Celebrity following for Kiwi designer gems
26 Jul 2010
A London-based New Zealand designer is making a name for herself as a ‘jeweller to the stars’.
Kiwi designer Jessica McCormack, who grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, has crafted jewellery for some of the world’s biggest celebrities - including pop stars Madonna and Rihanna, who wore a pair of McCormack’s diamond ‘Wing of Desire’ earrings in the music video for Live Your Life.
McCormack’s collections have also featured in high-profile UK publications, including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
"For me, making jewellery is about creating miniature sculptures. Each piece is the end result of my desire to turn what I perceive to be beautiful into a tiny piece of art," McCormack told Vogue UK.
Kiwi support
Jessica McCormack’s jewellery is now available in her native New Zealand, and Kiwis are getting behind their local designer by snapping up pieces such as the Rihanna-look-a-like wing-shaped diamond earrings, selling for a cool NZ$13,000.
Prices for McCormack’s unique designs start from $700 in New Zealand, and her collections are stocked at Auckland boutiques Simon James Design and The Department Store.
The Kiwi designer draws the inspiration for her ‘sculptural’ designs from urban landscapes around the world, including London and New York, and she uses only ethically-sourced diamonds.
The ‘Jewels of the Urban Night’ collection features rings shaped in the dramatic silhouette of the New York skyline, made with fancy-cut diamonds and mounted in 18k gold or silver.
McCormack is a self-taught artist. She credits her father, who owns an antiques and art dealership in Christchurch, with instilling in her a passion for the unusual and beautiful.
Overseas fame
Jessica McCormack is listed as one of the Top 50 most influential players in jewellery from around the globe by Vanity Fair magazine. In an interview with the publication, she cites her home country of New Zealand as one of her favourite travel destinations.
"It’s so far away from everything; it’s like being in a bubble in a parallel universe."
McCormack was also nominated for the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for accessories in the 2009 British Fashion Awards.
Harper’s Bazaar UK describes McCormack’s designs as "strong and meticulous, but never overpowering - as enduring and timeless as the symbols they represent, proving diamonds really are forever".
Spotlight on New Zealand
An Auckland jewellery-making family also came into the spotlight during the 2010 Oscars. Robinson Designer Goldsmith (RDG), based in Takapuna, was invited by Hollywood Award Suites to show their designs at a prestigious pre-Oscars event in LA.
Owner Ken Robinson says the event was a dream come true for him and his twin sons (and business partners) Michael and David.
"If you sat down and tried to write a plot you couldn’t write it any better. For a New Zealand designer to be exhibiting in the Beverly Hills Hotel at this event is beyond our wildest dreams."
RDG’s unusual one-off pieces, which feature diamond skulls with brightly coloured vines, flowers, snakes and birds created with platinum, gold and gems, caught the eye of founder of Hollywood Awards Suites, Anita Talbert.
Talbert says RDG has a huge following in LA and the jewellery house is applauded by fashion editors and artists for "colourful, fresh and very different" designs.
More information
NZ jewellers take Hollywood break
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