Great Gatsby and Great Depression, austere War times and careless baby boomers generation. Welcome to the world of of bijoux or costume jewellery !
We all know only too well that jewellery encrusted with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds costing millions apiece tends to moulder away in strong rooms, deposit boxes and various other safe places, either waiting to be put up for auction or for an executor to dispose of the estate. Only a little of it is lucky enough to see the light of day for longer than when it was on the jeweller’s workbench.
The idea of costume jewellery appeared in the 20th century. It was out of the question to manufacture jewellery from precious stones and metals twice a year for every new collection because of the eye-watering cost. Fashion houses weren’t ready to take risks like that or for that sort of expenditure. On top of that, for the exact same reasons jewellers tried not to experiment with design and produced things that they were certain would sell. That didn’t suit fashion designers, who were keen that every new garment should take your breath away. The exception was items produced for private family collections. Non-precious materials came to their aid. Initially faux jewellery was made in the form of mock-ups exclusively for closed shows intended to bring out or complement some outfit or another. The client had the opportunity of commissioning from the jeweller whatever had taken her fancy, to be made in accordance with the mock-up, only this time from precious materials. Soon both designers and clients realised that the mock-ups weren’t at all bad in their own right and the materials and stones that were used were simpler and easier to work, which allowed for new heights of design to be scaled.
Jewellery from non-precious materials made a bashful entrance to fashion at the beginning of the 20th century, along with the new wave of designers who followed in the wake of the fathers of haute couture, Worth and Doucet, and by the 1920s it had firmly established itself in the fashion pantheon thanks to celebrated couturiers of the day.
After that there followed a period of oblivion since for two decades Europe was immersed in a far from peaceful time of wars and revolutions. Women’s clothing of that era did its best to look like men’s and representatives of the fair sex were preoccupied by matters of social equality to such an extent that they forgot who a girl’s best friends are. Then in the late 1940s Christian Dior reawakened the interest in costume jewellery, which had fallen sound asleep, with a passionate kiss from the New Look. The market for costume jewellery reached its height in the 1950s-70s when it became an indispensable part of any fashionable look. Things had taken a different turn by the time the 1980s came around, although that decade also left its mark for all the right reasons.
Throughout the 20th century a huge number of people, both talented and less so, have longed desperately to inscribe their name and as indelibly as possible on the wall of honour of costume jewellery. But in my view there are three names that will always stand out – Robert Goossens,Gripoix and Jacques Gautier.
Up until the 1980s, nearly 60 percent of all costume jewellery was made by these top designers, from the sketch designs right through to the finished product. For several decades YSL, Chanel, Dior and a host of other top fashion houses worked with them. Most of the items that this trio produced are to be found in private collections and are true designer pieces by a designer with a capital ‘d’. Many of them were produced to a limited run of no more than 10.
The veteran of this Stakhanovite drive in costume jewellery was the maison YSL, but that takes nothing away even from those products of theirs, which had the longest run.
In order to work out which items to buy and what’s hot property the first thing you need to do is to get a proper sense of what has got you interested in faux jewellery in the first place. If you just want to keep pace with a trend, plain and simple, although in a way that’s anything but, to draw gazes of burning envy and to be able to elicit the odd question like “Where did you get that?” or “What’s the brand?” then buy something from the 1980s or early 90s – large stud earrings by Gripoix, say; geometrically patterned fashion jewellery by YSL made of plastic, metal or non-precious stones; crosses or long ropes from Chanel by Goossens of brass and drops of coloured crystal. If you want to delve more deeply, then look for the work of less well known producers. Although it’s not easy, it’s worth making the effort to track down the designer costume jewellery produced independently by Isabel Canovas,who used to work for Dior.
Her work – executed in a thoroughly ethnic style using warm metallic tones and semi-precious stones – is for card-carrying connoisseurs of costume jewellery. If it’s for your own wardrobe, then don’t be shy about buying unsigned pieces – they often yield nothing in design and may be one-off items by famous producers.
