Petrou Man AW11

Nicolas Petrou and his latest PetrouMan warriors.

On a busy day of menswear at NYFW there was one particular collection that captured my imagination. In a presentation full of colour, texture and print, Petrou Man's AW11 collection offered a modern take on tribal aesthetics and continued evolution of the Petrouman warrior in to its fourth season. The collection took its inspiration from various tribal elements of Indigenous people scattered throughout the world and from the fantastic creations of photographer and illustrator David Gomez. In a seamless evolution on previous seasons, Nicolas Petrou combined this heady cocktail of influences to create an individual collection of reimagined vintage and heritage, one of a kind pieces.

"There are tribal influences once again because I found this beautiful Guatamalian fabric from the 40s at a flea market and I found beautiful, hand embroidered pieces as well. I started with the fabric and then I was introduced to the work of a Spanish artist called David Gomez who created these beautiful portraits. With the combination of the fabric and David's work, the collection immediately became classic menswear with twists of tribal elements and everything came together. fresh and modern."

Nicolas Petrou speaking to me for Dazed Digital

Throughout, the Central Saint Martins graduate mixed classic menswear shapes with vintage hand embroidered materials, oxidised charms, beads and paint customisation for dazzling results. The presentation format really helped showcase the collection at its best. During the course of the hour long presentation, this blogger explored the multi faceted looks and was completely and utterly transfixed by the beauty of Petrou's eye for detail that may have been lost on the catwalk. We have long declared that the real beauty of menswear is in the details and will never tire of taking the time to celebrate the finer details of men's style. Few designers hold my attention more than Nicolas Petrou. My only grumble is that I was unable to shoot the collection because Susie had borrowed my camera for the day. Thankfully, Christos Karantzolas was on hand to capture the enthralling scenes so let's revisit the finely crafted looks...

During the Dazed Digital interview, an excited and deservedly proud Petrou enthused, "I love the intensity of it. Beauty doesn't have to be conventional." As you can see, each and every look has so many layers to it. The more you look, the more you see. Scarves are hand embroidered with classic icons of American pop culture from Ghostbusters to Pac Man, shirts are brought to life with patchwork check, trousers are adorned with the vintage Guatamalian fabric, boots are transformed with paint and oxidised charms. There are moments when it is almost too much but somehow the right balance is always struck.

In only four seasons, Nicolas Petrou has created such a strong aesthetic and I'm sure that this collection with garner the level of press and buyer attention that it deserves.

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Siki Im's Silent Thunderbird Prayer

Siki Im's Silent Thunderbird Prayer for AW11.

Backstage photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital

As you know, I'm currently in New York leisurely taking in the menswear design talent strewn across the fashion week schedule. However, you might know that whilst here I have been tasked with the odd show review and accompanying interview for Dazed Digital's ever impressive coverage. One of the real highlights has been Siki Im. Ever since I stumbled across the designer at the tail end of my last visit to the Big Apple, I've kept a keen eye on this design talent. He certainly did not disappoint with his fourth collection and it was an absolute pleasure to talk through the designs with the man himself.

Backstage photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital

Once again, the former architect turned fashion designer challenged conventional notions of men’s fashion with meticulous tailoring, architectural details and inventive silhouettes in a collection inspired by the work of Native American pottery artist Maria Martinez. For his fourth collection, Silent Thunderbird Prayer, Siki Im offered a tranquil and sombre spirituality with soft, textured tailoring as Native American songs echoed around the presentation room and soil reminded observers of Mother Earth. Ever the talent when it comes to creating memorable presentations, Im chose to bring his influences to the fore to counterbalance the subtlety of the collection itself.

Backstage photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital

With an enthused nod to Martinez's black ware pottery, the designer experimented with shape and texture. Inspired by the elements, Im delivered a collection of muted hues grounded in the wonders of nature. There was wonderful subtelty and quiet texture throughout. Quadrupled layers of wool, cashmeres, swiss felts and waxed cottons combine to protect the wearer as the winter elements draw near whilst the white rabbit felt hats shield and shelter the head.

Backstage photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital

Eclipse jewellery created in collaboration with Made by Eugene adorned the body in powder coated amulets in silver which pay homage to Native American charms. Throughout the sixteen looks, there was a happy union between the Siki Im man and the Native American spirit. This is no more apparent that in the collaboration with a fifth generation Native American weaver and her mother for a section of beautiful hand woven knits.

