Designer Spotlight: Sugar Gay Isber

By Paige McKirahan

This week, we have decided to spotlight a designer that is not only prominent in our collections, but prominent in jewelry lover's collections over the globe. Gay Isber, affectionately nicknamed Sugar, is a Canadian jewelry designer based out of Austin, Texas. As a seventh generation Texan, she planted her roots in the south with Gay Isber Designs, her namesake jewelry and product design company. As the creative force propelling the business forward, she has been crafting jewelry for over 15 years; she has been featured in national and international media, and has created pieces for everyone from royals to rock stars. She has even been dubbed “a guru of the fashion and jewelry industry” in her home state, which eventually pushed her to receive the Designer of the Year award in 2016. Now that we know of her great successes, let’s learn more about her inspiration, background, and her beautiful creations!

(photo credits to shoplc.com)

Sugar is a self-proclaimed jewelry lover who advocates for conversational pieces that are enjoyed more with every wear. As a creator, she is uninterested in what other designers are producing and focuses more about how her materials inspire her or how she can continue advancing her skills; she feels that she is truly only as good as her last piece.

Gay began her amazing journey by starting off as a painter after graduating with a Master’s Degree in Humanities and Visual Arts. She wanted her paintings to be show stopping, and concluded she would stop art show traffic by creating a bracelet that emulated her artwork’s colorful aesthetic. By the show’s conclusion, she realized that most of the patrons were more interested in her bracelet than her paintings, prompting her to make the transition from art to jewelry. Despite this, she has continued painting as a hobby and many of her jewels look similar to her art.

As a full-time creator, Sugar says that she dreams about jewels and has worked with so many amazing people that make the effort worthwhile. Aside from designing pieces for Michelle Obama, Camilla and Prince Charles, Lady Gaga and Martha Stewart (to name a few), she has also created a line for Harley Davidson and have participated in fundraising events for the company benefiting breast cancer. She participates in a vast amount of charity fundraisers and sells her jewelry at those events, through The Shopping Channel, through her mailing list, and independent retailers. In addition to her career as a designer, she also has been teaching at Austin Community College since 2012 where she offers private or group classes.

Whether it be a custom piece or a simple design, Sugar’s jewelry is eye-catching and commonly features bright colors, beautiful gems, bead work or metallic accents. Looking for some Sugar of your own? We have enough to fill a candy store! Head over to our collection to find some great Gay Isber pieces that are sure to sweeten up this holiday season!

(All biographical information taken from gayisber.com)

The Met Museum Presents Jewelry: The Body Transformed

By Paige McKirahan

In the wake of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most successful fashion related exhibit since its conception (talking about you, Heavenly Bodies Exhibit!), we here at TalkingFashion we have been excited to see what was next for the art-filled attraction based in New York City. Lucky for us, the topic for their new display covers none other than jewelry throughout time; museum patrons will be able to view over 200 pieces from dated 2600 B.C. to the present. The exhibit, which is titled “Jewelry: The Body Transformed”, opened on November 12^th and will have a 15-week run in the iconic museum.

If you are lucky to see the exhibition, you will be faced with an exploration of how “jewelry acts upon and activates the body it adorns” from a historical perspective. The pieces are chiefly taken from the Met collection and many portions of the exhibit pair the jewelry with sculptures, prints, and photographs in order to enhance their story. Jewelry from around the world will be organized into galleries by the part of the body they embellish starting from the top of one’s head and hair; to the nose, lips and ears; neck and chest; and lastly waist, ankles, and feet. 

After the exhibition is separated by body part, the remaining galleries are arranged thematically. The Divine Body is focused on early conceptions of jewelry and its previous link to immortality. The Regal Body will look at the use of jewelry as a status symbol. The Transcendent Body moves away from a rank-based evaluation and looks to jewelry’s historical link to the spirit world, where it was said to conjure spirits, appease gods and conjure ancestors. The Alluring Body gallery will celebrate how jewelry evokes romance and desire and the final portion, The Resplendent Body, will focus of elegant pieces designed for luxury settings. To see other magnificent pieces currently on display, head over the The Met's exhibition page. If you are looking to do more than just appreciate historical jewelry, head over to our collection and purchase a piece beautiful enough to be in a museum!

