The next step of the creator’s design philosophy is more than obvious in the handcrafted Katerina Vassou F/W ’21-‘22 jewellery collection. The new designs are the outcome of an extremely interesting creative process, during which Katerina has experimented on new techniques, has dared to use popular semiprecious stones in alternative, unexpected ways, has added more and bolder colours – letting her mood guide her into dynamic, even gothic creative paths.
Thus, she has delivered a collection that accurately represents her evolution as a jewellery designer, as well as a “wintery”, unapologetically dark mood, properly paired with this season.
When browsing through the pieces of the collection, one gets captivated firstly by their clean, dynamic geometry, their linear forms, and the way in which the primary rectangular shape acts as the foundation on which an impressive piece of jewellery is created. And then, when it comes to designs where materials other than metal are also used, the concept gets boldly enriched.
The most distinctive example is probably offered by the choice of a process most commonly used for treating semiprecious stones when creating classic pieces of jewellery. Katerina has applied it on her large linear designs and, when you come across the results, you cannot help but admit this was an ingenious move: stones such as turquoise and apatite get covered with a transparent semiprecious stone, resulting in an impressive 3D effect that reminds you of a mineral. Also, her idea to use stones
such as tourmaline in chunky pieces, rather than in the usual petite designs, has produced statement pieces with an alternatively chic allure.
Of course, one should not forget to refer to the presence of the vivid red colour, a daring new feature, which enriches the avant-garde gothic character of the collection: the juxtaposition of black and red is actually the new favourite colour contrast, which promises to add some extra appeal and the proper pinch of colour to the winter outfits.
Of course, the basic material which Katerina Vassou jewellery is handcrafted with, is still brass, which continues to prove its worth not only by its attributes as a metal, the ones that constitute it the ideal raw material for Katerina to realize her inspiration, but also by the fact that it is a metal that meets the sustainability values – since the methods that are used to create and recycle it leave a very low carbon footprint, even compared with aluminium and steel. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, thus bearing the basic qualities of both of those metals, which explains why it is so easy to mold and use in order to create jewellery. However, it is not created by originally combining those two – a wasteful and expensive procedure – but through recycling, for it can be melted down and get recycled over and over again, without losing its qualities. It is a material created in accordance with the principles of circular economy, which is of the highest importance in the era of the environmental crisis.
The potentials of brass, as far as jewellery design is concerned, one can also admire on those pieces of the new collection, which use it as the sole material, elevated through gold and silver plating.
One thing is for sure, though. Whether through pieces of jewellery that feature semiprecious stones and interesting materials, or through designs that highlight the simplicity of one kind of material, the new collection carries original inspiration, a charming dark-y winter mood, endless creativity and impeccable style.
