It is in keeping with our sets on seasonal necklace, earrings and brooch sets.
In the past we introduced the Tropical Leaves, Art Nouveau Maple Seed, Holly Leaves, Pumpkins collections. Check them out!
Now it's time for a new set!
Inspired by our garden and nature.
Anthony worked on an Ivy Necklace, Brooch and Earrings.
We are due to release these pieces on our website.
Subscribe to our email for early bird deals, preorders and offers.
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These prototypes of moths are a perfect preview of what's coming.
Anthony is experimenting with new techniques and materials.
Watch the VIDEO on our YouTube channel.
Once you are there please subscribe and hit the notification button for new videos notifictions!
3d printer filled with moth bodies
]]>Disclaimer: DO NOT TRY this at home. This is purely just my explanation of the process.
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Many of you who know me and the work I do for MissJ will know that everything I do is above and beyond the norm. I strive every day to push the boundaries of what is possible with my machines, my materials and my skill set in creating beautiful objects of desire.
I will start by explaining the why…
Whilst studying design I was always utterly fascinated by the skill of the craftspeople who made the pieces we so famously know today, think of the mavericks who created the Lalique brand or the Tiffany brand, these are giants in design history by any standard.
But there are just as well-known artists of the time including Georges Fouque, Henri Dubret and Paul and Henri Vever.
Each of these Artists showed a skillset which I can only hope to emulate now and in years to come.
Now of course they were using metals which certainly have a wider spectrum of malleability and workability especially when it comes to creating delicate details, it’s also a lot stronger and can be reduced in physical size to create that delicacy that we all see so much in art nouveau pieces.
This is the dilemma I encounter every day; how can I take a material that is flat and 3mm in thickness and turn it into something more than just a flat 2d object. I guess my mindset is always to recreate jewellery in the same way that a goldsmith or silversmith would, normally in the 3D sense.
The answer is heating the acrylic to bend and shape it but to also incorporate 3d printed components and aspects if and where possible.
In the early years MissJ did a lot of 3D printing, we just put it aside as I believe we were thinking so far ahead whilst our name was very little known that a lot of my design work was overlooked but we are revisiting a lot of that old creativity.
However here we are, and we thankfully have a growing audience and customer base that is very much appreciated that we can offer old and new techniques to create some incredible pieces of art.
I consider everything I do to be art, it’s not just about making products for sale, I want to create things that inspire and motivate me and would also hopefully bring years of joy to its owner whoever they may be.
In a nutshell there is no other genre of art movement that has me as awe inspired about skills and ability to make things like the art nouveau artists of the era.
Now the How….
In order to achieve a more 3-dimensional object of art I know that I can incorporate 3d printing and acrylic bending to achieve that, so what’s left to do is a matter of execution.
The first piece I embarked on making was the Femme Fatale’ brooch, to my mind it is the most delicate yet beautiful and amazingly satisfying piece to make.
Part of that satisfaction is the ease of which all that design work comes together to assemble easily and successfully making mass batch production pleasurable rather than a chore.
Remember I want to challenge myself at the concept and design/execution stage but when assembling many pieces, I can assure you that simple, easy and quick is what every maker wants. I also believe that this is what makes a good designer, a work of art should leave you wondering how it was possibly made yet not letting on just how easy it actually was in the end, notwithstanding the amount of work, engineering and clever design was involved in its creation.
The original piece that I saw and fell in love with was a Georges Fouque piece, it was a gorgeously small and delicate brooch that had the presence that every brooch dreams of having, the proportions were perfect, the size was perfect, the details were perfect. The colours were so subtle yet oozed into vividness that amazes the eye.
To me it was the epitome of what the movement meant. It was a female fairy nude with antennae and a body position akin to that of a sleeping beauty. She had the perfect form and shape, a body we all desire to have and the antennae were so pronounced and spectacular in shape and proportion that it overshadowed her lush flowing full head of hair.
Her arms stretched out either side as she opened herself up to reveal a stunning pair of wings, I could feel the vulnerability yet it was just a brooch, how could this be captured whilst still making me feel like she could strike out showing life at any moment, it was like she casts spells all the whilst convincing the onlooker she is delicate.
This is why I felt she needed to be called femme fatale’, she was seducing me into her web where I would be captured for eternity.
Onto my version and interpretation of this gorgeous piece of art.
I started by designing the nude fairy in blender and decided I really had to keep the antennae, I felt like it was crucial to capture that feminine yet mystical appeal to the piece, the rest was anatomical execution.
The wings were a lot simpler; I knew from the start that perspex’s platinum pearl was the perfect colour to use and backing it with our signature walnut wood finished it fantastically.
The detail on the wings were accomplished by using a soft cut whereby we peel then spray and afterwards a further application of peel and spray. In a future video I will go into detail on these techniques as well as showing people how I make the masked templates for the second layer of detail.
Lastly the pheasant green used to make the dots on the wings are high heat resistant enamel paints and it was the perfect colour choice to the platinum but also offers a hard-wearing long-life finish.
The final assembly was a 2-step process and couldn’t be easier, I peel the acrylic, clean and wipe and then simply glue the fairy onto the acrylic placing her centrally and that’s it.
It is then left for a full 24 hours at least to cure, dry and for the bloom to release into the air without hindering into the piece itself.
What’s left is to package it in our signature luxury presentation boxes with new foam inserts making sure it is presented well and is about as safe and secure whilst shipping can be.
END OF PART 1
Next week’s blog post….
I discuss the new mini Autumn/Spring Collection as well as Part 2 of our Art Nouveau Collection in-depth look on manufacturing and bending acrylic.
