London Jewelry Week: Hot New Talent!

Such individual and unique talents!





















It's not an event that focuses on bling, carat size or ultra-precious stones, but that's not the aim. London Jewellery Week just wrapped up, and it's a show that is growing and playing up the scouting aspect, looking for niche designers who focus on creativity, innovation and craftsmanship.

The highlight of the week was definitely the new edition of Treasure, which was held for the first time in Victoria House in Bloomsbury. We took a look around and browsed the creations of up-and-coming designers, scoped out new trends and admired pieces made with avant-garde materials.

The winners of the much coveted Jewellery Designer of the Year award - Yunus and Eliza - really stand out for their jewels inspired by classic mythology. One has a background in figurative sculpture while the other studied restoration. One young designer of fashion jewels to keep an eye on is Zelia Horsley. She combines acrylic and metallic chain coils with mechanical elements, bringing an attitude and a bit of glamour to her bracelets and necklaces that are hard to ignore.

Tina Lilienthal is eccentric, bizarre and much loved by fashionistas like Alexa Chung, Keira Knightley and Kelly Osbourne. Her fluorescent iconographic symbols are fresh and fun and now feature a new enameling technique. Hsiao-Chi Tsai was born in China but now calls London home. She is known for her neck pieces inspired by Victorian collars. The designer's background in paper cutting - a typical Chinese art form - helps her in making her futuristic pieces featuring organic shapes and colored neoprene.

Then there were the oversized silver cuffs by Ute Decker, Jessica De Lotz's 'retro bling' Oria's bucolic engravings, the golden geometries of Dennis and Lavery and Sarah Herriot and the unconventional sculptures by Mahtab Hanna (she refers to it as 'dichotomy jewellery'). The winners of Professional Jeweller 2011 were Laura Gravestock, Natalia Schroder and Trisori duo. These young, enterprising and fresh talents along with their more established counterparts make up a new world of design with great things on the horizon.

1. - 3. Yunus & Eliza 4 Trisori 5. & 6. Ute & Decker 7. & 8. Mahtab Hanna 9. Laura Gravestock 10. - 12. Zelia Horsley 13. & 14. Hsiao-Chi Tsai 15. Dennis & Lavery 16. Jessica De Lotz 17. Sarah Herriott 18. Tina Lilienthal 19. Hsiao-Chi Tsai

(Vogue.it)