Established jewellery brands, defining themselves against centuries of tradition, can find it tricky to strike a cool and original note. Heritage lends a hefty weight, but it can feel on the heavy side for designers keen to strike out in a more avant-garde direction, something Gaia Repossi has successfully sidestepped with Italian jewellery brand, Repossi.
By engaging with fields at the intersection of jewellery – art, architecture, fashion – Repossi has created a distinct aesthetic for the brand, foundations she builds on with the most recent collaboration with American-Dutch artist Sterling Ruby.
Friends for almost a decade, the collaboration felt natural to them both. ‘We had met several times through Raf (Simons ) and I of course always loved his work - to me he is the perfect American new minimalist artist after the past generation of Judd or Ed Ruscha,’ says Repossi. ‘He embodies a contemporary version and a versatility I absolutely admire and refer to. He is one of the most interesting artists in LA.’ Adds Ruby: ‘The Repossi approach to jewellery design is architectural, minimalist, but also open to disruption - that openness is what drew me in.’
The resulting piece of jewellery, a sharply-defined brooch, is constructivist in its silhouette. Crafted from 18 carat champagne gold, it looks to Ruby’s REIF series of wall-mounted sculptures in its elevation of humble forms.
‘My role with a collaboration is to express the idea of the artist and the collaborator and turn it into a jewel, obviously with my own take and vision,’ says Repossi. ‘The marriage of the two is what makes it particularly interesting. As a designer, my main goal is to reinvent classics, twist ideas and make new classics. In this particular case we transformed one of Sterling's recent sculpture series into a perfect reflective jewel, a unique piece made into limited editions.’
The pale champagne gold nods to Ruby’s vast pieces, such as baskets and purses, he has created in silver in the past. ‘But the slight golden shade recalls my designs,’ adds Repossi, ‘with the single top diamond encrusted in a more masculine way, as this versatile brooch, or pendant, is unisex. I’m known for large pendants in the past and was into the idea of making a large brooch too, the stacking of the “ bars” or splints echoes my designs.’
For Ruby, the medium was an organic one in which to work. ‘Working in high jewellery felt like a natural extension of my artistic practice. Whether I’m working in sculpture, ceramics, or clothing, I’m interested in shifting context; breaking hierarchies between disciplines. Repossi provided a space where those boundaries could be pushed, where jewellery could function as both object and artwork.’
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