Now that my eyes have been treated with Im's latest creations and despite a significant part of me crying out for a spate of warm sunshine, I am now longing for the time I can wrap myself up in soft, natural, voluminous fabrics such as these.

Backstage photography by Morgan O'Donovan for Dazed Digital.
For the interview and more imagery, head over to DD.

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Saturday, 12 February 2011

LCF MA Graduate Showcase: Qunying Huang

Despite our eyes being fixed on the goings on in New York, we just had to continue our LCF MA Graduate showcase series. Recent posts have celebrated the cream of the latest crop of MA graduates and have seen us speak with each of our favourite students to learn more about their collections and their experiences at LCF. Here, we turn our attention to the collection of Qunying Huang.

Entitled Bound & Boundless, Huang's collection is focused on exploring and expressing different personal boundaries and Chinese philoshophy. Through the stunning combination of jacquard fabrics with flat fabrics, the design talent uses a design method that refers itself to modern art and traditional tailoring to express the four different personal boundaries as well as the feeling of protection and vulnerability of masculinity. Here we talk to the design talent to hear about her experiences at LCF, learn more about the processes and techniques used within the collections and reveal her hopes for the future...

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SS: Firstly, congratulations on more than playing your part in a dazzling, menswear rich MA show. How did it feel seeing your finished designs on the catwalk?

Qunying Huang: Seeing our MA show at the V&A was a monumental moment for all of us. I was enjoying the moment. We have worked a long time for it, this was our time and every one was watching us.

SS: Describe the moment you realized you wanted to be a menswear designer?
Qunying Huang: This idea only came from when I was in my BA Course, I was in China at that moment. In the third year we had a menswear course, and I found that menswear is more about subtle details and tailoring, which is quite different from womenswear. And I love to make some totally different things. This is a challenge to me.

Backstage at the MA show. Photography by Morgan O'Donovan

SS: What attracted you to the LCF MA course in particular? What was the best thing about your course? And the worst?
Qunying Huang: We are free to explore anything we want to explore, and we have the opportunity to push things.

The best thing of my course is we can turn our original ideas in to real garments. It is very interesting to see our own design on models. In the process of making the collection, I have improved a lot in my project management, time management, tailoring skills and so on.

The worst thing is when we want to use some special machines, we need to travel a long way.

SS: Now on to your collection itself. Bound & Boundless experiments with fabric and tailoring techniques in a stunning way. Can you talk us through the inspiration for the collection?
Qunying Huang: I got the inspiration from the personal boundaries and Chinese philosophy “in the world, all things are born of being, being is born of non-being. Laozi”. There are four kinds of personal boundaries, they are soft, sponge, rigid, flexible personal boundaries. People will feel weak and vulnerable when they have a soft personal boundary, which has been expressed by jacquard and soft fabrics. People with rigid personal boundary would feel isolated and protected. For the Chinese philosophy, I tried to express the non-being, that space is what is needed. For example, look at a house, what we need is the space inside it. If the house does not have space inside, it offers no benefit to us at all. I focused on the combination of different fabrics and the proportion of every outfit.

Backstage at the MA show. Photography by Morgan O'Donovan

SS: The main focus of the collection has been on the silk jacquard outfits and the Tanaka technique. Could you talk us through these techniques?
Qunying Huang: Silk jacquard fabrics are really difficult to make for menswear and I wanted to express masculinity through very soft fabrics. The jacquard jacket is not traditional tailoring, I use some organza between jacquard and silk lining to support the front body and lapel. Jersey and wool are combined by the Tanaka technique. Wool has to be much heavier than the jersey. I put wool at the bottom of the jacket, so we can see the wool a slightly drop when the model wear it, it was subtle details.

SS: How would you describe the collection in your own words?
Qunying Huang: Soft but masculine.

SS: I know this is difficult question to answer but have you got a favourite, anything that you were most proud of?
Qunying Huang: The most proud of thing is that I can always get inspiration from our life, as well as I can do what I love and I did it well. When the people told me that they like my collection, I was proud of myself.

