Who’s New in Couture’s Design Atelier
A springboard for more nascent jewelry designers and brands, the Design Atelier features 21 new faces this year.
Jewelry Market Week is kicking off in Las Vegas and Couture’s Design Atelier is filled with emerging brands who’ve earned the show’s stamp of approval.
The Design Atelier is a curated section of Couture comprised of promising jewelry designers who have been in the business for two to eight years.
According to Couture, the designers chosen to exhibit in this area have original points-of-view and distinct aesthetics that aren’t represented at the show.
Brands can only showcase in this section for three years before graduating to the main floor.
The brands new to the Design Atelier this year are: Vice Versa Jewelry, shinkai, Lucy Delius, Sanaz Doost, Castro Smith, Statement Paris, Alice Herald, Vanessa Fernandez Studio, Mined + Found, Sophie Joanne, Helena Rose, Imperfect Grace, Type Jewelry, Dreamboule, Rosario Navia, OX, Pamela Zamore, Salome Rico, Campbell + Charlotte, Loraida, and Claudia Mae.
Keep reading to see pieces from the majority of these brands, and don’t forget to stop by the Design Atelier at Couture.
Vice Versa Jewelry was founded in 2020 in New York City.
The brand draws inspiration from kinetic objects, using hardware stores and locking mechanics as references.
Its pieces are versatile and often flexible. Look out for the “Gemini” pieces, which look solid but can move.
Shinkai is the namesake brand of designer Mizuki Shinkai, who started her company 11 years ago in Japan.
The Japanese kanji for “shinkai” means pearls so it only makes sense that the brand would have a curated collection of baroque pearls.
At Couture it will be showcasing the new “Planetary” ring, which features a pearl at its center pierced by the ring with inlaid diamonds mimicking the planets floating in space. The piece is also versatile, as it can transform from a ring into a pendant.
Inspired by Victorian silhouettes, Lucy Delius takes a modern twist on these shapes to create wearable and covetable jewels.
The “Victorian Gentleman” collection has become a signature of the brand, transforming men’s watch chains from the Victorian era into bracelets that can be worn every day.
For its first year at Couture, Lucy Delius will be showcasing the new “Lucky One” piece as a Couture exclusive.
Based in Toronto, Canada, Sanaz Doost highlights its Persian heritage in each piece.
With nods to ancient architecture and cultural motifs, the brand merges history from the East with modernity from the West.
For pieces inspired by the Art Deco movement and brutalist architecture, look no further than Statement Paris.
Just as the name implies, the brand is based in Paris and it is making its way to Couture for the first year.
Designer Amélie Huynh began creating mainly silver pieces for the brand, but as she enters the U.S. market she has expanded to yellow and pink gold.
Look out for her “My Way” ring, a bestseller for Statement Paris, in two-tone white and yellow gold, a color combination meant to combine solar and lunar energies, said the brand.
Alice Herald looks to Greek and Roman mythology and architecture when creating its collections.
At Couture the brand will debut the “Istoria” collection, named after the Greek word for story and learning through research.
Attendees can expect to see bold, elegant jewels that tell a story and designs referencing columns and domes from ancient times.
Influenced by the female form and the Art Nouveau period, Vanessa Fernandez Studio creates jewelry that is fluid and sculptural.
Each piece is feminine yet bold and color is used whenever possible.
Keeps your eyes open for spinel, tourmaline, chrysoberyl, garnet, and sapphire when visiting Vanessa Fernandez Studio’s booth.
Mined + Found’s collections are filled with playful, campy pieces that feature moving parts and kinetic aspects.
The brand’s “Sweet Life” ring is not just any old signet ring; it depicts a box of chocolates, with a lid that swivels open to reveal the miniature enamel candies hidden inside.
Based in Amsterdam, Sophie Joanne is a brand filled with colorful gemstones.
Flower motifs can be found in many of its pieces in the “Bloemenkunst” collection, a reference to the floral symbolism often used by modern artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Hilma af Klint, Andy Warhol, and Karl Blossfeldt.
Helena Rose creates collections filled with fun and colorful designs from 14-karat yellow gold with diamonds and hand-cut vibrant gemstones.
Inspired by sculptural arts and nostalgia for the ‘60s and ‘70s, the “Character” collection of initial rings and charms are the cornerstone of the brand.
The “Ripple Effect” collection will debut at Couture, with Helena Rose’s “Grandsize Ripple” ring submitted to the Couture Design Awards competition.
Since founding Imperfect Grace, it has been designer Krista Trpkovski’s dream to showcase at Couture.
She creates her pieces as everyday jewelry for the modern woman to embrace her inner strength and beauty, as well as to become family heirlooms, as this is part of her Ukrainian culture, said the brand.
The designer is excited to showcase her new cigar bands, “Mateo Star” pendant, and “Lorenza” earrings.
From Panama but based in Miami, Type Jewelry is debuting its jewelry, which showcases classic styles with a twist.
At its booth you can see the “Lego” ID band, which is a new version of a classic tennis bracelet.
OX is a brand all about engagement and sensuality.
Its ethos focuses on how people experience and wear jewelry every day and how their body engages with each piece, becoming a second skin.
At Couture, OX will showcase its “Ourglass” collection containing pieces that move and debut the “eXo” collection as well as the “Time-Out” collection, a new perspective on the movements from their first release.
Inspired by fauna and atypical vintage jewelry, Salome Rico is excited to showcase its “Chouette the Owl” piece.
At this brand’s booth you can expect to see detailed joyful and colorful jewelry with lots of references to vintage style.
Each collection created by Campbell + Charlotte reflects the phases, lessons, and emotions the designer experienced during motherhood.
Jewelry often tells a story and for this brand, each piece memorializes the strength embodied in the modern woman.
For the brand’s first year at Couture, it is showcasing the labor of love designer Jenny McHugh put into the “Evolve” collection, inspired by the universal truth that becoming our best selves often requires embodying the unknown.
Showcasing its signature “Nomad” collection, Claudia Mae is a brand centered around pieces that are meaningful, buildable, customizable, and full of color.
This collection is inspired by bands from the Victorian era, creating the “perfect gold band” in mixed sizes with various gemstones so each wearer can build a unique stack.
Attendees also can see the “Fauna” collection with animal pieces, and the newest capsule collection “Love Locked” featuring one-of-a-kind tourmalines.
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