Joji Kojima’s work really seems to bridge the gap between jewelry and wearable art. With an extremely high level of quality construction, as can be shown by a look at these pictures of his pieces, he’s made an impact on the Japanese designer jewelry scene, and is starting to get attention here in the West.
His gothic designer jewelry pieces have been worn by famous celebrities, including Lady Gaga.
Via: Cool Hunting
Check it out, the First Lady of the United States is showing off her new ToyWatch Plasteramic! Doesn’t it look great with her outfit? I love it. The First Family is definitely in-style.. and Ms. Obama alone has already fueled several emerging designers with a lot of recognition and exposure.
But where’s the spotlight on the president’s styles and labels? Isn’t anyone curious about his stuff?
Via: Huffington Post
Saw these magnetic jewelry bracelets this morning. They’re 300 piece kits, with rare earth magnets, that you assemble into bracelets. If they’re the same magnets that we used to play with when we were kids, they’re pretty strong, and should hold up well.. they’re also a lot of fun to fidget with when you’re bored.
Not a good idea if you work with computers though, and they’ll mess up your old school monitor or hard drive if you have your arm close to them. These magnets are really strong – the same thing that keeps them on your wrist.
Anyways, it should be fun, and a nice DIY idea.. on the right day.
Via: Refinery 29
Florian plays an interesting game of layering mixed media with their latest collection. A mixed media piece of anodized steel and leather, attached above, has a very fascinating effect of realistic imagery. The piece is much larger in person than it appears, and has a cool and sublimely aggressive look to it. We’re looking forward to seeing their other work featured in the future.
Via Selectism.
Like we mentioned in the last post, length matters when buying designer jewelry chains. This isn’t to be confused with other internet/radio ads reminding you how much length matters.
If you want to wear the clothes you want without putting too much thought into your accessorizing, you’ve got to be prepared with chains of the right length. If your entire closet is full of crew cut t-shirts, for example, a bunch of choker styles might not be the best choice.
So let’s take a look at some common chain lengths for guys in designer jewelry.
18 inches / 46cm: This is generally the smallest appropriate size for a guy to wear. Going smaller than 18 inches can result in a tight fit for many men, and collar styles generally do not look attractive on men. 18″ is a great length that sits slightly above the collarbone of most men, and works well with the shirt collar open, as well as with v-neck t-shirts.
20 inches / 50cm: The most common size for men’s designer jewelry chains. This will also sit on the collarbone of most men, or slightly below. This works well with almost all shirt types and t-shirts – it will fall below the break on most men’s crew necks. Depending on the thickness of the man’s neck, it may not work well for v-necks, as it will cause the piece to sit exactly on the v-neck, creating visual confusion.
22 inches / 55cm: This length sits on or beneath the neck line for most clothes, and is an easy to wear, casual style for jewelry. Appropriate for all pieces.
24 inches / 61cm: Chains this long should be accessorized with a pendant. This typically sits one or two inches above the sternum, and can be paired with a stronger piece – a larger cross or medallion. It provides a strong central focus for the piece, and grabs attention to the wearer.
26+ inches / 66cm: Dramatic lengths that can be layered easily to create an image of power, success, and wealth. These longer lengths should be visually thicker and paired with a larger piece, to avoid the length from diminishing the impact of the piece. This works well with taller individuals, as the chain does not become overpowering on the wearer.
When buying a designer jewelry pendant or necklace, many times you’ll be given the choice of what length chain you want. What you’ll want to pick really depends on a bunch of different factors – what you’ll be wearing the piece with, when you’ll be wearing the piece, and what the piece itself looks like.The wrong combination can change the way the eye flows over a dress’ silhouette, or look forced and unnatural. So it’s best to pick the right length that looks great on you.
That being said, let’s look at some of the common lengths and what they’re good with.
Collar (12-13 inches / 30-33cm): This style emphasizes and adds strength to the neck. It can look great if you have a subtle piece, or a thin neck, to balance out the weight. To avoid clutter, try wearing this length when you have a top without much adornment at neck and shoulders – off-shoulder, v-necks, and tube/string tops work well. Some subcultures also have other collar styles – this comes up in gothic, victorian, and lolita styles pretty often, and can look great.
Choker (14-16 inches / 35-40cm): This relaxes the collar style a bit more, making it more suitable for casual wear. It works well for thin and elegant necks, as it draws attention to that part of the body. Avoid wearing this style when you are also accessorizing the neck in other ways, even indirectly – hooded sweaters, scarves, or rushed fabrics around the neck make this look unattractive.
Princess (17-19 inches / 43-48cm): The princess length is universal among designer jewelry, and is very commonly used. Able to switch between casual and formal easily, this goes well with standard crew cut clothing (which the necklace will hang below the neckline), as well as dramatic low cut clothing (which the necklace will hang above). A universal length that you can’t really go wrong with, this is a perfect length for the jewelry piece that you want to wear regularly.
Matinee (20-24 inches / 50-60cm): A more lounge-casual upscale look, this necklace length looks good with either a simple chain, or a slim chain and a pendant. A perfect length to layer pieces on, this is a casual length that does not overcomplicate. It goes well with simple tops, as well as shirts that can be worn in layers and worn partially unbuttoned.
Opera (28-34 inches / 71-86cm): A bold choice that accentuates the body figure, and centralizes the viewer. This can work well in sensual settings – dresses for balls, banquets, dances, and events where you’ll be dressed to impress.
Rope (45+ inches / 115 cm): Like the opera length, but doubled in drama. You can double the necklace around to wear this in one to two loops. In recent years, there’s been some trends of oversized rope necklaces worn to the point of intentionally gaudy degrees. A very specific look that you can have a lot of fun with.