Rock stars: New designers break the rules of jewellery world
A new generation of rebellious designers are creating jewellery for a modern audience
For decades, the jewellery world has been dominated by the luxurious maisons of Place Vendôme in Paris, with their rich history and savoir faire. But a new generation of jewellers is challenging the established names with cutting-edge designs, materials, techniques, and punk attitude.
Based in New York and London, these trailblazers are anything but establishment - and there lies their appeal. British designer Shaun Leane is one of them. Leane is known for creating poetic, elegant jewels that defy convention. In addition to his own line, he has collaborated with brands such as Givenchy and Boucheron, and also designs lines for British luxury house Asprey. This year, he was named international designer of the year by Harper's Bazaar China.
Leane trained as a goldsmith in London's jewellery quarter, Hatton Garden. But it was during his long-standing collaboration with the late Alexander McQueen that his skills were pushed to new heights, with creations such as intricate body armour called the Coiled Corset.
In 1999 he launched Shaun Leane Jewellery with the intent to bring the traditional craft to a 21st-century audience. "For me, it is about creating a new genre that taps into the emotive meaning and history of jewellery, while breaking entrenched traditions to create designs relevant today," he says.
Although he takes inspiration from the Art Nouveau, art deco and Victorian periods, it's his love for literature and poetry that resonates. Highlights from his collections have included the Cherry Blossom - featuring fragile flowers sculpted in enamel and studded with diamonds - and the Hawthorn, which brings British hedgerows to life. His latest, The Serpent's Trace, employs gold and diamond vertebrae necklaces and bracelets that wrap around like a snake.
