Everybody Must Get Stoned

Each season, Iosselliani gets more and more colorful. The original collection started out with intricately constructed noirish pieces encrusted with smatterings of clear and black crystals, and though the collection still presents darker undercurrents, they've infused the jewels with a vibrant jolt for a more gothic meets gypset vibe. Although that might not sound like the most appealing combination (I wonder how often those subcultural sets meet in real life), it somehow manages to work. Semi-precious stones mix with crystals, spikes, and semi-oxidized chain to form the most intricately composed swathes of rock and metal.  The true beauty of these pieces is that on first glance, they appear to be more traditional beaded necklaces, but upon closer inspection, reveal claws clutching at pearls, itty-bitty skulls attached to stone settings, and dangling dog's heads.  Nonetheless, if wearing color just isn't your thing, most jewels still come in classic black.

-Tiffany

My Bloody Valentine

While there have been thousands of love songs written about heartache and heartbreak, there haven’t been quite as many jewelry lines that have broached the subject. After all, jewelry is more often associated with ground swellings of intense love: diamonds that say forever, lockets that are filled to burst with your lover’s hair, and, of course, wedding and engagement rings that are wrapped up in promises and vows. Nonetheless, Michelle Ng, designer of Young&ng, was up for broaching the challenge. While her Spring collection is about broken hearts, she approaches the subject with optimism, trying to look for the beauty in unrequited love, as well as finding comfort in the belief that you leave a soured relationship stronger than when you entered it. Rather than basing the resulting pieces on saccharine hearts, Ng instead was inspired by blood cells, and the fractal arrangement of cells serve as the basis for her latest series of necklaces, cuffs, and headpieces. The results are breathtaking, and I’m particularly obsessed with the laser-cut metal pieces, which become lace like lattices once the blood cell patterns are applied to them. I’m sure putting on any of these gems would take the sting out of any breakup.

-Tiffany

Season of the Sea Witch

Last week, I stopped by the Langolier's showroom to view the new Spring collection, and of  course pre-order some jewelry for myself. Designed by my friends Zon and Pam, the collection started as a series of pieces based on knits, mixing knit chain, knit fabric, and metal castings of knit thread.  While the collection is still heavily based in these textile oriented roots, I'm awestruck by how much they've managed to develop this concept and expand their collection with other ideas that compliment their base collection.  This season's show-stopper is the Ursula the Sea Witch inspired breastplate necklace and matching earring set, which both look like slightly malevolent yet majestic gills, worthy of the wickedest sea witch.  The giant necklace is of course suspended from a net of knit chain. Another example of Pam and Zon's ingenuity comes in the form of intricately patterned metal mesh bracelets that were made from weaving gold and silver chain together.  The amount of anal-retentive labor required to produce such a piece is pretty much beyond my comprehension.  I naturally couldn't leave without ordering something, and I can't wait for my Ursula gill earrings to arrive this spring.  If you also feel like you cannot live without some Langoliers, you can find their pieces on their online shop.

-Tiffany

POP SOUK!

Lovely Becca of Chromat modeling one of her head pieces, and a Triskaidekaphobia tooth necklace, hidden by her hair!

Yesterday afternoon fabulous freaks from all corners of the city descended on Hiro Ballroom for the first ever installment of Ladyfag's Pop Souk pop-up market.  We were there selling both Triskaidekaphobia and Arms and Armory alongside some of our favorite nightlife and daylife friends, and I have to say it was definitely the most fun collection of bright new talent, dirt cheap designer finds, out-there outfits, and of course, straight-up random realness/weirdness.  Chris Habana was there selling eyeball necklaces alongside antiques, Chromat was peddling outrageous cage gear, Patricia Field set up a booth full of candy-colored glitter wigs, and half naked men sauntered through the stalls modeling three-foot high feather headdresses.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by. We can't wait for the next one!

Part of our Triskaidekaphobia Booth

The Arms and Armory section

Shoppers in the main ballroom

Zana stopped by, wearing one of her own signature leather creations.

This dude was walking around

Hiraku was working the Patricia Field booth, wearing a spider-web top of his own creation!

Naomi Yasuda at her Nail Art booth

-Tiffany

Triskaidekaphobia Fall 2011 Lookbook

Finally, our Triskaidekaphobia Lookbook is done!  This season was inspired by high school memories, keepsakes, and friendship/promise rings, Sweet Sixteen parties and Bat Mitzvahs, and our favorite song lyrics and quotes. We have two necklaces made of pennants, one which says "LOVE" on one side and "FEAR" on the other, and another which says "HIDE" on one side and "SEEK" on the other. We also have a banner that says "you can be my silver springs" from the Fleetwood Mac song "Silver Springs," and another banner which says "I started a joke which started the whole world crying" which is from the Bee Gee's song "I Started A Joke." The collection will be arriving in stores shortly, you can view our full stocklist here.

Special thanks to all of our talented friends who helped make it all possible, in spite of a nasty rainstorm in the middle: our gorgeous model, Lulu Chang, our photographer, Serichai Traipoom, our Hair Stylist, Dakota Heman, and our Makeup Artists, Terese Bennett.  

-Tiffany

Siren Song

Nettie Kent could serve as an inspirational example for all the readers who email asking for tips on how to break into the design industry.  Like many other emerging jewelry designers, Kent did not receive any formal training in school, but instead got her jewelry education on the job, apprenticing for established jewelers like Philip Crangi and Jill Platner.  Her experience helped her forge her eponymous line of ethically made brass jewelry, which often takes on organic or geometric shapes.  For this season's Siren Collection, layered and interlocking triangles acts as a recurring motif.  Modeled entirely by illustrious local chanteuses like Nicole Atkins, Caroline Polachek of Chairlift, and Elizabeth Harper from Class Actress, the lookbook alone is evidence of Kent's impressive list of friends/fans.  As a designer though, I find myself most impressed by the fact that Nettie keeps track of her metal sources, uses recycled materials, and produces everything locally in New York.  It is an important model to look up to, as the jewelry business is one of the most environmentally damaging and unethical industries in the world.  Perhaps we can all find reasons to be inspired by Nettie Kent.

-Tiffany