Lapidary_Journal_Jewelry_Artist_-_February_2016_

30

lapidary journal )( Jewelry artist

TRENDS

By Deborah Yonick

All in the Details

Fashion trends infl uence jewelry styles in design details

F

ashion runways

provide a great

source of ideas

for jewelry and accessory

designers who track trends

as part of their design

process. In addition to

seeing how the clothiers

adorn their fashions, the

clothing itself reveals themes

that will be sought after in

accessories.

“Fashion trends infl uence

how people accessorize and

also play a part in jewelry

trends themselves,” describes

Amanda Gizzi, director of

public relations and special

events for Jewelers of Ameri-

ca. In fact, jewelry stylist to the

stars Michael O’Connor says

that one of the most important

things a jewelry designer can

do is to look to fashion. “Jew-

elry is the ultimate accessory

and it needs to work with what

is happening in fashion to be

relevant.”

Design details trending for

Spring 2016 include lace and

weave, pleats and ruffl es, fl ora

and fauna, architecture and

geometric. “One of the biggest trends

shaping up for the season is geomet-

ric designs and in a variety of rendi-

tions,” cites Gizzi. “There are pieces

with repetition of patterns, but with

more fl uidity like lace and in more

structured geometric designs like

cubes.” O’Connor notes that lacey

looks are ideal for designers working

with pliers and wires. “Lace translates

e

well in wire manipulation. It alleviates

a lot of the issues casting has.”

Gizzi hails fl oral a staple of spring

fashion, but for 2016, look for darker

fl ower patterns and more white-based

fl owery inspirations to trump the

bright and bold designs there were

big last year. Animals, birds, and

nature-inspired objects that have a

fun vibe will be important as well.

O’Connor notes that many designers

have a lapidary approach to creat-

ing fl owers and nature themes from

carved stones and beads to organic

shaped gems that let the imagination

run wild.

Looking to what major brands are

doing and saying also reveal insights

and inspirations as to what people

will be talking about. They have big

marketing muscle and defi nitely

impact the conversation. Two brands

that share market research with the

industry are Le Vian and Swarovski.

Chocolate Diamantaire Le Vian

identifi es nearly a dozen favorite de-

sign directions in its 18th annual Red

Carpet Revue 2016 trends report with

Harpers Bazaar. Leading the list are

lacey fi shnet, square links, pleating

and ruffl es, crisscrossing loops, and

angular shapes and rounded looks

in open airy designs (“neo geo”).

Especially popular, cites Eddie Le

Vian, designer and CEO of the brand,

is jewelry that is textural and multi-

BELOW

Paz

Collective

Pyramid

Bracelet

Sterling

silver

PHOTO:

COURTESY

JEWELERS OF

AMERICA

LEFT

Custo

Barcelona,

New York

Fashion

Week 2015.

PHOTO: CUSTO

BARCELONA