JCKstyle - April 13, 2007
H.Stern has long set the creative standard for jewelers and jewelry consumers, and now the company is extending its reach to budding designers in other artistic fields.
The iconic design house has paired with Pratt Institute, the venerable Manhattan art school, to present the Star Award Competition, which calls for students to create pieces inspired by H.Stern's methodology and work. Seventy-five Pratt students entered the competition; their task was to focus on a literal or conceptual aspect of H.Stern's work and expand upon it in an original piece of artwork. The interpretations were as varied as the applicants' backgrounds (which ranged from architecture to fashion); final creations included a dress, a light fixture, and a painting. Sixteen finalists were chosen from the original pool, of which three will be specially recognized at an awards ceremony and exhibition in New York City on April 25. The panel of judges includes Pratt provost Peter Barna and H.Stern creative director Roberto Stern. The three winners will receive scholarship funds, with the first-prize winner also receiving a trip to H.Stern's hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Following the awards ceremony, works by the winners and finalists will be available for public viewing at the H.Stern boutique in New York City.Weekly Gem
Could jewelry be the cure for Britney Spears's smoking habit? Paolo Internicola, president of ZeroSmoke North America Inc., thinks so. Internicola sent the pop star his product, a 24k gold–plated magnetic earring for the upper ear that stimulates acupressure points and supposedly eliminates nicotine cravings, along with a personal letter asking her to try it for her own health and the health of the fans who emulate her. The full ZeroSmoke quit process takes about a month of constant earring wear to complete… Can the capricious star don a single accessory for so long?
