Words by MPDClick’s Trade Fair Editor.
Following its success in February, the British Fashion Council is once again to collaborate with the International Palladium Board for a special jewellery project as part of the forthcoming edition of London Fashion Week in September. Here, we will see the marketing of the relatively under publicised precious metal palladium as the future for contemporary jewellery.
The collaboration will see twelve jewellery designers each creating a ring from up to an ounce of palladium, which will then be showcased in the BFC’s Rock Vault behind London Fashion Week’s iconic venue, Somerset House. Participants have fully embraced the growth opportunities that palladium presents, with three designers, Jordan Askill, Fernando Jorge and Hannah Martin also showcasing capsule collections crafted from palladium, due to launch in spring/summer 13.
Proving as an attractive investment, palladium is sourced from a limited supply, however with its versatile qualities its beginning to make an impact on the contemporary jewellery sector. The history of its value demonstrates fluctuating prices, but this is slowly rising following it’s recently acquired ‘precious’ status.
Curator of the project, Stephen Webster, comments: ”The Rock Vault Dozen is the first incentive illustrating how this platform for emerging, British-based jewellery talent can embrace and collaborate with the ever-changing economics of the industry.’’
‘’Palladium, an ancient metal with newly acquired precious status, therefore new to many, is introduced to the consumer through the creative genius of the designers within Rock Vault.’’
The selected twelve designers include: Alexandra Jefford, Fernando Jorge, Hannah Martin, Hillier, Husam El Odeh, Imogen Belfield, Jo Hayes Ward, Jordan Askill, Melanie Georgacopoulos, Sophie Bille Brahe, Tomasz Donocik and Yunus and Eliza.
At MPDClick, we are excited and intrigued as to what these twelve different designers will produce using this unique metal, and what the unveiling of the three capsule collections will mean for the jewellery market for spring/summer 13 and thereafter.
Image Source: In Detail, Professional Jeweller.
- C.H
