“Playful jewellery” increasingly popular – Christel Trimborn
By Tom Wildhern
MUNICH, February 27, 2010 – “Playful jewellery” and the use of unusual combinations of materials, were among style trends identified by German jewellery and style journalist Christel Trimborn at inhorgenta europe 2010.
“What I really noticed is a trend to more playful jewellery that moves on the body,” Trimborn, who has given seminars on jewellery style trends at inhorgenta in previous years, as well as in Hong Kong and Poland, told Jewellery Outlook in an interview on the sidelines of inhorgenta europe 2010, which took place from February 19-22.
“There are many chains and rings that you can wear this way or that way, and the elements themselves move when you wear the jewellery,” said Trimborn, who is art and design editor at Germany’s GZ Magazine.
“You don’t just put it on, but while you are wearing it you can play with the jewellery.”
One designer used a magnet with her jewellery, Trimborn said.
“The designer had some interesting chains. She used magnets, so you could wear the chain this way or that way, or you can make a knot with it.”
MOOD OF AUSTERITY FADES
The mood of austerity, which has impacted on jewellery designs because of the global economic crisis, appears to be diminishing as the world stages a tentative recovery, Trimborn said.
“I think it’s (austerity) not a mega trend any more,” she said.
“Jewellery is more emotional again.”
Because of the soaring price of precious metal, designers were using less weight of gold in their creations and were turning more to silver and alternative materials such as corian, Trimborn said.
“High-end companies combine platinum and gold with cheaper materials, which is interesting, because it adds colour ,” she said.
“There are some very interesting ways to work precious material to make it very thin.”
Trimborn said steel was struggling in women’s jewellery because the metal is seen as cold and grey.
She said that she had seen a lot of black-and-white designs at inhorgenta europe 2010.
“I haven’t seen that much colour at the fair,” she said.
But she said the colours of blue and green had had an impact.
