Who? Best known for his famous pretzel pendant necklace donned by Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex And The City and his Bamboo lariat necklace worn by Cindy Crawford, Israeli designer Yossi Harari's collections have created a storm among the likes of Heidi Klum, Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz.
How did it happen? Harari says he always wanted to be a jewellery designer. When he was eight he redesigned a five-carat diamond for his mother, sketched out the setting and took it to the jeweller. He joined the army for three years when he was 18 and after that pursued jewellery design training at the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles. Then he went back to Israel where he studied art history at Tel Aviv University. In 1992 the designer opened a factory store in Istanbul, and in 1998 he opened his first boutique in Tel Aviv. The year 2000 marked a significant change in design direction when Harari decided to focus on using pure 24-carat gold in his jewellery. He wanted to focus on pure gold because it has 'an ancient touch'. Gold has became his signature.
What do the designs look like? Every piece in his collection is manufactured by hand, which has become the signature aesthetic of his designs. He wanted to give the designs a unique quality and says the human touch enhances the look of antiquity and reminds him of the archaeological jewels of ancient Greece and Rome. His jewellery designs are versatile and combine ancient elements along with a sense of humour and contemporary details.
What does the designer have to say? 'My designs are created so that wearers can use their creativity and customise the way they wear it... You can wear the necklaces on their own, or layer them with semi-precious stone chains to add drama. I pay careful attention to the fashion world and the trend these days is to wear chunkier pieces so I have incorporated a few heavy pieces in my collection.'
Where are his creations available? Yossi Harari jewellery is available at Lane Crawford in Hong Kong and boutiques such as Bergdorf Goodman and Jeffrey's in New York City and XIV Karats in Los Angeles.
