle of pink and blue sapphires, garnets and amethysts to produce color combinations that stand out, yet look just as at home paired with plain t-shirts as they do with cocktail dresses.
“It lends itself well to being casual, but fancy at the same time, uptown but downtown at the same time, and it gives you versatility,” says Winzelberg of her collection’s strikingly contrasted stones.
At $400 and up, Winzelberg’s work doesn’t come cheap, but every pendant is one-of-a-kind, and simpler, limited production earrings, bangles and rings are available in sterling silver and 14k yellow gold.
To shop Winzelberg’s collection in person, visit Metier at 355 Sutter St., 415-989-5395. Contact the designer directly for custom or special orders.
More local designers…
Click through for more pics…
New from the in-house jeweler at HomeRoom Clothing: two-finger rings in silver or gold tone.
More jewelry by Bay Area designers….