Backstage at the MA show. Photography by Morgan O'Donovan

SS: The menswear on show this year was so strong. I was amazed to see that fifteen of the twenty two graduates selected studied menswear. Aside from your own, which was your favorite of the graduate collections?
Qunying Huang: I love Mio’s collection, she used amazing fabrics and she is so good at tailoring. She worked very hard and used a very different way in V&A show to present her collection.

SS: What advice would you give a prospective menswear fashion student?
Qunying Huang: Don't be afraid to use some unusual fabrics and do whatever you like.

SS: Finally, what would you like to achieve in 2011 and beyond?
Qunying Huang: I will stay in London and continue developing beautiful menswear and womenswear to express myself. I am looking for a job at the moment, I want to get more work experience.

Backstage at the MA show. Photography by Morgan O'Donovan

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As she explored various personal boundaries, Qunying Huang has created collection a soft yet maculine collection through the use of uncommong tailoring techniques and light fabrications. I for one, am looking forward to watching her talent develop. I'll leave you with her eye catching look book. Shot by Nikolay Biryukov, the look book captures the essence of the collection perfectly...

Photography by Nikolay Biryukov, hair and makeup by Joanne Lui with Florian Pessenteiner modelling.

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LCF MA Graduate Showcase: Michelle Quick

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Thursday, 10 February 2011

LCF MA Graduate Showcase: Michelle Quick

To celebrate the cream of the incoming crop of LCF MA graduates we have been speaking to each of our favourite students to learn more about their collections and their experiences at LCF. We kicked off this year's series with prize winning Matteo Molinari before turning our attentions to the wood craft of Yan Liang. Now it is time to highlight a hugely talented footwear design graduate that left this budding shoeist breathless.

Michelle Quick's graduation collection challenges traditional gender roles within craft practice by combining inherently feminine crafts with men's bespoke footwear. I was taken by her ability at combining various shoe age old making techniques with unusual materials. Entirely made by hand, the collection showcases intricate stitching, various welting techniques and utilizes cow horn as a structural and decorative element to stunning effect. Here we talk to the design talent to hear about her experiences at LCF, learn more about the processes and techniques used within the collections and reveal her hopes for the future...

The collection in Illustator

SS: Congratulations on more than playing your part in an exciting MA show (in terms of menswear in particular). How did it feel seeing your finished designs on the catwalk?

Michelle Quick: Thank you, it was an amazing experience. Footwear is generally displayed in a static exhibit, which is great for getting to look up close and see the details but it's completely different to see them on the foot and in motion. It was important for me to showcase the collection in both ways, so I paired up with MA Menswear designer Mio Jin. We both admire each other's work and thought our collections worked well together. The show was great, it was so exciting and really the end of all the hard work that had led to it. The shoes are now on display at Victoria House.

The Dress oxford catching the eye on the display at Victoria House

SS: Describe the moment you realised that you wanted to become a footwear designer?

Michelle Quick: I was attending The School of The Art Institute of Chicago, studying textiles and general art/design. When I took one of the shoe making classes in my 2nd year, something just clicked - I felt it combined all the disciplines I enjoyed into one craft. I continued to study footwear there and combine it with my other classes, I haven't stopped since.

The Derby shoe standing proudly at Victoria House

SS: What attracted you to the LCF (Cordwainers) MA course in particular? What was the best thing about your course? And the worst?

Michelle Quick: After graduating from SAIC, I felt I still needed something before I could start my career. Resources are limited in The States for shoe making and there aren't any schools that offer an MA in Footwear. The UK is a shoemakers mecca in comparison. Cordwainers has an incredible history/alumni list but the MA Footwear and Artefact programs at LCF are very new and innovative, which is a great balance.

The best part of the course is the resources that are available to you - amazing facilities, knowledgeable staff - and that you are encouraged to push boundaries and try new things. It's really a self-taught course, the resources are there and you have to be motivated and utilise them.

I wish the course would have been longer, maybe two years instead of a year and a half because it was so intense and you really had to put any outside priorities on hold. I do think the timing for releasing our final collections is good though, just before LFW.

Boat Shoe. Nubuck and rough suede upper, concealed wedge and horn strip heel. Image by Tim Medley

SS: The collection challenges traditional gender roles within craft practice by combining inherently feminine crafts with men's bespoke footwear. Was this the driving inspiration behind it?

