Architect Ayça Özbank Taşkan brings a fresh sensibility to her brand Mara Paris; by teasing pearls into sculptural shapes and rethinking classic silhouettes, jewellery is infused with a contemporary cool.
‘For me, the evergreen challenge is to step away from conventional trends, preferring instead to view jewellery as a means of allowing the wearer to tell their own unique story,’ Özbank Taşkan tells us. ‘This is an ongoing, never-ending, forever-changing process that I incorporate into the design philosophy. Jewellery is a form of style, expression, and uniqueness.’
In her new collection, the jewellery designer builds on popular pieces such as the AirPod jewellery and introduces new jewellery for men, in a rewriting of traditional codes. ‘I’ve been tinkering with the idea of men’s jewellery for years. Perhaps I was searching for the right angle to approach it.
‘This launch is a transition for me. Since day one, we have had lots of men as our customers. Whenever I see them wearing our jewellery, it always looks fantastic. The blocking point is the predefined idea that something is made for women or men. I believe we have progressed a lot in this area in recent years. Why should men be limited to specific collections or brands?’
The new pieces in sterling silver and vermeil tease chains into AirPod cuffs that loop around the ear, with fluid coils of metal able to be cuffed around the earlobe or lip. ‘I have a very selective process while designing and finalising a collection; therefore, each piece that ends up in the collection is special,’ says Özbank Taşkan.
‘Additionally, I like dynamism and change. My favourite pieces often shift depending on my mood or what I am inspired by at that moment. Currently, AirPod jewellery is something that I am really passionate about, because it is a perfect combination of style and functionality. It is guaranteed that people will notice once you go out wearing it. You don’t even need to wear [the pieces] with AirPods; they work very well as standalone accessories.’ §
