Archive for January, 2010

I’m currently working on developing a design concept for a series of inter-related green couture collections for release in 2010 and beyond. The new collections will intertwine with the Earthly Desires collection, which launched in Autumn 2009. Collectively, these “Elementals Collections” merge mythology and fantasy into elementally-inspired designs that are non-seasonally dependent. The launch dates for the new collections are still unknown, as there is much design work yet to be done before any of the new collections are ready for release and there are still many designs to be added to the Earthly Desires collection. But, there is much in store for you all in the coming months and well beyond, so stay tuned for details.

As a jewelry designer, I’m am quite fortunate to have the option of designing collections that are not seasonally driven, unlike clothing and other accessories. The fashion industry has always been driven by seasons, with forecasting of color trends, styles and patterns determined by industry insiders 18 months or more in advance. With jewelry, this is left more or less up to the tastes, styles and interests of the jewelry designer. We have much more free reign in our designs. This is particularly true of one-of-a-kind and limited edition couture jewelry designs. Many jewelry companies do not offers ‘collections’ in the traditional sense, and many that do focus on particular themes, much more than the season in which the collections are released. We also have the luxury of adding new designs to an existing collection over time, simply because a large percentage of jewelry does not become outdated nearly as quickly as clothing and other accessories. Many jewelry designs are timeless, meant to be worn from season to season and year to year.

While I have designed many out-of-collection designs, and my custom design work on contract falls into this category, I now mostly design in collections. Acailawen Designs’ jewelry collections focus around uniform concepts or themes. A collection launched during a particular season is not bound to be worn during that season. This is quite different from the “seasonal collections” defined by the fashion industry. The primary difference is that I don’t retire a collection when its launch season ends. In fact, I often continue to add new pieces to an existing line for many months, or even years, after it’s launched. I may even add sub-collections to an existing collection to take it in new directions. I have come to favor the release of collections in phases, as the concepts behind the the collections grow, expand or become more defined. This further exemplifies the timeless nature of jewelry that is meant to be worn for years to come. A great piece of jewelry is a long term investment that you should enjoy as much tomorrow as you do today.

Stay tuned for more insights and news on Acailawen Designs’ jewelry collections for 2010 and beyond, here in The Buzz.