It can take a lifetime to find your style, but at the tender age of 26 I think J. Louis has already got it.
The expressive faces of his peaceful feminine figures are married beautifully with abstract blocks of raw colour, and when I first came across his work my thoughts turned immediately to Van Cleef & Arpels’ Between the Finger ring and earrings.

I love that the emblem of the butterfly in flight continues to provide design inspiration for the maison’s stunning additions to its spring 2019 collection. And I also love how the deep blue of lapis lazuli contrasts with the warmth of yellow gold and the glitter of diamonds in these pieces: iconic Van Cleef & Arpels asymmetry inspired by nature.

@thejlouis @vancleefarpels

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The collection was inspired by Furmanovich’s encounters with artisans of the Amazon, where she was introduced to their innovative and environmentally conscious approaches to the decorative arts. Marquetry, the classical furniture inlay decoration technique, is brought to an entirely new level with this collection, which leverages all-nautral dyeing techniques and renewable woods to create individual jewelry pieces that are light, wearable, and detailed beyond belief.

These native woods are reclaimed from the forest floor, not cut from living specimens. The incredible colors and textures can be traced back to artisans’ deep knowledge of the environment, a knowledge that can be obtained only from generations of time spent living in what most of us would consider an “untamed” environment, observing the effect of natural phenomena on wood. For example, some colors in the collection naturally occur when wood is submerged in water for a prolonged period.

“Pairing the tones and textures of indigenous salvaged wood with rare and precious gems, gold and diamonds creates a beautiful effect,” she says. “I love the mixture of materials. I don’t have a prejudice against using common materials like seashells or pieces of wood with gold and diamonds. I want to make something that matches what I’m looking for; it doesn’t have to be ‘precious’. Mixing precious with common is beautiful.”

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KARL LAGERFELD QUOTES:

WOMEN:

“The woman is the most perfect doll that i have dressed with delight and admiration.”

“The only love that I really believe in is a mother’s love for her children.”

FASHION:

“Never use the word “cheap”. Today everybody can look chic in inexpensive clothes (the rich buy them too). There is good clothing design on every level today. You can be the chicest thing in the world in a T-shirt and jeans — it’s up to you.”

“One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress.”

“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.”

“Fashion is a language that creates itself in clothes to interpret reality.”

“I am a fashion person, and fashion is not only about clothes — it’s about all kinds of change”

“I want everyone to wear what they want and mix it in their own way. That, to me, is what is modern.”

“A respectable appearance is sufficient to make people more interested in your soul”

WORK:

“Don’t sacrifice yourself too much, because if you sacrifice too much there’s nothing else you can give and nobody will care for you “

“People who do a job that claims to be creative have to be alone to recharge their batteries. You can’t live 24 hours a day in the spotlight and remain creative. For people like me, solitude is a victory.”

“Clear thinking at the wrong moment can stifle creativity.”

WORLD/ PEOPLE:

“We live in a dark and romantic and quite tragic world.”

“Dieting is the only game where you win when you lose!”

“Don’t look to the approval of others for your mental stability”

“What i like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”

“People who say that yesterday was better than today are ultimately devaluing their own existence.”

“When people talk about the good old days, I say to people, ‘It’s not the days that are old, it’s you that’s old.’ I hate the good old days. What is important is that today is good.”

“Music gives color to the air of the moment.”

ABOUT KARL:

“I’m very much down to earth, just not this earth.”

“Books are a hard-bound drug with no danger of an overdose. I am the happy victim of books.”

“I love classic beauty. It’s an idea of beauty with no standard.”

“I like to reinvent myself — it’s part of my job.”

“Normally, I don’t recommend me for wedding dresses – they all get a divorce.”

“I will not talk about that. I like to read biographies, history, philosophical things like this. But it’s for my private use, and not for making people say, Oh, how clever this stupid man is. I don’t make intellectual conversation. I’m very superficial. I’m just a fashion designer. Fashion designers look at fashion magazines, right?”

“Why should I stop working? If I do, I’ll die and it’ll all be finished. ‘m lucky to work in the most perfect of conditions. I can do what I want in all kinds of areas. The expenses are not expenses. I would be stupid to stop that. Work is making a living out of being bored.”

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