MASAI JEWELLERY

Lots of African tribal jewellery is still around, but its now less in your face and much prettier, delicate and subtle. I know subtle isn't really the word to use, but it is compared with the neck breaking breast plates and massive tribal jewellery of the past seasons. I'm not an expert on jewellery or African tribal dress, but I have definitely seen a lot of fine beadwork being incorporated into the material palette of western fashion jewellery.


Whether it be strands of brightly coloured thread mixed with chunky sem-precious stones or tubular pieces decorated with patterned beads, it it a really fresh look which adds a bit of depth to the influx of high street outfits that we see everywhere.






This necklace here on Phillip Lim's catwalk in Autumn/winter 2011/12 uses wrapping techniques in a heavily stripped down and simple piece. The subtle clues like the splash of bright colour and the tubular construction make reference to this beautiful and ancient style of jewellery design originating in Africa.

WIREFRAME

Delicate, spindly jewellery is an important theme at the moment. Fine details and shapes highly contrast with all the chunky massive jewellery also an important trend.


These pieces all feature simplicity and reduction as a key design theme.


This is a bracelet by Goncalo Campos, it is made up of varying sizes of triangles, looking like a wireframe structure. Very architectural. I particularly like the matt black finish which reminds me of raw materials used in building and metal work.


These earrings look as though there is something missing, but simply consists of what most people would regard as just the fixings with the embellishment missing. They are called 'ear wires' and were found on etsy by the seller 'philagree'. I love that it is about what is not there rather than what is there.

BARBIE DECONSTRUCTION

Margeaux Lange, the New York born jewellery designer has done these wicked pieces made from the highly iconic barbie. The elements are abstracted and take on a completely different vibe from their original elements.


The pieces are nostalgic and surreal at the same time.


Both a bit creepy and fun, the details like the rings on these hands jump out and when i look at them i see detail i never really noticed before.


Just like eating meat, I love how Lange has used up all the elements of the Barbie in the different jewellery pieces, making full use of the entire Barbie corpse!


The fantastical pieces when re-contexturalised become barely recognisable as their original parts but form new shapes and pieces inspired by current fashion trends for example, this tribal necklace above made out of Barbie's left and right arms.


And quite literally ear-rings...


Its not the first time i have come across jewellery made from elements of dolls, but definitely one of the nicest executions i have seen... pardon the pun.

ARTICULATED RINGS

I love these agressive looking articulating rings. They have a gothic armour feel to them and cover the whole finger.


These have been really popular lately for both men and women. I really feel as though jewellery is becoming more and more unisex. There are loads of rings in Topman that i'm loving right now, they are just too big to wear for a woman. They are really playful and fun and cheap enough to invest in without too much commitment.


Intricately detailed patterns and layered and stacked, these rings are really in your face and verge on being knuckle dusters.


Some of them even include a sharp nail detail. Perfect for a saturday night out in shoreditch!