(all image credits to metmuseum.org) 

Folk Art in Fashion Culture: Folk Couture

By Paige McKirahan

When evaluating the vast number of art movements that have influenced fashion and design for centuries, it seems like the list of inspirational aesthetics is never-ending. From Art Nouveau to Art Deco, we have seen the line between art and fashion become blurred; the Folk Art movement is no exception and has undoubtedly enjoyed its own transition into the fashion industry. So much, in fact, that the American Folk Art museum created an entire exhibit dedicated to this assimilation. The “Folk Couture: Fashion and Folk Art” show, which was first introduced in early in 2014, called upon 13 couturiers to create one of a kind designs that correlate with specific pieces in their art collection. The connection between the two may not always be overtly evident, forcing the viewer to truly consider the pieces and how they have similar characteristics. Yes, some specific motifs from the art that inspired the clothing piece are used, but there are no direct translations of the artworks incorporated into the pieces.

Jean Yu’s chiffon dress and its inspiration, Porcupine, created by David Alvarez in 1981

(photo credits to artnews.com)

Fashion may be the hook to reel in some visitors, but the pieces in no way overshadow the art; instead, they complement the work rather than distract from it. The designers chosen by guest curator Alexis Carreño to design and create these fashion pieces are overwhelming eclectic. Even if they do not normally design pieces with folk art in mind, they all had a great eye as to what aesthetics would transition well into fashion and wowed spectators with their work.

Art often envelops fashion and vice versa; we see this cannibalistic practice illustrated with folk quilts being made of clothing scraps and folk painters like Ammi Phillips looking to fashion in print for posing inspiration. In a city where fashion reigns and museums are always looking for ways to draw in patrons, the American Folk Art Museum proved that other New York museums can incorporate fashion into their galleries successfully (and without the help of Anna Wintour). Feeling inspired by folk aesthetics but not looking to create your own gallery-inspired piece? Check out our collections to find some accessories that are already made and ready for you to purchase!

Wooden Jewelry

By Paige McKirahan 

As one of the most versatile materials in nature, wood can do everything from create beautiful jewelry to make paper. With the ability to be delicately carved and elegantly painted, it has been trending in the accessory industry for decades. Considering society’s movement towards a more sustainable future, this lightweight, natural material is highly sought after; its economical and eco-friendly designs have established itself as a frontrunner in sustainable product creation. Why, though, should we lean towards wooden creations rather than plastic and other synthetic products?

Of course, like many of wood’s natural counterparts, this material has been used for jewelry for centuries. In more modern times, the use of wood in fashion saw a burst in popularity in the 1930s and this went on until the 1950s. Mixed with plastic, glass and other materials, wood was used to create brooches, hat pins, and pendants. Some pieces were carved and painted and could be made by creatives at home or by jewelry companies. Many depression era manufacturers created wooden pieces that were comical and illustrated the artist’s great creativity. When plastics and other synthetics became popular in the late ‘50s and into the ‘60s, wooden pieces were forgotten as people were enthralled with the new, high tech products created by plastic molds. Despite this drop in circulation, wooden pieces are now attracting green fashion aficionados on account of their natural, sustainable style.

When creating wooden jewelry, the technique is based upon the grain of the wood; you work in the direction of the grain or across it, but never against it as it will crack the piece. To cut wood down to ones desired size, a gouge blade is uses to chip away the wood safely. Wood can enhance the beauty of a variety of other jewelry materials, included gemstones, bone, ivory, beads, and glass. Combining it with other organic materials can create unique designs that are typically carved by hand. Looking for a unique, environmentally conscious piece? Check out our selection of wooden accessories to get that natural feel without stepping a foot into the forest!