The Jewelry and Accessory Trunk Show at Gallery 5

A Refreshing Take on Jewelry

By Sidney Shuman
QuailBellMagazine.com

The Jewelry and Accessory Trunk Show at Gallery 5 for Richmond, Virginia's Fashion Week offered a variety of crafty and innovative accessories presented by local dealers. Many different materials, from animal bones to coral, were presented in the jewelry and added a unique play on every day jewelry selection.

On the subject of inspiration, each designer had a different approach to how they present their prospective on jewelry and the materials used. “I am very inspired by the 1940s and old Hollywood” says jewelry designer Cynthia Bouvier for Bouvier Jewelry. She uses quality gem stones and pearls in her statement jewelry. Companies such as Half Past Noon and Silver Lining Décor use vintage and antique pieces in their jewelry to show a re-purposeful view in the accessories world. “I love to make jewelry composed of antiques because every piece is unique, no matter how many people make it” says Didi Chisholm, owner of Half Past Noon.

Futuristic merchants included Urban Revisions and Rare Bird. These companies are very different; Urban Revisions uses glass to create a futuristic vibe while Rare Bird uses sleek, flat metals and minimalistic shapes to show their fresh prospective. Wild Child Dzigns showed an African-culturally inspired flair in their jewelry, even using the shape of the continent in some of their bracelets. Other companies used more organic and natural materials to show their take on the industry. Academy Jewelry, which was recently picked up by Anthropologie, uses hand painted coral as their organic statement piece. “I just found some coral one day and thought it would be a good idea to put it on jewelry,” says Rachel Albright from Academy Jewelry. The most shocking organic pieces came from Extollo Jewelry who made their accessories from animal bones. A necklace made of cat vertebrae easily captured the attention of anyone passing by. Such a diverse selection truly shows the spirit and ingenuity of our local dealer.

As the merchants were speaking of their products, they never indicated a specific seasonal change in their work. They are dedicated to their specific niche of inspiration, their vision, and what they want to wow customers with. “I put many different seasonal pieces on display because someone may be looking for that one-of-a-kind necklace to go with their winter wear even now, and I would not want them to miss it,” says Didi Chisholm of Half Past Noon. The craft being more important than the season was a new, refreshing statement to hear from vendors and exemplified their passion for their creative talent.

Getting involved in Richmond Fashion Week’s events and seeing jewelry from local merchants in the area is a great way to network with other crasftsmen and find your new favorite necklace! The materials used, inspirations shared, and passion expressed by these local companies at The Jewelry and Accessory Trunk Show made for another amazing year added onto Richmond Fashion Week’s budding legacy and showed no sign of this city’s fashion industry slowing down.

**Check out earlier posted pictures of the event here.

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