The #RemakeChallenge : Smith Jewellery teams up with finalist Leandra du Bruyn

Brass Organic Oval Wreath Necklace by Anna Raimondo

We paired KIN jewellery designer Anna Raimondo of Smith Jewellery with Remake Challenge fashion finalist Leandra du Bryn as the work of both designers has a simple, elegant focus with a subtle play on textures and pattern.From the very start, Anna has had a clear vision of what and who Smith Jewellery is, and the standard of quality that it embodies. It has been such a privilege to watch her collections grow and develop into the incredible brand that they form today.

The hand-crafted luxury of Smith stems from Anna's attention to each element of a piece - everything is made by her hands and is unique in its natural intricacy. For her inspiration, Anna draws from the multitude of textured cultures and environments that she encounters when she follows her second passion - travelling. Each trip away results in a cornucopia of gathered ideas that she can bring into shape and form when back in her studio.

Leandra du Bryn's inspiration board for the Remake Challenge

  What Leandra's says about her transparency collection for the Remake Challenge:

"I firstly, really looked at the Ford EcoSport and searched for something to use from the car. The fact that there are so, many different textures combined in the car inspired me to also create a variety of textures in my designs. I gained most of my inspiration from the Ford EcoSport and especially used the tire track pattern in my designs. The spare wheel at the back of the car made me think of the pattern of cotton crochet and therefore I also incorporated it a lot, which linked to the transparency theme."

Oxydised Sterling Silver & Brass drop Earrings and Brass Studs by Anna Raimondo

From a pair of small stud earrings to the most complicated avant garde necklace, Anna has a signature style. There is playfulness in the delicate balance between the clean lines of contemporary minimalism and the elegance of organic form. Each design speaks of an usual hand-picked history while maintaining a light classical elegance.

Leandra's fashion drawings for her Remake Challenge submission

Brass Organic Oval drop Earrings & Necklace by Anna Raimondo

Oxidised Sterling Silver Hollow Oval Ring and Necklace by Anna Raimondo

For the Remake Challenge pieces, Anna used gleaming polished brass and matte oxydised sterling silver which compliments and heightens Leandra's neutral palette. We love how, when put together, Anna's pieces add hints of richness and shimmer to the soft textures and layers of Leandra's outfits.

Brass Organic Oval Necklace & Ring by Anna Raimondo

 

Anna Raimondo (left), Leandra's lovely model (centre), Leandra du Bruyn (right) at the Remake Challenge Photography Shoot

More pictures on Anna & Leandra's collaboration coming soon!

But for now :

Read more about the Remake Challenge here!

Follow Smith Jewellery on Facebook here!

The #RemakeChallenge : Eon Hoon teams up with finalist Kelly Ricardo

Brass & Sliced Pencil Crayon Necklace by Eon Hoon

We paired KIN jewellery designer Eon Hoon with Remake Challenge fashion finalist Kelly Ricardo
as the work of both designers is edgy and definitely at least a little dark. Eon was one of the very first KIN designers and has contributed to many of the exhibitions and projects that we have embarked on, but, even knowing him and his work as well as we do, we are constantly drawn to the sense of mystery his designs effortlessly embody.

Kelly Ricardo's Inspiration Board for the Remake Challenge

In Kelly's words:
"My Transparency collection, titled ”Now You See Me”, was inspired by hypnosis. I’m intrigued by the fact that as you are hypnotized, your mind is heightened and open to an altered mental state you’ve always had yet haven’t made use of. The colors often used in the process of hypnotising are black and white, hence my choice of monochrome as part of my collection. Smoke as well plays a part in my inspiration; it has the capability to hide things that aren’t heavily covered. Which is why I chose sheer fabric. If a cloud of smoke is thick enough, it can cover up a lot. So, only those who wish to find out what it is hovering over will get to know. Just like in hypnosis, only the curious and daring will uncover the secrets."

Brass & Sliced Pencil Crayon Ring by Eon Hoon

Eon is always pushing the boundaries of jewellery design through combining unusual, overlooked objects with fine metals and lifting them into the sphere of the precious object. We love his choice of reclaimed pencil crayons as a medium to compliment Kelly's submission. The thin slices of wood and coloured crayon create interesting geometric patterns and fit perfectly into the Remake Challenge's goal of showcasing sustainable fashion and investigating alternate materials.

