Cult jewellery designer Steff Eleoff subverts classic forms

Models wear gold squiggle jewellery by Steff Eleoff

(Image credit: Norman Wong)

Traditional jewellery forms become sensual silhouettes in the hands of Toronto-based jewellery designer Steff Eleoff, who plays off the curves of the body in her offbeat adornments.

‘I really enjoy experimenting with different materials – this gold collection was super exciting because I started exclusively with silver,’ Eleoff says of her new collection, ‘Gold’. ‘To see my designs reimagined in gold gave them a whole new life. Gemstones are something I've also been playing with recently, and my next collection has probably been the most fun to work on.’

The pieces, including ‘Gold Squiggle’, ‘Gold Goop’ and ‘Gold Bangle’, bring a fluidity to gold vermeil and sterling silver with forms that appear to drip down the body; earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces are twists of gold and silver.

‘I get inspiration from so many different things,’ Eleoff adds. ‘My newest collection, coming soon, was inspired by a car ride I took in a rainstorm. When you're able to silence the world around you, and slow down, you really can find inspiration.’

The self-taught jewellery designer looks to nature, architecture and modern design motifs for handcrafted pieces that have rapidly picked up cult status.

For Eleoff, the creation process is not without its challenges. ‘The most recent challenge has definitely been the balance between business and creativity,’ she says. ‘Sometimes my day can become so hectic with the business aspect, that I don't find inspiration as naturally or I'm too tired to create. Now, I've been making sure to schedule time for play as well as my work. My team and I have a pretty good routine going – we have days dedicated to certain tasks, while other days I leave free just to be an artist. My most important goal is to never lose sight of why I'm doing what I'm doing; it's how I find inspiration in this chaotic world.’

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Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys travelling, visiting artists' studios and viewing exhibitions around the world, and has interviewed artists and designers including Maggi Hambling, William Kentridge, Jonathan Anderson, Chantal Joffe, Lubaina Himid, Tilda Swinton and Mickalene Thomas.