Mondo Mondo

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mondo Mondo is a jewelry and fragrance label based in Los Angeles. The brand provides a visual and sensual world inspired by archaic wonders and baroque ornamentation – there’s nothing simple about it, that’s for sure. Mondo Mondo, a name chosen for its cinematic undertones, utilizes the ancient art of storytelling to guide the designs. Intrinsically archetypal, Natasha Ghosn’s pieces become both personal and universal. Whether it’s a heart pendant, ‘Soleil’ earrings with rhinestone chains or (my favourite) ‘Friend’ ring in sterling, there’s something magical about those made to order goodies. The fragrance line by Ghosn is equally elusive, yet appealing. The descriptions of the six perfumes make you dream. I Like You In Velvet is summed in the following way: “in an iridescent cloud of iris and carrots I found my expression. Silk gloves, lipstick wax, silver like the movies. Ballet, jazz, and modern dance, too.” Then, we’ve got the greenish Cowboy. “Here the spirit of the Cowboy is represented as The Fool in this unisex fragrance. He is free, naive, and fearless. You can find him sleeping peacefully under the stars.” Tobacco, leather and grass combined with honeysuckle and coffee must be some sort of nasal ecstasy. Would love to try each of them, but the brand sadly doesn’t ship alcohol-based products to Europe. Still, whether you’re in USA or not, check out Mondo Mondo’s site for more!

Nathalie Schreckenberg

April 23, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Nathalie Schreckenberg is a German-Brazilian jewelry designer, who’s currently based in Barcelona. With her background in fine arts, Nathalie started a line of handcrafted earrings, rings, bracelets and pendants that might resemble sculptures of such artists as Jean Arp or Alexander Calder to some. With one exception – those pieces are totally wearable.

Schreckenberg’s brand DNA retains a raw, organic feeling to each of those precious, yet minimal treasures. Silver, natural gems and pearls are molded into ergonomic jewels that adapt comfortably to the body. Each piece reflects manual processes, connecting with the wearer – think of them as of ancient amulets for our times.

Discover the designer’s gorgeous lookbook presenting her second collection, photographed by Adrián Catalán, below.

Art Deco, Ca & Lou.

November 3, 2016November 3, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Carolina Neri and Bérengère Lux are long-time friends and business partners simultaneously, standing behind Ca & Lou – a brand focused on timeless, yet “stealing the spotlight wherever you are” jewellery. This Milan-based label co-operates with one of the best Milanese jewellery workshops, seeking for a balance between clean forms and love for opulent ornaments. The designers behind Ca & Lou draw inspirations from Art Deco era, constantly refining their intricately embellished necklaces, bracelets and rings with minute attention to geometric forms and details. Moreover, Neri and Lux have always been obsessed with excessive costume jewelry – that’s why their autumn-winter 2016 moodboard is filled with archival photographs of Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra, or the one-and-only Greta Garbo. Blurring the lines between retro and contemporary, owning a piece by Ca & Lou is like owning a treasure (surprisingly, in a pretty affordable price, if you compare to other luxury brands).

Available at Concept 21 Store.

Sophie Buhai

August 25, 2015August 25, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Wearable sculptures by Sophie Buhai are not only timeless, but precious. “There’s a certain woman who wants to buy a jewelry piece as if it were a wearable piece of sculpture, and invest in it. You want quality. You want something that’s beautiful and that’s going to last.” The 34 years old designer and founder of her eponymous label knows what a woman with class wants. Buhai strives to present her collection of cuffs, collars, pendants and rings with a sense of permanence and each of her lovingly sculpted works appeals to a sophisticated clientele.

Sophie Buhai’s jewellery is available at The Line. Photography by Thomas Lohr.

Spiral Around The Body

July 23, 2015July 19, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

A piece of jewellery by her seems to be like a spiral which shapes around the body. Do you remember the set of five golden rings from Nicolas Ghesquière’s final collection for Balenciaga? Did you add them to the on-line store whishlist because you were so in love with them? Well, in reality, you were in love with Charlotte Chesnais already back then. Spending nearly a decade at the house, she appeared to be the main jewellery designer there by coincidence. “Nicolas wanted some pieces for his Les Parisiennes collection, and there was no one at the time doing jewelry in the atelier,” Chesnais recalls. She left Balenciaga just after Ghesquière did. “I had lost my master,” she explains, but not before debuting the “bow” bracelets that have since become an Alexander Wang signature. Later on, Chesnais worked for Julien Dossena at Paco Rabanne (the last season bracelets are also by HER) and designed the chain mail bags. And now, Charlotte Chesnais is here to present herself in the truest form, with her own namesake line. Inspired by the sculptural work of Constantin Brancusi and Alberto Giacometti, her eponymous collection is composed of metal pieces that look as if made of liquid – cuffs coil up the hand; circular earrings orbit the lobes. “Each one is a beautiful object—even just sitting on a table,” she says. “That’s my interpretation of timeless.”