Showing posts with label Jewellery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewellery. Show all posts

Tuesday, 1 November 2011

Yenz Lin: From Architecture to Jewellery Design And Beyond

published in: Accessories, 01 Nov 2011

 
Through this fashion website, I have been very fortunate to meet some of the brightest and most interesting people in fashion and design. Taiwanese jewellery/conceptual designer Yenz Lin is definitely one of those people. Yenz graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martin's with a BA in Jewellery Design, after having studied earlier for four years architecture in Taiwan's Tunghai University. As Tunghai University was the first place where Yenz got into design, it has affected her tremendously. "Accurate attitude, method of operating design, paying attention on the interaction with the user" have become key components of Yenz's later work.



After completing her degree in Architecture, Lin moved to London in 2008. During studying in Central Saint Martin's, Yenz had the chance not only to learn technical skills, but through the freedom given by CSM she managed to explore and focus on the things that caught her attention. An inquisitive spirit, Lin always asks questions about social phenomena, such as education, marriage etc. "Why do that? Why choose that? What one expects to gain from this choice?" She believes that we all live in the context of particular racial, ethical, and social cultures, which though they are positive from a legal, moral or ethical point of view, they also act as shackles. In her opinion
people should have the freedom to accept and conform to society’s explicit and implicit 'rules' by which to live, but also the freedom to attempt to break out yet with a look in our previous position. According to Lin "we might see our lives and options more clearly, or this might stimulate other inspirations".


Lin through her final jewellery collection aims to deliver a concept that there are still many other possibilities which can be found, if one tries to figure them out by thinking out of the box or breaking the limited visions. An object, interpreted from different points of view, can inspire different perceptions. "The intended audience is the one  which puts on this object. It can be observed that the object appears different on different wearers, which can not be wholly grasped in the eye of a third-person beholder," explains Lin. The formal elegance and delicate, fragile linear details are the characteristics of her design. She makes jewellery as a messenger to communicate with people indirectly with her own voice. By combining innovative architecture with contemporary jewellery design, Yenz's work is characterized by airy sculptured objects that drive their origin from an interest in space perception and three dimensions. Her exceptional design and craftsmanship earned her the "Cool Diamond Award 2011".


Yenz's goal is to have enough support to keep creating the messages she would like to convey, "playing with the conclusions above, reminding people to always keep jumping out and looking back to the position they used to be". In the near future, as a large scale piece of work, Yenz would like to create a public installation or sculpture between buildings that interacts with pedestrian through the glass surface of the building and the walking movement of the pedestrians. The idea is for the glass surface to act as a mirror during the day so people can see their reflection, and to allow the light that comes out from the building during the night and create the shadow of the piece. She would also like to create some salable accessories, and in general be able to survive as an artist designer or conceptual designer.


Yenz Lin's collections of jewellery are intelligible, variable and memorable, as they all have different identities and specialties. Due to their spacial and polymorphic nature they also act as sculptures and Haute Couture jewellery. All Yenz needs is people to believe in her work and support it in order to flourish, and we are sure that it will...


Related links: Showtime


All images courtesy of Yenz Lin© 



Friday, 15 July 2011

Elena Votsi: A Greek Among Gods (of Fashion)


Elena Votsi is not your average jeweller. Au contraire, Elena is the only Greek who had the privilege of collaborating with Gucci (The Tom Ford era) and Ralph Lauren. Her remarkable skills and aesthetics not only earned her a place next to Fashion gods, but also her design of the Olympic Medal for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games was such a success, that the obverse (front) side of the Medals shall be used in all future Olympic Games. Of course, that also includes the 2012 Olympic Games in London.


 (The obverse (front) side of the Olympic Medal Athens 2004)

Votsi studied painting and mosaic at the Athens School of Fine Arts and went on to obtain her MA in Metalwork and Jewellery at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. Once Votsi opened her first shop in Hydra, one of Greece's international islands, it didn't take long for people of the fashion industry, who happened to be on the island, to take notice of Elena's work. Elena joined forces with Tom Ford for Gucci from 1994 to 1997 to design a series of accessories and other items.

(Cufflinks made of blue lapis lazouli stone)

(Pendant made of 18K gold and coral)

In 2006 the Ralph Lauren company got in touch with Votsi, after being astounded by her designs, her winning of the international competition for the Olympic Medals' design, and her collaboration with Gucci. The company bought gold rings from the Bales, Corals, and Polyspora lines (season 2005-2006) that were showcased both at the ad campaign and at the Ready-To-Wear show in New York. The partnership is still going strong with Elena designing exclusive jewellery for Ralph Lauren, to "dress" the collections and the RL stores. The jewellery has been sold at the New York, Tokyo and Milano stores.

(Earrings made for the Ralph Lauren collection)

(Rings made of 18K Gold and South Sea Pearl. The collection was bought by Ralph Lauren for the collections and ad campaigns.)

Votsi has, also, taken part several times in the Couture Design Awards Las Vegas, and has won the first prize twice, in 2009 and in 2011. Wonder what she'll be up to next...

(All images courtesy of Elena Votsi)

 (The ring that won the 1st prize at the 2009 Couture Design Awards Las Vegas)

(The ring that won the 1st prize at the 2011 Couture Design Awards Las Vegas)

(Ring from the Bales line made of 18K gold, south sea pearl and diamonds brilliant-cut)

(Ring from the Balles line made of 18K gold, and diamonds brilliant-cut)