TATEOSSIAN: JEWELLERY WITH A HEART
THIS WINTER, HIGH-END JEWELER TATEOSSIAN WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST AND CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS FOR TWO VERY DIFFERENT EXCLUSIVE AND LIMITED EDITION LINES.
They’re usually relegated to the junk drawer, never to be worn again once the designated awareness day of the (insert charity name here) is over.
But now luxury jewellery house Tateossian, are collaborating with HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) to produce an exclusive limited edition bracelet to mark World AIDS Day that they hope will be worn beyond December 1.
The Italian leather and sterling silver unisex bracelet with a THT red enamel link is the brainchild of Tateossian CEO and jewellery designer Robert Tateossian, a THT supporter for many years, and the brand’s head of public relations Adrienne Cline.
“THT is an organization close to all our hearts at Tateossian. I like the idea of items that people will actually use and wear and take away and keep forever,” she said.
If the line is successful, Tateossian is hoping to collaborate with THT every season.
The bracelets will be sold exclusively in their four London stores and online in the lead-up to World AIDS Day, with 30 per cent of the proceeds going to THT.
“I’d definitely like to see more brands doing things like this,” Adrienne said.
It’s a busy time for Tateossian. They are also working also with Central Saint Martins (CSM) on a new ladies and men’s capsule collection designed by the college’s recent graduates.
Six students have been selected for this. Three will design the ladies range and three the men’s range.
Mentoring them is jewellery designer and CSM alumni Hannah Martin. They will be judged by Robert Tateossian, David Furnish, Vogue jewellery editor Carol Woolton, GQ editor Dylan Jones, The Sunday Times columnist AA Gill, Christie’s Advisory Board Chairman Pedro Girao and Tateossian’s Creative Director, Ariel Thompson.
The chosen designers will be announced on September 9, with the overall winner named on November 24. The successful pieces will be available exclusively in Tateossian stores from December.
“It’s a really interesting and really diverse way of finding new talent that aren’t already working in the industry,” said Adrienne.
“We could have done it with a few other colleges, but CSM was definitely top of my wish list.”
She said that she expected some really inspiring pieces, with some “really interesting plays on the fact that it’s our 20th anniversary.”
“There will be some very masculine pieces, some very innovative pieces, comprising of metals and stone,” she said.
“You can see some statement ladies pieces coming through. We’ve very excited.”
As with clothes, Adrienne said that more people wanted to own something different and post-recession customers were also buying “less rubbish”.
Topshop and Freedom were “for what they are too expensive”.
“It’s so high fashion and it’s so over the top that it’s not reciprocal,” Adrienne said.
“I think when you do something that’s got a bit of an edge, people know there just aren’t millions of, it’s kind of much more exciting and people are much more inclined to spend more.
“The aim with these students is to get them to design something absolutely fantastic and unique and different but to also think about who is going to be their customer – who’s going to wear that, how is it going to sit on someone’s neck, is it going to irritate them.”
“Is it something they can wear at the time or something they can wear now and again that’s for an evening dress, that is really special and really different?”
Tateossian has also recently launched this season’s ladies rare stone collection.
When the brand was established in 1990 it was only for men. But due to demand from clients all over the world, a ladies’ collection was launched eight years ago. However, the men’s collection is still so vast that they do 150 new additions each season to their cufflink range.
Their products now sell in Russia, China and South America, among other places, with famous fans including everyone from models Sophie Dahl and Eva Herzigova (both recently snapped wearing a white Scoubi Dou leather bracelet by the label), to former pop star Sinitta and The Emir of Kuwait.
Words Amy Fallon