Michelle Quick: Definitely. I did a lot of knitting, weaving, and embroidery during my BA and when I came to London and started investigating the bespoke shoe shops here, I realised that a lot of crafts are still very gender specific. I wrote my thesis on the origins of gender roles in different crafts and how they can still hold true today. Obviously there are men who knit and women who make shoes or do wood-working, but there is still usually a dominant gender. For my final collection, I wanted to combine various crafts and make objects that feel somewhat neutral.

Stitch Oxford. Image by Tim Medley

SS: The collection features intricate stitching, various welting techniques and utilises cow horn as a structural and decorative element but how would you describe the collection in your own words?

Michelle Quick: For me, the collection is about balancing masculine and feminine characteristics - I used contrasting textures and style lines to establish that dialogue. I also wanted to creating something that felt modern and fresh even though I was using traditional craft techniques. Even though the designs are rooted in my concept and body of research, it was still about making shoes that people would desire and want to wear.

Boat Shoe with horn strip on the heel. Image by Tim Medley

SS: Could you talk us through a few of the main processes involved?

Michelle Quick: Hand-stitching onto leather was a new thing for me, it's very different than fabric because you can't make a mistake the same way you can with fabric because the hole from the needle is permanent. I had to measure and mark out all the stitch marks and really take my time with it. It changed the way I had to assemble the shoes.

Most of the shoes are hand welted. After the upper is lasted, you hand stitch a strip of leather (the welt) to the upper and through the insole - this stitching is hidden. You then stick the sole on and stitch through the welt and the sole - this is the stitching that is exposed around the shoe. It's an incredibly laborious process, you have to twist and wax your own thread and taper the ends so they can be attached seamlessly to flexible needles. You are stitching through very thick soling leather and have to make a hole first with an awl - my wrists were in a lot of pain for a while.

Horn quarter piece on the Monk Shoe

SS: Cow horn is one of the most prominent decorative and structural components in your collection. What attracted you to this material?

Michelle Quick: I've always been fascinated with horn objects, I love seeing old horn combs and caviar spoons in museums. The colours are so varied and you can polish it to such a high shine. It's a material that is present in all bespoke shoe houses (shoe horns, brushes, etc) but is rarely used on the shoes themselves. I was interested in how it could be used to adorn shoes in a new way.

It was difficult to figure out how to work the horn. There are very few resources online or in books and almost no companies still working with it. My initial research was quite frustrating. I was very fortunate to come across Abbeyhorn, the last remaining horn-workers in the UK (see below). After getting guidance from them, I was able to come back to my studio and experiment and figure out the process that worked for me. It does smell pretty bad (like burnt hair) when you are sanding and heating it, so my course-mates were never very happy with that.

The cowhorn toe cap on the Dress Oxford. Image by Tim Medley

SS: How difficult was it to work with?

Michelle Quick: It's an unpredictable material, each horn is unique in it's colouring, it also has areas that are more dense so it doesn't always heat evenly and you end up with kinks when you mould it. I was obviously making pairs so if one piece didn't work out I generally had to redo both to make them match. It took me a while to get comfortable and figure out the best way to do things.

A closer look at the horn toe cap. Strips of horn have been sanded together.

SS: All of your products are, of course, handmade and feature intricate detailing. How long did each pair take to make?

Michelle Quick: All of the shoes had different areas that took more time than others, some have a lot of hand-stitching while others only a hint, some have a traditional welted sole and others a cemented sole, etc. I calculated that they all took between 30-60 hours each, depending on the level of difficulty. That is from patterning to finished product, but doesn't account for the few months when I was experimenting and prototyping.

Desert boot in Nubuck and rough cut suede upper. Image by Tim Medley.

SS: In Abbeyhorn and Metropolitan Leather, you worked alongside some great craftsman, how did you find them and how receptive were they to your designs and what did they make of the collection?

Michelle Quick: The people I worked with were so amazing. I've found that if you are genuinely interested in someone's craft, they are more than willing to help you out or give you advice.

The quality of the veg tan leather at Metropolitan is incredible and the colourist Stuart can just look at the swatch you've brought in and mix up dye that's a perfect match instantly. They custom dyed all of my linings to match the threads and I also got soling leather from them.

Abbeyhorn was a great resource for me. They make mostly traditional horn objects and don't deviate from their catalogue too much, so I think they were happy to help me try and use the horn in a new way. I didn't understand the limitations of the material at first, so my ideas were a bit far fetched but the owner Paul helped show me what was possible and how it could be achieved.