Opportunities to buy costume jewellery at auctions such as Auction Atrium, for example, don’t come up that all that often and the ultimate cost will be fairly high. You’re better off looking out for closed sales where private collections are being sold off cheap and you can pick up real masterpieces for a very nice price. If you have the time, it’s worth setting aside a few days or even weeks for poking around antiques markets. At the better known ones such as Saint Germain-des-Prés in Paris and Portobello Road in London you’ll pay more, but at the less famous ones on the outskirts of Brussels and Lille the prices can be pleasantly surprising. Get talking to your fellow browsers and you might get an invitation to one of those very same closed sales of private collections. If all this has engendered a desire to set up a business or invest money – as opposed to just seeking aesthetic enjoyment – then buy Art Deco jewellery from the 1920s and 30s such as Lanvin or else 1940s or Art Nouveau or Liberty jewelery.
Buy jewellery made from large crystals, of complex natural and mineral hues. A scattering of rhinestones arranged with superb artistry may sometimes weary, but will never fall in value. Check that the item has the manufacturer’s stamp, is signed on the underside or has a certificate of authenticity. If you’ve decided to cast caution to the wind, then try your luck buying costume jewellery on Ebay: it can often work out substantially cheaper, but remember – there are no safeguards against counterfeits or defects. Making a purchase on Ebay is like internet dating: it’s quite possible that things won’t go any further than the initial approach, you don’t have any opportunity to make a close inspection, you need to prepare yourself for possible disappointment and you have no recourse if something goes wrong. Then again, it’s entirely possible for every one in five purchases to be ideal. Basically it’s a lottery. If, in spite of everything, you’ve decided to go with internet shopping, then try www.beladora.com, an on-line dealer in antique and estate jewellery, as there are more guarantees to be had here. And if you do, then I advise you to be in Beverly Hills where the head office of the firm is located on the day when the sale goes through as it will make it a lot easier to return anything or to exchange the goods if that proves to be necessary.
In Russia and the USSR there was no culture of costume jewellery as such and so for the moment there are few people with a proper appreciation of the magic of this art form and, more importantly, the ability to use it for peaceful ends. Both in their own country and abroad, Russian clients are as taken aback as they always used to be and turn up their noses when they hear that something is made of materials somewhat different from the more familiar gold, platinum, rubies and diamonds. Few of them realise that rare pieces of costume jewellery can cost more than normal fine jewellery. So you have every chance of becoming a highly fashionable aesthete and connoisseur, who doesn’t just follow trends but sets them. One piece of advice: try not to wear vintage faux jewellery with vintage clothing if you find it difficult to know when to stop, as otherwise there’s a high likelihood that you’ll end up looking decked out like a Christmas tree. Play it for contrasts. Then again, there’s an exception to every rule.
In South Korea there are 16 public holidays scattered throughout the calendar year but everyone has just one week’s entitlement of annual leave. The per capita income of the population of Korea has recently started to overtake that of Japan. Koreans don’t get to call a place their own until around the time they retire – in Seoul property is even more expensive than in Tokyo or Sydney. Have you guessed what I’m driving at? If you’ve got cash to spare, you’re in no hurry to become a mortgage slave and you can’t take a proper holiday lasting at least a month, then what’s left to do? The answer’s simple – you go shopping. I’ve never had to queue to get into a shopping centre before – not even when the new Westfield opened in Sydney – but I did at the entrance to a Shinsegae mall. At three in the afternoon on a normal Saturday. And now, let’s get down to brass tacks…
There’s shopping in Seoul to suit all tastes and budgets, even if the latter is measured in loose change. And if that really is the case then head for the so-called night market known as Doota-Dongdaemun Market for cheap shopping on a grand scale. This market is spread across eight floors, including some subterranean ones. But though the goods on offer might be cheap and even if the designers are students of design rather than household names, they’re anything but run-of-the-mill.
