Phioro News: November – October

November is here! This is my favourite time of year – it just seems so magical. Christmas decorations and lights are popping up all over the place, we’re all starting to wrap up warm for the winter, the clocks have turned back and the towns are beginning to sparkle.  I am currently preparing work for 5 different Christmas Exhibitions which I will list in more detail below, as well as starting to prepare Christmas orders… I have just finished Origin which I felt was extremely successful and I’m now really looking forward to exhibiting at Handmade in Britain at Milsom Place, at the heart of Bath’s Christmas market.

I have also been invited to exhibit as part of FLUX, Brilliantly Birmingham and this is an extra special year as the festival is celebrating its tenth year! There will be lots of celebrations of contemporary jewellery during Brilliantly Birmingham, including tours of the Jewellery Quarter which allow visitors to explore all the little workshops that are usually hidden away – its definitely worth a visit. I will also be exhibiting at New Brewery Arts in Cirencester from November 6th, as part of an ex-Design Space collaborative.

Finally, I am very excited about two new galleries which I will be stocking from next week onwards – Gill Wing Gallery, London and Brazen Studios, Glasgow. Both have beautiful displays of contemporary jewellery and stock some of the best jewellery designer-makers in the country so I am thrilled to be included as one of their suppliers.

Dates for your Diary:

Gill Wing Gallery
From 11th November

182 Upper Street,

Islington,
London,
N1 1RQ

http://www.gillwing.co.uk/jewelleries/

Brazen Studios
From 9th November

58 Albion Street,
Merchant City,
Glasgow,
GL1 1LH

http://www.brazenstudios.co.uk

New Brewery Arts
From 6th NovemberBrewery Court,
Cirencester,
Gloucestershire,
GL7 1JHhttp://newbreweryarts.org.uk

 

FLUX
Brilliantly Birmingham
21st November – 28th February

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Chamberlain Square,
Birmingham,
B3 3DH

http://www.brilliantlybirmingham.com/

Handmade in Britain
Milsom Place
5th December – 7th December

Milsom Street,
Bath,
BA1 1BZ

http://www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk/index.php

For more information please don’t hesitate to contact me at:
clare@phioro.com or 0752 611 6233

www.phioro.com

Pure Opulence

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing my work being photographed on my beautiful friends Anni Ulm and Kim Rowley. They looked stunning in their swimsuits and tousled hair, and they really did the jewellery justice…

Here are some of the resulting images:

Silver Vessel Ring: £210

Silver Drop Vessel Earrings: £195

Baby Button Earrings with natural pearls: £85

Pearl Earrings: £70

Spinal Vessel Necklace: £285

Photography curtesy of Andrew Fox: http://www.viewontheocean.com/

Check out more of my work on: www.phioro.com

Introducing the Baby Button Collection

Introducing my new range, incorporating sapphires, diamonds and pearls, the belly button collection:

Baby Button Earrings with Tahitian Pearls – £85

Baby Button Earrings with Sapphire detail – £140

Baby Button Pendant with Sapphire detail – £120

Baby Button Earrings with Diamond detail – £170

Baby Button Ring with Diamond detail – £140

For more collections please see: www.phioro.com

Tim Walker – Wonderland

I was recently told by my friend about fashion photographer Tim Walker… Up till now I have been blissfully unaware that Tim Walker was the illustrator of almost all my favourite images! You know when you stumble across a picture that is just so inconceivably detailed, interesting, crazy and beautiful all at once? That is Tim Walker’s style and the first time I noticed it was in Vogue when Lily Cole was the next big thing and she’d been photographed in India…

Just look at all those colours, details, the pose, the train, its all so beautiful!

Tim Walker for Hermes Campaign (above)

This is what dreams are made of…

For more inspiration please go to my website: www.phioro.com

IJL – International Jewellery London 2009

IJL is here!

“The Uk’s only dedicated jewellery event, where the most talented, cutting edge British and International designers and manufacturers showcase an inspiring collection of jewellery, contemporary and classic.”

