J'ATON

Having recently become engaged my world has become engulfed in wedding planning. Whilst on my mission to find my perfect gown I came upon the amazing designer duo, J'Aton. Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino started J'aton Couture in 1995. The Prahran based couturiers are known for their elaborately hand-beaded and meticulously hand-sewn gowns. A J'Aton gown is made in the tradition of a European couture house where they drape, cut and pin their gowns to the body and then sew, by hand, every seam, dart and tiny bead. The European sensibility of J'Aton is born from their Italian heritage, "we love lace, we love detailing, we love embroidery and beads." These images capture the pure elegance and femininity of a J'Aton masterpiece. I am inspired and in love!

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THE HOLLYWOOD CAKE

Ron Ben-Israel is an executive chef based in New York City. I admire the exquisite works of this master confectioner. Ron is known for his wedding and special occasion cakes and for his detail in sugar paste flowers. His artistry has become legendary and The New York Times has proclaimed him “the Manolo Blahnik of wedding cakes”.

The work of Ron Ben-Israel for the film Sex and the City 2 is delightfully decadent. Ron created a lavish wedding cake laden with glamorous crystals. The 5 tier design took a staff of 9 people and 50 hours to put together. The cake stood at 6 feet 4 inches tall featuring a custom design cake stand made out of acrylic. Approximately 4,100 Swarovski crystals were used, mainly using chandelier elements. The cake served 485 guests and had a retail cost of $32,000. Wow!

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DIGITAL CRYSTAL

The London Design museum has teamed with my favourite brand, Swarovski for a new exhibition. The show is a collaboration of light, crystals and digital technology featuring exciting new talents such as Ron Arad, Yves Behar, Maarten Baas and Paul Cocksedge. They explore the relationships between the digital age and intangible things and the idea of establishing new connections within this ever changing dynamic.

‘Swarovski at the Design Museum explores the meaning of memory in the digital age, with the demise of the analogue era our relationship and connection with personal memory, photographs, diaries, letters, time and ephemera is changing.’

-DEYAN SUDJIC, DIRECTOR OF THE DESIGN MUSEUM

The artists experiment with LEDs, laser lights, mirrors, light painting, intangible holograms and off course Swarovski crystals within the works. Yves Béhar’s Amplify Chandelier, (above) commissioned in 2010, takes a single crystal amplified within a paper lantern to create a digital pattern, a repeated form, each one different from the next.

The exhibition, "Digital Crystal" opens today, 5 September until 13 January.

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SWAROVSKI AUSTRIA

Some gorgeous imagery of installations from the headquarters of Swarovski. Located in the heart of the Austrian capital on Kaerntner Strasse 24, Swarovski Wien invites visitors into a sparkling, creative world of amazement and shopping. An innovative and multifaceted Swarovski dream world captivates visitors, offering them works of art created by internationally renowned artists alongside magically scintillating product presentations over three storeys.

{images: swarovski austria, press gallery}

HOLLYWOOD AND SWAROVSKI

I enjoyed learning of the involvement of Swarovski within the set and costume design of the film Black Swan. To see the Swarovski product used in this manner highlights it's extraordinary beauty and versatility within creative media. The production designer for Black Swan, Therese DePrez talks of how Swarovski elements elevated the set, "much like the movement in ballet, the crystals give kicks and glint no matter what direction you see them in."

"From the early days of Hollywood, Swarovski has worked hand in hand with costume and set designers, creating show-stopping jewels, costumes and sets which capture the spotlight. The company’s reputation for the highest quality and largest variety of the finest cut crystal is unchallenged on and off the silver screen, adorning sets and stars in classics such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Wizard of Oz, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and more recently The Young Victoria, NINE, and The Black Swan."

-SWAROVSKI UK PRESS RELEASE 2010

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BURLESQUE, SWAROVSKI, THE COSTUMES

I recently viewed the 2010 film, Burlesque, featuring the powerhouse Christina Aguilera. Thought to share an insight into the costuming of this musical. Swarovski crystals feature heavily in my current collections and they are a feature of my works. I was inspired to learn that costume designer Michael Kaplan incorporated 250,000 Swarovski crystals into the costumes for Burlesque. He also worked with an eclectic range of materials including feathers, leather, pearls and gold coins.

Aguilera wore an array of detailed costumes including a bikini made mostly of pearls, a Madonna style conical bustier studded with dazzling crystals. In the film's finale, Aquilera wears a short gold costume hand-made with gold coins and crystals.

The set design for Burlesque also heavily featured Swarovski elements to evoke a sense of glamour. The burlesque club’s curtains were made up of 80,000 crystals weighing 1.3 tonnes.

Nadja Swarovski, VP International Communications and Creative Director of Swarovski is quoted as saying, “Swarovski is thrilled to have been incorporated into the creative vision of Burlesque and to have had the opportunity to work alongside costume designer Michael Kaplan. The sparkling costumes are showcased against a shimmering backdrop of crystal curtains which perfectly encapsulate the glitz and glamour of Hollywood Burlesque!”

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