Alia Bin Omair Spring 2018. Courtesy of Alia Bin Omair
You already got a glimpse at the 2017 DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize high jewelry design finalists’ Spring 2018 collections, and now it’s time for your exclusive sneak peek at the five accessories finalists’ SS18 offerings before they present to the jury this week. Below, Alia Bin Omair, Joanna Laura Constantine, Farah Nasri (Hooked | HKD), Sally Sarieddine (LaLaQueen), and Najeeba Hayat (Liudmila) open up their look books for Vogue.me.
LIUDMILA
Najeeba Hayat
“Our Spring 2018 collection is a mini capsule collection that we designed to supplement the more ample, ankle boot-heavy Pre-Spring 2018 main collection.
It is a fun, optimistic romp through a carnival in a Fantasia color scheme full of sparkly pinwheels, mermaid ponds, and flashing lights. We used our base sandal structure and signature curved heel for the majority of the collection, aiming for simple, easy-to-wear styles with high impact. Spring 2018 is a loud, happy ode to Najeeba’s closet, full of unexpected material combinations, three-dimensional holographic silks, over-the-top embellishment, Hillary Clinton-style scrunchies, and atmospheric drama. We clash a scrunchy, dazzling flamingo-pink silk from one of Como’s oldest silk mills with snake printed with a Dalmatian print, natural snake hand-speckled with iridescent blue paint, and Tiffany-green snake edged with gold and combined with a smattering of crystal buckles for a sensory overload in every single component.”
LALAQUEEN
Sally Sarieddine
“Everything is energy. Energy is abstract yet concrete and can be specifically measured. The pieces in the collection are inspired by the symbols of energy. It’s powerful with many levels of truth and all the truths lead to one magical space where everything is harmoniously held together. This is a timeless capsule collection.
I played with the idea of space, the space where things happen, where everything is synchronized and harmonized. The metal represents a field of magnetic energy and the bag is the tangible translation of the idea. The idea started with my deep interest in energy and the universe. I wanted to take it a step further, and find a way to visualize this energy. The infinity sign was the first thing that came to mind, and from there I started my research. This led me to quantum physics that explains the movement of energy and the interaction of atoms that make up the universe. It became a springboard for my ideas.
I started sketching and envisioned this piece, a piece of metal that represents the symbol of energy that holds the leather piece. I wanted to create this collection as a capsule art piece in classical colors.”
HOOKED | HKD
Farah Nasri
“HKD incorporates a new material into its library this season with its use of black steel. The black is in reference to noir which is in reference to the night and to Bedouins’ eternal obsession with the night sky, its moon phases, and all that the starry universe has to offer. Formally, the collection takes cues from the tribal sacred activity of coiling around the body to morph it into exaggerated forms. Modernizing this sacred tradition, HKD liberates today’s woman, creating wearable sculptures that fuse coils with wearability. The rings and earrings create the illusion of a stack of jewelry – a trompe l’oeil – while the cast geometries take cues from black skies and the starry universe: comets, moons, and stars. The bags are sleeves of more relaxed geometries, almost envelope like. Velvet and silk are combined with industrial black steel or more refined 14ct gold to create conversational arm candy for the party girl who wants to completely free herself of the jewelry.”
JOANNA LAURA CONSTANTINE
Joanna Laura Constantine
“My collections are always focused on the woman. Each collection intends to reveal the boundless femininity and strength that exudes from a woman. The pieces are playful and fearless, yet precise and meticulous. They are designed to cater to the modern woman while preserving some traditional characteristics which render each piece a timeless classic. Unlikely combinations merge the classical with the unconventional in terms of lines, materials, colors, and stones to create pieces that resonate with her style and needs. Every collection accentuates her spirit, which introduces possibility through risk-taking and creativity, resulting in iconic statement pieces.
The Urban Chic collection draws inspiration from the beating heart of the city to bring glitz and glamour to everyday life. Street-style elements such as the sneaker shoelace, the sweatshirt sleeve, the T-shirt, and the cap are elevated to a bejeweled dimension to make charming pieces that give urban living just the right shine. Crisscrossed lines and rainbow-colored strings give movement to keep your urban look casual, but far from average.
The Why Knot Collection playfully ties style and chaos together. Whimsical lines and spinning spirals are joined in mesmerizing knots to form pieces that radiate with uniqueness. The results demonstrate the sheer beauty in disorder, embracing the flawlessness in imperfection.
The Tribale collection is a marriage of earth and ocean with a vibrant pop of color as its center of gravity. It includes necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and cuffs with captivating patterns that play on symmetry to bring out the raw elegance of nature. Hand-cut natural stones such as coral and turquoise form a vivacious color palette and combine with bold lines to capture a fearless spirit. In this collection every piece is a statement, translating tribal geometry into modern sophistication.”
ALIA BIN OMAIR
Alia Bin Omair
“Two years ago, Alia bin Omair started designing jewelry. Bold, wild and highly curated. Starting with objects that had a sense of place, experimenting with different materials from the United Arab Emirates to present varieties of forms and designs. This is how Alia bin Omair works, a curious designer that likes to explore new techniques and methods in jewellery design and in her country’s heritage and traditional crafts.”
Read This Next: See the DDFC/Vogue Fashion Prize High Jewelry Finalists’ Spring 2018 Collections
