The jewelry brand Judith Ripka rolls out new collections in a variety of price points utilizing its namesake’s design codes with some regularity. JCK’s Brittany Siminitz highlighted a pearl-centric line from Judith Ripka this past fall, and just this week, the brand announced its newest endeavor, an ongoing collaborative series with women artists and designers.
The premiere collection is Adoro, a four-piece capsule designed in collaboration with Italian architect Elena Manferdini, of Atelier Manferdini in Venice, Calif. The limited-edition jewels, wrought in gold vermeil, diamonds, and white enamel, combine bold, sculptural silhouettes with fluid lines and inspired-by-nature patterns that evoke a sense of movement.
“These collaborations provide a whole new lens through which we can reimagine the art of jewelry making,” Robert D’Loren, CEO of Xcel Brands (which took ownership of Judith Ripka in 2014), said in a statement. “We believe that collaborations between brands, retailers, suppliers, and authentic creative sources is the future of our industry. It all begins with nature and works its way up through art, music, film, technology, automotive, aviation, architecture, fashion, and now social media. Bringing together or mashing up all of these creative disciplines is extremely exciting to all of us at Judith Ripka.”
Manferdini boasts a breadth of professional experience in architecture, art, design, and education, and in 2019 was honored with the LA Design Festival’s ICON Award, which honors women who have made a lasting mark on Los Angeles. She teaches at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), where she also serves as the graduate programs chair. Meanwhile, her eponymous atelier has completed projects across three continents, for such clients and creative partners as Lane Crawford, Sephora, Valentino, and Alessi.
D’Loren had a particular interest in tapping Manferdini to participate in the series. “As a graduate of Columbia University [Graduate] School of Architecture, I am passionate about architectural history and design,” he tells JCK. “I follow the industry and look for architects that are doing new and highly creative work. Elena is one of those architects that has gained notoriety for her creativity, especially in using her talent in other design disciplines.”
As for Manferdini’s thoughts on the line: “The Adoro collection reflects the firm’s architectural aesthetic, marrying geometrical patterns with organic movement to create unique ways of addressing the body,” she said in the official announcement. “Jewelry is a universal form of adornment and it has been a part of mankind since before history was written.”
Judith Ripka shared that its next collaboration will be with Amale Andraos, dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture. The collection’s launch date is still to be determined.
Top: Adoro earrings in enamel and 18k gold vermeil with diamonds, $750
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