To get more info or to book you tickets click on link below :
https://www.ftmlondon.org/ftm-whats-on/festive-shopping-soiree-2/
The Museum is hosting a very special shopping soirée this December.
Complete with a glass of fizz and festive nibbles, we will be showcasing the Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous exhibition inspired products available in the museum shop.
Style yourself fabulous or surprise someone special for Christmas with a scarf from our Zandra Rhodes scarves sample sale. Zandra’s iconic scarf designs will make any outfit pop and are a must have for the holiday season! If your heart beats faster for extravagant jewellery, Miss J will be showing you how they make their beautiful acrylic statement pieces, designed and handcrafted in the UK. This event is the perfect opportunity to purchase unique, handcrafted and individual pieces direct from the experts – ideal as thoughtful gifts!
Book now and get your Christmas shopping wrapped up early!
Pick up a one of a kind sample or second in the Zandra Rhodes scarf sample sale.
Miss J will be on hand to advise you how their statement jewellery pieces can transform any outfit into a head-turner!
Illustrator George Thompson, who produced an exclusive range of cards inspired by Zandra Rhodes for the exhibition, will be showing off his skills and talking about his creative process.
More guests to be announced soon!
This event begins at 5:15pm and finishes at 8pm. Last entry at 7.15pm.
Tickets include entry to Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous, a glass of fizz and a selection of light nibbles. Additional fizz will be available to purchase on the evening.
Book Online
Tickets: £9.90 adults* / £8.80 concessions* / £7 students
*Includes 10% Gift Aid
I will be at the Museum from around 4pm until late!
Hope to see you all there!
Olga x
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We first met at the Top Drawer last year. We were working with the museum on the Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs where we supplied pieces from the Art Deco Collection.
This year's collaboration involves the celebration of fifty years of the Zandra Rhodes!
The Textile Museum presents Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous. This retrospective will highlight more than 50 key looks, as well as 30 original textiles. This comprehensive exhibition will explore five decades of the distinguished career of a British design legend.
In 2007 Zandra designed Aida for the Houston Grand Opera, her third opera, and her colorful designer’s eye referenced her own Egyptian-style collection from 1986. It felt fitting for MissJ's Egytian Collection which was released early this year, to become part of the FTML gift shop collection along the exhibition.
Below pictures of MissJ's jewellery at the Gift Shop.
The Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous exhibition runs until the 26th of January 2020. Don't miss your chance to get to see this stunning exhibition!
Thank you staff at Fashion and Textile Museum for working with us and your support.
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below is list of blogs and publications we were featured in:
https://mymodernmet.com/contemporary-art-gifts/
https://bambinogoodies.co.uk/10-best-christmas-decorations/
https://anindependentwill.wordpress.com/2017/06/20/jewellery-brand-of-the-month-miss-j-designs/
We love Renata's blog! :
http://renatalaurarf.blogspot.com/2019/02/a-romantic-uvita.html
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A couple of weeks ago I met with the fabulous Ruby (insta @rubys_rags_n_riches )
We met IRL for the very first time but we followed each other's insta profiles for a while. We both share similar passions- Ruby is a Dr. Martens shoes aficionado! I too am a big fan of doc martins, currently the proud owner of a modest collection (white model of Siano- and I quote 'Inspired by an antique 1950s photograph of Dr. Klaus Martens fitting a women’s shoe, the one eyelet Siano shoe is a feminine style lace up with polished smooth off-white leather, minimal lace detailing and the Dr. Marten's air-cushioned sole for comfort and durability.' and the classic 1461 black 3 eyelets.
It blows my mind to think how large Ruby's collection must be. To see the Doc martin shoe heaven check out her profile on insta!
Her unique style is instantly recognisable.
We met at the lovely and quaint Stranger Cafe in Norwich. She was rocking her Docs sandals, pink-purple hair and fan Tatty Devine jewellery.
At that point, we both confessed to a mutual love to a recently discovered brand (sadly no longer in existence) The White Pepper Clothing Company. I picked up a couple of dresses and jumpers from an ebay outlet.
We spoke about the Norwich creative scene, the design community and life in general. I told Ruby about MissJ's humble beginnings and how it all started in our spare bedroom in an East London flat. We also spoke about where MissJ is headed into the future.
Our mutual love for acrylic jewellery and the Norfolk community lead to an excessive brainstorming session. Over a cup of hot coffee we discussed the idea of running jewellery workshops in the Fine City of Norwich.
I still need to finalise the workshops but if you are interested in such an event in Norwich, please drop me a line. *
Ruby has recently been posting our jewellery on social media and will be holding a competition give away very soon so follow her for a chance to win a gorgeous mini mime brooch.
Also, we have also created a 20% discount to her followers on social media so do check her profile for more information on how to take advantage of the discounts..
We’ll of course be posting away on our social media about the Giveaway, hopefully to bring our followers closer together.
I hope you enjoyed this very first (here anyway) blog entry.
My aim is to bring MissJ closer to your hearts and homes. To become more real, to build a connection with our followers and customers but also to become a part of our immediate community.
I will do my best to post on a regular basis. I will also work with other brands and Instagram & facebook friends.
If you fancy meeting up with me, talk about jewellery, collaborations, new ideas, bespoke projects, becoming an influencer or just .... for a random chat about ginger cats- I am your GAL!
I will keep you updated on the workshops and open studios ideas. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter!
Ruby- thank you for a fantastic afternoon and for allowing me to blog about our meeting and for lots more. Hope to see you soon! x
Lots of Love
Olga
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