Collaborate and Innovate. Fashion and Jewels in a New Era

The collections for this coming Spring/ Summer 2018 season are the representation of an ever closer relationship between fashion and jewelry. During the latest September fashion weeks in London, Paris, Milan and New York, the overriding trend was to pre- sent clothing collections paired with pieces from the most imaginative designers. There is strength in numbers, of course, and this creative union is a boost for all. The brands most aware of this are inspired by a desire for experimentation, and they look to the interaction among various artistic disciplines to create innovative, exciting pieces. «For us, it is always a pleasure to collaborate. It is exciting and fun to work with other designers and artists,» say Sari Räthel and Ricarda Wolf, the designer duo behind Räthel & Wolf. They have collaborated with German designer Paula Knorr, creating a series of pieces inspired by the movement of the female body. «Paula's collections are focused on women's real personalities! For our collaboration, we came up with a series of bold jewels, which aimed to round out the owing aesthetic of the clothing pieces. We took inspiration from the iconic shape of classic jewels, creating rings, cameos and oversized chains with design inspired by graphics.» For this German creative duo based in London, creating an accessories collection for a fashion brand is a unique opportunity. «It allows us to have more freedom as compared to when we create our collections, and put our creative abilities to the test.»

English designer Sian Evans agrees. Her collaboration with the Borgo De Nor brand has yielded a spectacular col- lection of statement pieces inspired by surrealism and nature in all of its strangeness. For Sian, «Designing jewelry for a clothing brand requires a different approach. Time is the first difference. I made ten pieces in three days working nonstop. I don't suggest doing that! But it was exciting and thrilling to use my skills to take quick decisions.» The collaboration between jewelry designers and fashion designers is a winning combination that takes unique design paths, allowing for creativity to be expressed freely. What's more, putting jewelry on the fashion runways is a unique opportunity for a designer who wants to showcase his or her pieces to a larger, more international audience.

Jill Martinelli and Sabine Le Guyader, co — founders of the new brand Lady Grey, created some of the most surprising jewels seen at New York's fashion week: with thin golden structures that were absolutely regal in their simplicity, they were perfectly in line with the silhouettes and out-fits seen at the show for famous New York designer Jill Stuart.

Anissa Kermiche also showcased her talent, this time at the Rejina Pyo show, with a series of highly original earrings in gold and pearls inspired by Calder's abstract art. Also in New York, Kathleen Whitaker did a superb job of highlighting the debut ready-to-wear collection by Ulla Johnson, with 20 unique pieces featuring in- credibly modern lines and using materials like silver, mother-of-pearl and moonstone. «It is interesting to see how two aesthetic points of view can come together perfectly. Ulla's style is feminine, ethereal, and, in a certain sense, poetic. My style is certainly more understated and geometric. Yet, the collaboration worked and was harmonious,» said the American de- signer who has always been interested in the impact of fashion as a cultural phenomenon. «Fashion helps us relate to the outside world. What we wear is an expression of who we are. What fascinates me the most is the impact that fashion can have. Showing a jewelry piece in a different context and having the chance to show how it can be worn is an exciting opportunity.»