La Double J teams up with MyTheresa to celebrate the designs of Italian jeweller Ugo Correani

The lesser-known jewels of Italian designer Ugo Correani are the subject of a new vintage collection
The lesser-known jewels of Italian designer Ugo Correani are the subject of a new vintage collection curated by our very own editor at large JJ Martin, of La Double J, who has teamed up with luxury fashion retailer MyTheresa.com
(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

There are always little gems to discover among the fine and high jewellery presentations that fringe the annual Paris Couture schedule. Only this season's finds are already taking a more sizeable turn. Our very own editor at large, JJ Martin, was in town to celebrate the big, bold creations of Italian jeweller Ugo Correani and a new online collaboration between her eponymous La Double J vintage boutique and luxury fashion retailer MyTheresa.com

Launching today, Martin has collected, curated and even cherry picked from her own collection, a selection of magnificent vintage designs by the Italian jeweller exclusively for MyTheresa.com. Martin is not only offering those looking for a new costume jewellery aesthetic a fresh take, she is also bringing the life and work of a little-known jewellery great into the spotlight. 

In the early 1970s, Correani made his name designing pieces for the Italian fashion designer Walter Albini before going on to create the high-fashion costume jewellery language that typified the collections of Lacroix and Versace in the 1980s and 1990s: big, organic forms in non-precious metals, textured finishes and carefree splashes of colour.

Perfectly proportioned for catwalk spectacles, Correani regularly collaborated with Gianni Versace, Valentino, and Christian Lacroix. Having started working with Karl Lagerfeld for Chloé, by 1983 he had designed the jewels for Lagerfeld's first Chanel haute couture show. In 1984, he collaborated with Versace, who was then designing costumes for productions at La Scala. Correani died in 1992, by which time the cool minimalism that stalked fashion banished his unfettered costume designs to the annals of fashion history, only to be picked up decades later by vintage seekers with discerning eyes such as Martin. 

'From the moment I discovered Ugo Correani and his wild and wonderful jewellery, I have been completely obsessed,' says Martin. 'It looks nothing like anything else and the quality is excellent. I'm hoping that other women will fall in love with Ugo as deeply as I am.'

A selection of 20 big, bold Correani creations

A selection of 20 big, bold Correani creations go onsale today on MyTheresa.com in addition to Martin's own eponymous boutique LaDoubleJ.com

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

A little-known jewellery great into the spotlight

Martin has collected, curated and even cherry picked from her own collection and is not only offering a fresh costume jewellery take, she is also bringing the life and work of a little-known jewellery great into the spotlight

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

The high-fashion costume jewellery language that typified the collections of Lacroix and Versace in the 1980s and 1990s

In the early 1970s, Correani made his name designing pieces for the Italian fashion designer Walter Albini before going on to create the high-fashion costume jewellery language that typified the collections of Lacroix and Versace in the 1980s and 1990s

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

Correani regularly collaborated with Gianni Versace

Perfectly proportioned for catwalk spectacles, Correani regularly collaborated with Gianni Versace, Valentino and Christian Lacroix

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

The jewels for Lagerfeld's first Chanel haute couture fashion show

Having started working with Karl Lagerfeld for Chloé, by 1983 he had designed the jewels for Lagerfeld's first Chanel haute couture fashion show

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

Correani died in 1992

Correani died in 1992, by which time the cool minimalism that stalked fashion banished his unfettered costume designs to the annals of fashion history, only to be picked up decades later by vintage seekers with discerning eyes such as Martin

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

In non-precious metals with textured finishes

Think big, organic forms in non-precious metals with textured finishes

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

Correani and his wild and wonderful jewellery

'From the moment I discovered Ugo Correani and his wild and wonderful jewellery, I have been completely obsessed,' says Martin. 'It looks nothing like anything else and the quality is excellent. I'm hoping that other women will fall in love with Ugo as deeply as I am'

(Image credit: Designer Ugo Correani)

Caragh McKay is a contributing editor at Wallpaper* and was watches & jewellery director at the magazine between 2011 and 2019. Caragh’s current remit is cross-cultural and her recent stories include the curious tale of how Muhammad Ali met his poetic match in Robert Burns and how a Martin Scorsese Martin film revived a forgotten Osage art.