Yesterday I visited IJL to suss out the compeition and to introduce my links with Dubai to the potential designers whose work I think would be very popular. I am currently setting up a bridge between the two countries and will be organising Jewellery Parties in Dubai to target a market whom don’t have the freedom to try on jewellery within shops as we Westerners do. As you can imagine, the hijab is quite restrictive in being able to see if a piece of jewellery suits you and many muslim women are forbidden to remove it in public places.

IJL is a collection of everyone from the jewellery industry. It is a treasure trove of dazzling gems, precious and semi-precious stones, pearls dripping from stands, diamonds scattered in glass boxes. It has the newest most contemporary designs under the same roof as the biggest brands and in contrst the very commercial enterprises. It is a jewellery lovers HEAVEN.

Among the designers I picked out there are a few who really shone through. In particular Fei Liu Fine Jewellery, Babette Wasserman and Jasmine Alexander. The latter of which has picked up a lot of interest from the press for her beautiful ‘Bleeding Hearts and Artists…precious patterns’ necklace. This consists of an 18kt rose gold heart (human in form) set with brilliant cut rubies that represent the dripping blood! Unfortunately I don’t have an image of it but check out the ‘Index’ section of her page and it is listed there – trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Jasmine is showing at IJL as part of the ‘Kickstart‘ stand K980 hosted by the British Jewellers Association.

Babette Wasserman - Chameleon rings

Fei Liu’s work really struck me, I have known him as one-to-watch for a while now, but from a distance! I had the pleasure of meeting him in person at the show and was happy to find him extremely welcoming and charming. His fine jewellery ‘Whispering Collection’ incorporates elegant pearls with striking cut precious stones such as Amethysts and Citrines. This takes inspiration from the Orchid Flower and is all set on 18kt white, yellow or black gold.  His divine designs incorporate decorative, pave set, swirling stems which frame beautiful larger stones and catch the light in an indescribable way. Not even the beautiful images on his website can truly represent how stunning this work is. Not only is it beautiful, the well thought out designs are also extremely functional often working as more than one item of jewellery. For example a pendant is also a brooch, a long necklace can also be made into two shorter ones.

Fei Liu - Whispering Collection

Others to watch out for are the ‘Bright Young Gems’ who have been nominated by a prestigious panel of leading editors and industry gurus. These are: Kity Sun, Andy Farrow, Haruko Horikawa, Daisy Knights andAnthony Roussel. Among those, I was especially struck by the innovative and crazy designs of Andy Farrow, using patterned layers of gold and silver over bejewelled back panels this work is sure to create a stir. More elegant and sophisticated was Haruko Horikawa’s work, more in line with my own, I loved the fluidity of her designs. She says she “strives to express the essence of the natural world” and I would agree she has captured the absolute best bits of it!

For more inspiration please go to: www.jewellerylondon.com/ and my website: www.phioro.com

Origin Craft Fair

SO… Origin – The biggest craft event of the year is on its way… And I have the honour of exhibiting there – October 13th here I come! For all those art and craft lovers out there, this is one you really shouldn’t miss. It is a 2 week show of all the most beautifully hand-crafted, quality assured, innovative products on the designer-maker market.

Vessel Ring with 22.5 Gold Plate - £300

I will be exhibiting in Week 2, Stand I10. I would love you to come along and check out my new work, which includes my sensual silverware and the beautiful jewellery collection. It is predominantly silver but I will be incorporating some gold and diamonds into the range so you might find some real treats!

Alongside myself there will be 5 other Design Space incubates. Sarah Kelly of Saloukee jewellery, Tusheeta David, Sangeun Kim, Leila Arzaghi and Louise Chesshire. Emerging from our productive year within Design Space’s creative walls we are now confident within our market and are making waves!

