Ilaria Icardi knows her style. Currently the design director for womenswear at Prada, she has also worked closely with Phoebe Philo, Victoria Beckham and Bottega Veneta, developing a chic and distinctive aesthetic.
Throughout, Icardi has nurtured an interest in jewellery, launching her eponymous brand in 2020. Each piece, handmade to order in Italy, is created with her brother Lorenzo, a gemologist, and encompasses minimalist design and heritage craft. Julia Roberts is a fan – she sports a large selection of Icardi’s jewels throughout Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film, After the Hunt.
Ilaria Icardi
Icardi eschews perfection in her pieces, preferring to focus instead on organic forms. ‘I’m drawn to great taste, especially when it’s in contrast with bad taste. In 18ct gold, sometimes rawness and boldness can truly shape the object,’ she says of the offbeat style of her jewellery. ‘I’m always inspired by rediscovering classic pieces from the 1970s and 1980s archives. These are objects you remember, but they’ve been slightly reshaped with new proportions.’
Narrow ribbed bracelet
Details are carefully considered throughout, from the ridges on a gold bracelet to a brilliant-cut diamond that sinks, effortlessly, into coloured stones. ‘Jewellery can come with many limitations, but rather than frustrate me, they actually stimulate my creativity. My brother helps when it’s time to judge stones and bring practicality to the development process. I love for my pieces to be worn during the day, mixed into layered wardrobe styling. A good wardrobe is, to me, a clear form of self-definition.’
Gold cocktail ring
Icardi relished the recent challenge of translating her jewellery for the big screen. ‘It was a pleasure to see my pieces on Julia Roberts,’ she adds. ‘Giulia Piersanti, the costume designer, chose to place the bracelet and ring to reinforce the character without overwhelming her. I enjoy every step of the creative process. It is always different, always guided by instinct and a reflection of my body.’
‘Lego’ chain
-
Meet Carmen Portinho, the pioneering engineer who shaped Brazilian architectureCarmen Portinho’s pioneering vision shaped Brazil’s social housing, museums and modernist identity. A new exhibition in Rio finally gives her work the recognition it deserves
-
What to expect from Thaddaeus Ropac’s new Milan galleryA stalwart among European galleries, Thaddaeus Ropac has chosen an 18th-century palazzo for its first venture into Milan
-
How an artist’s expansive puppet world helped beat her sense of stage anxietyBlair Tramel’s paper-mâché puppets have turned Snõõper’s punk shows into an immersive DIY universe, transforming stage anxiety into a joyous, all-welcome spectacle
-
How Italian futurism propelled Buccellati’s 1930s Hawaii designThe rapid onset of industrialisation fuelled an Italian jewellery classic
-
Celebrating a century of Italian jewellery design: Fabio Salini’s modernist eyeExclusively for Wallpaper*, Fabio Salini curates a section of his postponed exhibition at Phillips New York
-
Bulgari presents ’Serpentiform: Snake Through Art, Jewellery and Design’ -
Past master: Giampiero Bodino creates site-specific works for a Milanese mansion
