2 posts tagged "Annelise Michelson"
On Our Radar: Annelise Michelson’s Fall Paradox
“I like contradiction,” said jewelry designer Annelise Michelson during a visit to the Style.com offices yesterday afternoon. Enter her Fall ’13 collection, which features necklaces that fuse delicate lace bibs, heavy brass chain, and slick silicone. “I wanted something shiny to contrast with the matte lace,” offered the 28-year-old, who’s best known for her jagged Carnivore ear cuffs. “So I found these people who coat lace with silicone for haute couture. This is the first time they’re doing it for jewelry.” The silicone-dipped wares, which are priced around $700, come in jet black, rich royal blue, and shocking neon green. Michelson created a few more playful versions, too, garnishing the lace with splatters of silicone in electric hues.
The designer also introduced gunmetal into her oeuvre this season, using it for—among other things—simultaneously tough and organic full-finger and petal rings. “If you wear just one, it looks very feminine,” she explained. “But if you wear them all together, it’s very strong—it looks like armor.”
Annelise Michelson jewelry is available at Fivestory, Dagny + Barstow, and The Webster.
Annelise Michelson Debuts Downtown
As it turns out, window-shopping is a surprisingly productive use of one’s time. Just ask Paris-based jewelry designer Annelise Michelson, best known for her sharp-toothed ear cuffs, embellished chain-link necklaces, and sculptural rings worn by the likes of Alison Mosshart and Alexa Chung. During her last trip to New York, the designer took an unexpected stroll past Bowery boutique Dagny + Barstow. “I saw it on my way to brunch and I really liked the windows,” she recalls. Moments later, she found herself inside, browsing wares from other up-and-coming French designers like Devastee and Vanessa Dee with the boutique’s co-owner, Emily Titelman. The conversation that ensued resulted in Dagny picking up her collection.
The designer’s downtown New York debut (she also sells uptown at Fivestory and online at www.paire.us) will kick off with an in-store party tomorrow night, where looks from Michelson’s “Timeless” and “Carnivore” collections will be displayed in a special installation. Come March, the store will stock her spring range, which, Michelson says, is a departure from her usual hard-edged aesthetic. “Last season, it was about leather-embroidered chain. But for spring, it’s really tropical and neon. Almost toxic,” she explains, adding, “My mother is South African, so the flowers and colors of Cape Town were on my mind.”
As for her time in the Big Apple, the designer is not sure what surprises it might bring. But she’s found herself inspired by the city’s savvy women. “They have their style, they play with their look and they’re having fun. This is what fashion’s all about! Being feminine and a little bit audacious.” Just like Michelson’s jewelry.
Annelise Michelson is available at Dagny + Barstow, 264 Bowery, NYC, (212) 675-2346.