'Jewels of Fantasy': Costume jewelry of the 20th Century

By Rita A. Widiadana

In conjunction with its centennial celebration, the Austrian- based Swarovski crystal company has organized the first ever comprehensive exhibition tracing the evolution of 20th century European and American costume jewelry. Starting with art nouveau and its swirling, dreamy motifs, it then reviews the geometry of art deco and graphic patterns of Wiener Wekstte, moves through the stylish French designs between the 1930s and l960s, and ends with the wit and whimsy of some of America's greatest jewelry artisans. The exhibition is on show at the Takashimaya Gallery in Singapore until June 24.

SINGAPORE (JP): Women have pursued the art of adornment for centuries, and the beautiful jewels they have worn tell us as much about society as they tell us about the people who designed and fashioned them.

Among the adornments are costume jewelry. These pieces are meant to be worn seven days a week, not stowed away for special occasions as is customary for fine jewelry. Costume jewelry is meant to attract attention, to be fun, to add glamour and to be worn by any woman.

Ludwig Redl, Swarovski Director of Cultural Affairs, pointed out that the exhibition, "Jewels of Fantasy", is aimed at providing the public with a comprehensive overview of the 20th century and to lay the foundations for a more scientific and scholarly examination of costume jewelry.

"Research and documentation efforts for this subject have been very little. More thorough study is needed to uncover the history of costume jewelry in every period worldwide," Redl said.

Redl, also the curator of the exhibition, explained that the definition of the costume jewelry isn't fixed. "It is based on our comprehensive research and study on such jewelry in each period. We have tried to understand and to evaluate items chosen from the point of view of the designers," he pointed out.

According to Swarovski's jewelry experts and scholars, costume jewelry is personal jewelry and accessories created with a vast range of non-precious or semi-precious materials. It was originally meant to be mass produced and therefore quite inexpensive. Costume jewelry was made to complement dresses, outfits and its only value was decoration. It also goes out of fashion quickly.

"In the opening of years of the century, both for reasons of security and economy, costume jewelry was merely a security measure to protect the real thing via a paste copy. By 1920s, however, famous artists and couturiers such as Chanel and Poiret drew the attention of elegant and rich women to the allure of this kind of jewelry," Redl maintained.

The exhibition presents 400 marvelous items -- necklaces, brooches, bracelets, head ornaments and men's jewelry -- produced and designed by famous artists and couturiers such as Piel Freres, Josef Hoffman, Rene Lalique, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe, Trifari, Emanuelle Ungaro, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.

"We need to include jewelry produced by other companies to represent the historical framework for the production of costume jewelry in the countries examined -- England, France, Italy, Czech and Slovakia, Austria, Germany and the United States," Redl commented.

The Jewel of Fantasy exhibition has been shown in museums in Milan, Zurich, London, Prague, Amsterdam, Cologne, New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Dubai and now in Singapore. It will continue its world tour in Sydney and Tokyo.

The Singapore's exhibition is divided into seven sections, each representing a period of production.

Art Nouveau

At the turn of the century, many artists and designers revitalized and unified the applied arts by returning to the study of nature. This movement came to be known as Art nouveau. Popular art jewels, often inspired by nature -- flowers, tendrils, insects and fish -- were produced in humble material at an affordable cost. Mass manufacturing centers flourished in Germany, Bohemia (now Czech and Slovakia) and the United States, flooding the market with inexpensive, well-designed jewelry in modern taste.

In England, Liberty & Company sold art jewels based on arts and craft designs. Improvements in technology, such as the mechanical faceting of crystal stones, made it possible to manufacture jewelry on a scale never before imagined. Diamond and platinum jewelry in traditional patterns were being copied in silver with crystal glass.

Art nouveau was primarily an obsession of the French and the style was at its purest in France. The major principles of art nouveau shifted the emphasis away from intrinsic value to modern design and artistry. Its main characteristics includes meandering, sinuous lines, melancholy, world-weary plant motifs and a writhing semi-clothed female figures.

Replacing the imitative naturalism of the mid-nineteenth century, art nouveau designs centered on a poetic interpretation of nature. Images from the natural world were used as inspiration, not as representational models. Jewelers and designers took to highly allusive floral images. But the theme of the female and of a woman's face remains the strongest and most evocative image in popular art nouveau jewelry.

In the United States, silver manufacturers like Unger Brothers and William Kerr supplied an ever-growing market with affordable silver jewelry. Technology and design and the marketplace all played a role in establishing an international costume jewelry industry.

In Austria and Germany, costume jewelry was styled to create simplified shape. Designers stressed simple forms and contrasting colors, experimenting with unusual techniques and materials.

Art nouvea was the nucleus of popular culture of the day, the same way pop music was in the l960s. It is significant that jewelry, the symbol of the femininity of the age, was such a powerful vehicle for art nouveau design. Art nouveau also reflected changes in women's role in society and their own attitude toward femininity. Jewels were no longer necessarily symbols of financial success, nor were women regarded as shop windows for their husbands's prosperity.