I was also advised on my welting and other shoe making aspects by Carreducker. Welting is something you need to learn directly from a person (like most crafts), I had tried to teach myself from books but it was all the little nuances that James and Deborah taught me that allowed me to make shoes to the quality that I have.

I've had nothing but good feedback and support from everyone I've worked with, I feel lucky to have established relations with these companies.

Jodhpur boot with horn and leather strap. Image by Tim Medley

SS: I know this is a difficult question but is there anything that you're most proud of?

Michelle Quick: I'd have to say I'm most proud of how much my skills have developed throughout this course. I feel that my design skills are much stronger and that the quality and speed of my shoe making has greatly improved. It's hard to believe that the course was only a year and a half because it feels like so much has changed.

SS: What advice would you give a prospective footwear design student?

Michelle Quick: I think that learning the making process can only make you stronger as a designer, the more you understand about the product, the more you can experiment and push the actual design.

A closer look at the handstitched upper with raw edge and Herringbone stitch on the Desert Boot. Image by Tim Medley

SS: Finally, what would you like to achieve in 2011 and beyond?

Michelle Quick: My dream is to find a job where I can have a balance between designing and making. The craft side is so important to me, but I don't necessarily need to be making shoes in a workshop all day. Equally, I wouldn't like just churning out designs that I didn't have a tactile hand in somehow. It's all up in the air right now, I want to stay in London for a while and I would like to continue with men's footwear. I think it will be important to work for established companies before trying to pursue anything on my own. Hopefully only good things are to come.

The stacked leather heel on the Derby. Image by Tim Medley.

If the above leaves you desperate for more, I happily point you in the direction of Michelle Quick's informative tumblr. There can be little doubt that this was a labour of love and the results surely make the hard graft worthwhile. The graduate ultimately showcases a real and exciting passion for shoe making. Each design is close to bursting point with meaningful details but nothing feels superfluous or unnecessary. There is a real balance between them. The diverse details combine to create shoes to truly covet. The real surprising element for me is that each shoe exudes a well crafted quality that is most rare to find in a graduate collection. I for one am excited to see what Quick does next but one thing is for sure, my feet will hopefully be treated to a pair one day soon.

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Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Collections: The Dandy Project's Jewels

Everyone's obsessed with something and our Collections series will highlight a few of our favourites. The original post celebrated Steve's collection of shoes. The rest of the series will expose other people's obsessions.

It didn't take too long for us to decide that The Dandy Project would be the perfect candidate to continue the feature. Izzy's knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for clothes and accessories is apparent in all of his posts. After viewing our recent post on the Bunney studs and reading our (well Steve's) slight hesitation towards wearing anything particularly ostentatious, Izzy opted to showcase his own impressively eclectic collection. Below is an introduction from the man himself followed by plenty of shots of his collection in full and a closer look at a few of his favourites...

Jewellery does not make a man. One will not freeze to death or get shards of glass in his foot if he steps out of the house un-bejeweled. But I think that when a piece of jewelry has a certain element of intrigue, it does wonders at bringing out one's character. When I brought out all my baubles for this shoot for Style Salvage, I shocked myself with the sheer volume of jewellery I had amassed within the past few years. But when I looked at the collection piece by piece, I remembered how each one had an interesting back story to it, and I knew that my treasure chest, though bursting at the seams, was one to keep for at least a little while more.

An overview of the collection in full

Collection - pins
(clockwise from far left) vintage silver turtle from the 80s, beer bottle pin from the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, vintage athletic medals, vintage chewing gum badges from the Brooklyn flea, Husam El-Odeh for Topman climbing man pin, vintage green alabaster cabochon pin, heart print pin under resin cabochon from Old Hollywood (http://oldhollywoodmoxie.com/), vintage sterling silver astronaut pin with moonstone head, vintage hairdresser pin from Amsterdam

Collection - bracelets

(clockwise from far left) leather bracelets from Hermes, Margiela "batman" cuff, vintage wide silver cuff from Amsterdam, narrow metal cuffs from Number (N)ine, Husam El-Odel for Topman, and Philip Crangi

Collection - Necklaces 1
Japanese kimono belts knotted into a necklace, belly-dancing belt from India, Ann Demeulemeester lambskin "thorns" necklace, necklace with feather from chicken I had for dinner, Margiela necklace with dice inside

Collection - necklaces 2
Red leather and silk tassel necklace by Filipino designer Proud Race, bead necklaces in white turquoise, opalite, and gray pearl from the gem market in Manila, DIY matchbox car necklace, zipper necklaces by Marc Jacobs

Collection - rings

Cross ring from my friend Kathleen, oxidized silver and recycled green stone ring by Norbu Bijoux in Brooklyn, red coral ring from Barcelona, vintage turquoise ring, and way too many others...