Two of Kelly Ricardo's Fashion Drawings for the Remake Challenge

Although Eon is constantly exploring new materials and methods, each piece maintains his original high standards for quality and fluent wear-ability. As always, we can't wait to see more of what Eon dreams up into beautiful, captivating jewellery.

Eon Hoon and Kelly Ricardo at the Remake Challenge Photoshoot

More pictures of Eon & Kelly's collaboration coming soon!

But for now :

Read more about the Remake Challenge here!

Follow Eon on Facebook here!

The #RemakeChallenge : Gillian Fuller teams up with finalist Liam Power

A vibrant cuff design by Gillian Fuller for Liam's avant garde outfit

We paired KIN jewellery designer Gillian Fuller with Remake Challenge fashion finalist Liam Power and the results are extraordinary! Liam is the only finalist showcasing menswear and we were very excited to see how Gillian's beaded jewellery could compliment his distinctly African-influenced collection.

If you are a regular at KIN at V&A, you will recognise the signature designs and careful craftsmanship of a Gillian Fuller beaded cuff. Gillian is an artist, textile & jewellery designer and it's inspiring to see how these three talent streams consistently influence and support each other through her designs.

Liam's inspiration board for his Transparency collection

Gillian specialises in cuffs that are flawlessly woven to form a solid beaded canvas for her contemporary, playful patterns & designs. In working with Liam, their biggest challenge was to integrate the cuffs with Liam's mostly long-sleeved garments. The two designers transformed the beaded cuffs into statement neck pieces by threading them onto cords and leather thongs.

Beaded Neck Piece by Gillian Fuller

Beaded Neck Piece by Gillian Fuller

Liam on his pieces for the Remake Challenge :

"My TRANSPARENCY collection is my take on combining African heritage with a sporty contemporary male silhouette. I feel that commercial menswear in South Africa has a dull colour palette, a lack of prints as well as silhouettes that are copied from European leaders. My collection includes longer over-garments, opulent embellishments and exciting prints that were inspired by my personal style; fabrics I sourced, African culture and a reaction against fashion in South Africa being controlled by profit margins and business leaders. "

Liam's designs for his competition submission

Beaded Neck Piece by Gillian Fuller

Gillian's journey to creating these unique jewellery pieces begun when she experimented with silk and handpainted fabrics to weave soft jewellery that could translate her ideas. She then began using high-quality Czech glass seed beads in a multitude of beautiful colours and this resulted in a durable, highly-expressive medium for her designs. She has created hundreds of unique pieces which play with pattern, colour, repetition and subtly. Because Gillian uses traditional local beading techniques, her jewellery is distinctly, beautifully African - yet her extensive experience and training in fine art and textiles infuses each piece with a part of her personal journey through the realms of design.

Gillian's Beaded Jewellery for Liam's collection

More pictures of Gillian & Liam's collaboration coming soon!

But for now :

Read more about the Remake Challenge here!

Connect with Gillian on Facebook here!

Tripping through the CDB

We recently braved the wind & the rain to do a tour of some of our favourite fellow design spots in the CDB. One of the most wonderful things about having been a platform for local design for almost five years, is seeing first-hand just how much the South African design industry has grown and blossomed over the last few years. It's a treat to stroll down the streets of Cape Town and pop in and see such an impressively diverse offering of illustrations, jewellery, textiles, stationery, homeware and so much more.

Topping up on excellent coffee at Yours Truly on Long Street

Here are a few of our snaps from Sam (South African Market) on Bree Street and Imagenious on Long Street:

We love the industrial feel of the open space at Sam

More loveliness at SAM

The eclectic treasure trove that is Imagenious

E and a happy army of 'bots at Imagenious

The #RemakeChallenge : Schwarzie teams up with finalist Anke Nel

Dinah Petal Earrings by Schwarzie

It was natural for us to pair KIN jewellery designer Karen Emma Schwarzie with Remake Challenge fashion finalist Anke Nel as both designers share a love for bold line work and rhythmically repeated shapes. The angles and thickness of line in Karen's Deco Dance range complement Anke's clean-cut patterning and appliqued detail beautifully.

Karen is one half of Schwarzie, a sister-made business that is determined to portray life with enthusiasm and colour. Together Astrid & Karen have built their business to uplift and inspire through the stories that their designs inherently weave. Every piece that they make - from a card to a show-stopping necklace follows this ethos and is made with a deep love for what they do.

