Hervé van der Straeten, attributed (*1965)
Hammered bangle, unique piece, unsigned, gold-plated with real gold
Early 1980s
attributed/ in the style of Hervé Van der Straeten
Hervé van der Straeten was introduced to design by his father. He attended the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris, where he studied painting. Inspired by his friends in the fashion industry, including Isabel Marant, Christian Lacroix and Thierry Mugler, he began creating costume jewellery for them in 1985. He was also very successful internationally and six years later turned his attention to materials such as wood, marble and various metals.
The designer has created a wide variety of items in the past, including the bottle for Christian Dior's J'adore perfume, the cases for Guerlain's Kiss Kiss lipstick, porcelain for the Bernandaud company in Limoges, furniture for the Paris-based company ILEX and the Excess series for Cristalleries de Saint Louis in Lorraine.
Furniture based on Van der Straten's designs can be found in the Roger Vivier shoe boutique in Moscow, for example, and can be seen at Harrods in London and Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He is a supplier to Mobilier National, the French government agency responsible for furnishing French châteaux and public buildings, and counts Steven Spielberg and Madonna among his clients.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
Hervé van der Straeten, attributed (*1965)
Hammered bangle, unique piece, unsigned, gold-plated with real gold
Early 1980s
attributed/ in the style of Hervé Van der Straeten
Hervé van der Straeten was introduced to design by his father. He attended the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris, where he studied painting. Inspired by his friends in the fashion industry, including Isabel Marant, Christian Lacroix and Thierry Mugler, he began creating costume jewellery for them in 1985. He was also very successful internationally and six years later turned his attention to materials such as wood, marble and various metals.
The designer has created a wide variety of items in the past, including the bottle for Christian Dior's J'adore perfume, the cases for Guerlain's Kiss Kiss lipstick, porcelain for the Bernandaud company in Limoges, furniture for the Paris-based company ILEX and the Excess series for Cristalleries de Saint Louis in Lorraine.
Furniture based on Van der Straten's designs can be found in the Roger Vivier shoe boutique in Moscow, for example, and can be seen at Harrods in London and Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He is a supplier to Mobilier National, the French government agency responsible for furnishing French châteaux and public buildings, and counts Steven Spielberg and Madonna among his clients.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