Sangeun Kim - Architecturally Inspired brooch

Tusheeta David - Flight of Fantasy ring

Saloukee - Corset Inspired bracelet

Leila Arzaghi - Nostalgic Contemplation brooch

Louise Chesshire - Leaf bangle and spoons

Origin 2009

Somerset House,

Strand,

London,

WC2R 1LA

Opening & Closing Dates

— Part One: Tuesday 6 – Sunday 11 October 2009

— Part Two: Tuesday 13 – Sunday 18 October 2009

— Closed to the public: Monday 12 October 2009

Times

— Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 6pm

— Late closing every Thursday – open until 9pm

Last admission 5:15pm (Thursday: 8:15pm)

So… for more information on the makers and the event itself please go to: http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/origin09/exhibitors-and-events/

Hope to see you there

Phioro Jewellery Mayfair Magazine

A couple of month’s ago I was asked to provide some jewellery for a photoshoot in a new magazine called Mayfair. Kiki O’Connell is an up and coming singer who is just about to hit the British music scene by storm. Here she is featured wearing my jewellery…

Kiki O’Connell wearing Black Pearl Earrings by Phioro

Kiki wearing Vessel Earrings in stirling silver and Vessel Ring with 22.5ct gold-plate

Kiki O’Connell wearing white pearl earrings by Phioro

Black Pearl Earrings – £60

White Pearl Earrings – £60

Vessel and Pearl Earrings – £245

Vessel Ring with 22.5ct gold-plate – £210

www.phioro.com

Translating an artist’s mind

Today I’m feeling frustrated, I’ve got so many inspirations I want to do 5 projects at once, within the space of a few minutes I can create several different ideas by simply looking at an image. Yet I can’t get them down on paper quick enough – as if the simple act of translating it from my mind to paper makes all the others flood away into nothing. I usually combat this by printing out the images or tearing them from magazines to jog my memory, however my printer isnt working

So i think I’ll write….

Dark fairytales, Pan’s Labyrinth, twisting, twirling roots, distorted birdcages and tangled nets. Stormy clouds intermingled with furious sea spray. Glittering diamonds and rubies in magpie’s nests hidden in amongst tangles of thorns and broken eggshells. Glorious ruin and tatters, peeling paint within beautiful, regal palace walls. Goldplate falling amongst the dust and shining in the shafts of light streaming through tall windows.

Beach sunsets and big flat sofa beds, curtains billowing in the wind. Beautiful women draped over them wrapped loosely in voiles of all the colours of the rainbow. Dripping in huge bangles, bold necklaces and golden anklets. Gypsies, hippies, festival spirit but with a tinge of tan and the dry warmth of a Mykonos summer.

These are the words I will use to inspire my next 2 jewellery collections.. watch this space.

Chen Man Surreal Photography

I recently stumbled across this fantastic photographer, I love the Salvador Dali approach – I wish we saw more of this in fashion photography – there is nothing wrong or unartistic about post production. As you can see below, this is an amazing talent in itself and Chen Man embraces it to its full, futuristic potential.

“A phenomenal photographer, Chen Man sees art and beauty in the human form itself.  Sometimes comparing it to architecture, she often deals with the human duality of good vs. evil in an elaborate, yet stunningly raw composure.  Sensual, spiritual, and often eclectic, her photography combined with seamless 3-d computer imagery is definitely worth seeing.”  For more of her photography, visit her website: http://www.chenmaner.com/

What an inspiration…

Contemporary British Silversmiths European exhibition

I have been lucky enough to be one of the 75 designers included in Contemporary British Silversmiths’ touring exhibition:

Side X Side – Edge > Edge

“My pieces are titled ‘Spooning’ and are designed as a male and female pair of cups that sit alongside eachother, the male visibly hugging the female cup. Each cup has a subtle detail, the male has a crease formed in it that sits inside the female’s indentation (reminiscent of the dip we have in our backs). Both cups are sensual to hold in the hand, using their form to illustrate their character.”

This exhibition will start in Hame Castle in Finland alongside their 10 Downing Street Collection, the collection of 75 silversmith’s work will then tour galleries throughout the UK for 2 years and finish at Turku Castle in the European capital of Culture for 2011 in Turku, Finland.

This collection is widely varied and hugely inspirational, incorporating all the most influential contemporary Silversmiths of the last 2 decades.

” Contemporary British Silversmiths are committed to maintaining and developing the unique art of silversmithing within the context of contemporary design. Our exhibitions and events provide members with opportunities to explore and develop fresh ideas, and our audience the chance to see innovative collections of silver. “

Please check out the other fantastic designs at  www.contemporarybritishsilversmiths.org

or alternatively at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/contemporarybritishsilversmiths/