Collection - watches
Black rubber watch by Casio, calculator watches in silver and gold by Casio, Cartier Roadster watch, Rolex watch

Now, having offered the requested cross section of his jewels, Izzy could not resist offering a closer look at a few of his real treasures. What follows are his descriptions of seven of his well loved and well worn jewellery combinations.

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The ones from the earth and beyond...

Vintage sterling silver astronaut pin with moonstone head and silver turtle from the 80s on vintage Pierre Cardin overcoat with a Barbour furry liner layered over.

I think pins are a great way to get a man comfortable with jewelry: just stick them on a coat and you can forget they're there. The vintage spaceman pin was a lucky eBay find; what boy never dreamed of being an astronaut at one point? I like to wear it with the turtle to keep things down to earth.

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The ones that climb and that dangle...

Husam El-Odeh for Topman brooch, vintage salon brooch from Amsterdam on Muji tartan wool scarf with April 77 denim jacket

The climbing soldier pin might have to be my favorite out of my entire jewelry collection, and people seem to always be fascinated by this little silver man climbing up my lapel or hanging from the edge of a jacket pocket. The salon brooch is a vintage, with the middle dangler, a hair dryer, actually detached from the piece. It reminds me of my obsession with hair.

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The one least blingy...

Martin Margiela nail ring, tailor-made shirt and trousers

By far the subtlest out of my entire collection, I think it's one of the cleverest too. A lot of the jewelry men wear (chunky silver chains, plain band rings) can tend to be superfluous; they'd look better without them. But I think that when jewelry is intriguing enough to warrant a second look, it does wonders for one's persona.

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The one from my hometown and the one from my father...

Grey pearl necklace from Manila, Cartier watch. DIY jacket, Gap shirt, tailor-made trousers

Philippine pearls are prized the world over, but are most affordably priced in their city of origin. I decided to take a risk and don a strand of gray pearls; I thought the jacket was boldly eccentric enough to dispel any notions of "little boy trying on his mother's pearls". The watch was a gift from my father after getting good grades in college. The navy alligator strap is a special order, and is quite versatile despite it being strikingly luxe.

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The one that I made, well, sort of...

Silk kimono belts used as a necklace, worn with Ivan Grundahl jacket and H&M shirt

I purchased a vintage haori (which is the kimono equivalent of a tuxedo) at Kiteya in New York, and got three traditional silk belts to tie the haori closed. I ended up always wearing the kimono open anyway, and found myself wearing the belts as a necklace knotted loosely.

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The ones that are oriental...

Pave eagle head ring, vintage "traffic light" ring from the Brooklyn flea

I have an obsession with Orientalia; I think people wear too much Western clothing that they forget about the other half of the world. These rings, with the eagle, dragon, bright red and deep green stones, help evoke that feeling.

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The ones that are my favorites, old and new...

Badge by Barbour, vintage green alabaster cabochon pin, heart print pin under resin cabochon from Old Hollywood

The old favorite would have to be the one with the vintage heart print under a cabochon of clear resin; it's a crowd pleaser and it goes perfectly with that vintage-eccentric aesthetic I'm quite fond of. The new favorite is the oval cabochon of green alabaster: it's ever so faintly green, and isn't even polished, just roughly cut giving it that matte finish. I think it's enchantingly spare, and quite enigmatic.

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We are sure that you'll agree that The Dandy Project has quite the collection of well chosen trinkets, precious discoveries, investment eye catchers and successful DIY projects that are successfully used to embellish and add layers to his attire. It is the collections like this that really open our eyes to opportunities that have been previously unseen or overlooked. Perhaps you, like us, will be inspired to try out more and different types of jewellery in your everyday wear.