One of Anke Nel's designs

The bright brass and beautiful design of Karen's pieces conjure up the wealth, elaborate parties, open extravagance and glamour that was at the height of the Art Deco and jazz era in the 1920's. When paired with Anke' chosen materials, the fashion and jewellery pieces open an interesting play and contrast as they echo each other in elegance, but tease our notion of luxury.

Dinah Framed Double Finger Ring by Schwarzie

Dinah Framed Necklace by Schwarzie

Each piece in Karen's Deco Dance collection is carefully cut by hand from brass and polished to a glitzy shine. The pendants & earrings feature sterling silver chains and links. Although inspired by a glamorous past, there is a clean lightness to the designs, making them contemporary translations of the era.

One of Anke Nel's designs

Baltimore Cuff by Schwarzie

Karen says:

" When I was invited to join this project I was thrilled to have a reason to go all out and make over-sized fashion pieces. Working with Anke Nel was an easy process, we seemed to 'click' and it was a smooth process to design pieces for her outfits. Her designs are modern, and structural with geometric details which worked perfectly with the Deco Dance aesthetic. "

Baltimore Mosaic Earrings by Schwarzie

One of Anke Nel's designs

All the pieces in the Deco Dance collection are named after dances and the jazz songs that accompanied them - such as the ‘Charleston’, ‘Lindy Hop’ ‘Margie’ and ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz.’ 

A charming example is the song that goes with Karen's ‘Dinah-Rose’ designs:

“...Dinah, 

Is there anyone finer 

In the state of Carolina? 

If there is and you know her, 

Show her!..." 

Dinah Framed Earrings by Schwarzie

Dinah Framed Cuff by Schwarzie

Anke (left), her lovely model for the photoshoot (middle) and Karen (right)

 More pictures of Karen's jewellery pieces coming soon!

But for now :

Read more about the Remake Challenge here!

Follow the lovely Schwarzie sisters on Facebook here!

Eon Hoon Jewellery Design : A Hive of Beauty

When Eon Hoon presents an idea to us, we always listen. He is a designer with a unique vision that intermingles life's dark mystery with a refined sense of beauty. Lately, Eon has a particular passion for bees, some of nature's hardest and much-overlooked little workers. He has translated this interest into a fascinating Spring exhibition for KIN on Kloof. Pop in to marvel at the cleverness of the exhibition and chat to Tas about how the pieces are created.

For the month of September, KIN on Kloof's windows are featuring a giant honeycomb that showcases Eon's new range of jewellery made from sterling silver, copper, resin and actual bees and honeycomb. Within this beautiful geometric structure, and in between the glittery pieces of copper and silver, are Eon's interesting facts about bees - making us understand why he so loves and admires these creatures.

These intriguing pendants are drops of clear resin that encapsulate real bees, which have come to the end of the busy lives naturally and collected by Eon himself. Each piece is as unique as the immortalised insect within and is held safely in an elegant sterling silver setting. 

For these limited edition copper honeycomb pendants, Eon used real honeycomb pieces, that have been delicately coated in copper, and threaded them onto oxidised sterling silver chains. Each piece is surprisingly light and has an complex structure, texture & shape. 
 

As with his resin bee pendants, Eon has allowed small pieces of nature to be skillfully re-examined through the magnifying glass of the object & adornment. His use of precious metals and resin is complementary and respectful, and through it Eon preserves the inherent beauty of these natural creations.

KIN on Kloof's window exhibitions are always about celebrating the work of one of our designers and often have a simultaneous social thread that weaves itself into the story presented behind the glass. In doing a bit of reading online, we came across the #savethebees campaign that has been launched by various environmental associations as a global reaction to the use of the chemicals and pesticides which are drastically reducing bee colonies.

There is an interesting article on Yale 360 which states that every third bite of the food that we eat depends on pollinators, especially bees, which is both awe-inspiring and startling. We hope that the more people that become aware of how precious these insects are to us in the most basic sense; the more large scale farmers will halt the use of chemicals toxic to both pests and pollinators. If you have a moment browse the hashtag to see what more people are saying.

Buy or browse more of Eon's work by clicking here!

Follow Eon on Facebook here and Twitter here!