Exhibited jewelry from the art nouveau period include a dragonfly, reeds and flower belt buckle designed by Piel Freres in Paris (l900). Another enchanting Freres' piece is a Melisande buckle made of silver and partial gold plate. This buckle depicts in superb detail the legend of Melisande, showing the heroine surrounded by water lilies and holding a wedding ring. It was inspired by Debussy's opera Pelleas et Melisande which opened in Paris in l902. A Mistletoe buckle designed by Jablonec nad Nisou (Germany) is another important theme in art nouveau jewelry design.

Roaring Twenties

Paris emerged again as the temple of universal luxury after World War I. Women of the Roaring Twenties were daring and independent; short haircuts, slender bodies, and exposed arms were accentuated by rows of colorful bracelets, dangling earrings and long necklaces.

Jewelry of the 1920s and l930s perfectly represented by the art deco style which combined traditional opulence and exotic shapes and colors. Costume jewelry often depend on strong contrasts in color with glass stones that imitated emeralds, rubies and diamonds. New materials such as plastics, provided exciting opportunities for experimentation and innovation.

During the depression of the l930s, fashion and jewelry design became less exuberant and more classic in design. Costume jewelry depended on stark abstraction and a limited range of colors, and its appearance became more austere and monochromatic.

Exhibited works from this period include a Cartier bracelet (l928) with an Indian influence, and a Lotus necklace by Rene Lalique (l928).

Luxury

American designers and manufacturers of costume jewelry achieved international acclaim from the l930s onward as costume jewelry became one of the most important branches of American fashion. Movie stars of Hollywood inspired fashion around the world. Costume jewelry manufacturers translated the eye-catching brooches and bracelets worn by celebrities into affordable luxuries, providing an escape from the harsh realities of the Depression era.

Hollywood movies were the best vehicles for promoting "American made" fashion, including costume jewelry. Dresses and accessories inspired by Hollywood had the same magic as those labeled "Made in Paris".

The desire to emulate the movie stars became a fundamental element of the American lifestyle of the l930s, 1940s and 1950s, explaining the success of costume and jewelry and fashion jewelry.

In the 1940s, American costume jewelry developed a style of its own, breaking from European influence. The effect of World War II, which brought shortages in raw materials, were felt in many areas of fashion design. Because its use was not restricted, as was the case with other metals, sterling silver became the material of choice for jewelry manufacturers.

This period is represented by series of couturiers' collection such as a Monet bracelet (l938) and a necklace by Alfred Philippe for Trifari (l930). The necklace shows the popularity of the revival of the 19th Century design throughout the l930s. The stones are cut in the style of old diamonds.

Fashion

In the l920s, the legendary Coco Chanel made costume jewelry an integral part of her refined and uncluttered fashions. Despising fine jewelry, Chanel elevated the fake and the extravagant to an art, drawing inspiration from ancient Egypt, Byzantine art, and antique European jewels. From that date forward, famous couturiers such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix have relied on costume jewelry to complement and highlight their latest creations.

Today, fashion and fantasy jewelry, or bijoux de couture, is created for every seasonal collection and often has a deliberately fake look. Dramatic and the theatrical, the designs complement the style, color and cut of the dress. Bijoux de couture are often handmade as exclusive productions for fashion houses. Although identified with the couturiers, fashion jewelry is the creation of designers of high fashion, and their designs often inspire popular costume jewelry worldwide.

Works of this period include a metal necklace with simulated glass rubies in the shape of spheres by Chanel. Other enchanting items are earrings and a pendant in the shape of the sun by Lina Barettin for Elsa Schiaparelli (l953), a triple heart necklace by Maison Gripoix for Jacques Fait in France (l950).

Tradition

Costume jewelry emerged as one of the strongest expressions of original design in Italy during WW II. Forced isolation, availability of inexpensive material, and a growing self- confidence led Italian designers to break away from the French design that had dominated until then.

During the l940s, costume jewelry made in Italian artisans' workshops attracted the attention of French couturiers. At the same time, America began to notice Italian design.

In the l950s, tastes in costume jewelry reverted to the conservative and traditional. Instead of continuing with their innovating and exciting path, designers once again began to imitate French style.

It was only in the l960s that Italian costume jewelry finally got its own distinctive style, acquiring international appeal. Designer Nino Lembo produced costume jewelry for movies such as the jewels for Ava Gardner in The Bible and the jewels for Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra.

Italy produced remarkable costume jewelry such as a necklace in the shape of a serpent by Bijoux Bozart for Tita Rosi (l969)., a plastic and crystal necklace by Coppola e Toppo (l964).

The New Age

The l960s was a time of turbulent social and political change, which brought about a revolution in taste and style. Plastics, metal discs and space-age accessories where championed by Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin in Paris, and Mary Quant in London.

The exhibited items in this category include the Elizabeth Taylor-style necklace designed by Matthew Mazer for Joseph Mazer, USA. The necklace consisted of rhodium-plated metal, Swarosky's crystal stones and molded imitation of jade glass. Another exciting piece is the Jackie O-style necklace designed by Kenneth Jay Lane, USA (l970). This necklace was made in various colors and imitation stones such as tiger's eyes, gold-plated metal, Swarovski crystal stones at the request of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.