The children’s floor is worth a special look. As you watch people buying children’s clothing by the kilo at prices not to be found anywhere else on this planet, it’s hard not to feel sharp pangs for a child – or, at a push, a grandchild – of your own. You’ll be in raptures at the abundance of colours and the wealth of fantasy. The contrast with the drabness of the clothes that I wore during my own childhood in the Soviet Union brings tears to my eyes. Mind you, to be blunt about it children’s clothing in Australia isn’t exactly hot on quality or good looks either. But at this market you’ll find both in spades.
Shifting up a rung on the shopping ladder to shopping malls, I have to say that this is the most popular form of shopping not just in Seoul, but throughout Asia-Pacific and Australia, to say nothing of the USA or Canada. Once you get pulled into this world of shopping, then that’s it – there’s no way back! It’s impossible to resist the lure of the crowds, the 15-percent discounts and the euphoria that comes from being a consumer.
There are four ‘brands’ of shopping malls – or rather, shopping cities – in Seoul: Hyundai, Lotte, Shinsegae and Galleria. In each of these shopping cities there are Duty Free sections, where you can register your purchase as tax-exempt at the till, rather than having to run the gauntlet of bureaucracy to get your money back. For Japanese who are flying in (they account for the lion’s share of visiting shoppers) or Koreans who are flying out Duty Free cities have been built not far from Incheon airport.
You can easily find your way around all the shopping centres with your eyes closed – on the ground floor at street level make sure you don’t miss the Korean-made skincare products for facials. They’re really cheap, really good quality and really effective. When you make a purchase you get showered with presents. The best known brands are Isa Knox, Ohui and Hera. They’re not quite up to the standard of Botox, but they’ll iron out your wrinkles for at least half a day. And they certainly are up to the standard of the most expensive and most heavily hyped European brands. You can breeze through the clothing departments on the other floors, apart from the third or fourth floor, where Korean brands such as System, Time, Mine and Kuho are to be found, the last of which belongs to Samsung. The first three of these brands are fairly classical in style, but spiced up and with a flare to the cut that is peculiarly Korean – bolder geometry and less of the zaniness to be found in Japan. Kuho is based on almost the same principles, but is a shade wackier. Top quality and incredibly varied materials are used – for instance, a dress might be made from the thinnest sheepskin combined with cashmere or knitwear.
But if you’re a fan of brands that are household names then hold back before you splash out in one of the downtown shopping malls. I’ll let you in on a little secret: twenty kilometres outside Seoul that is an entire outlet city, where they’ve got absolutely everything, even the really big names, only from last season and sometimes at a tenth of the price. They’ve even got the brands that never appear in the sales or on discount. The city is called Chelsea and it’s owned by Shinsegae, who back in 1929 opened the first department store in Korea. They’re old hands at this game.
And now for the holiest of holies – the boutiques and the discount stores. There’s a boutique for enlightenment – all Koreans love it and it’s called Boon The Shop. It’s located in Cheongdam-dong (Seoul’s equivalent of Potts Point in Sydney – the property prices are off the top of the scale) and it is owned by Shinsegae, which means that there are also franchises of Boon in their chain of shopping centres. Why do I say that it’s for enlightenment? The way the space inside is used is beautiful, but very unusual. There’s the now slightly wearisome combination of wood, glass and metal. The prices are astronomical, which can’t be explained by the customs duties – the brands aren’t Korean and you’d find them in any other major city. But the service is amazing – they’ll accompany you to the lift and bow to you at great length when seeing you out.
On the lower floor of this boutique there’s an exhibition space, empty except for a sculpture in the vein of Rodin’s ‘Thinker’. There’s a slightly unappealing smell of fried food coming from the neighbouring cafe.
A stone’s throw from Boon The Shop there are two more shops that are worth a visit: Koon, which is grungier and cheaper, and Gallery Mui – beautiful design and good, decent brands.
Walk another 500 meters and, as you come out onto one of the main streets of the local answer to Potts Point, you’ll come across a cousin of Milan’s Corso Como 10. This concept store has exactly the same name but is owned by Samsung, while the design comes from Prada, who tried and tested the formula. This shop is run by the favourite daughter of Samsung’s C.E.O. and while it has yet to turn a profit, it’s already made its mark on the retail map of Seoul as it was the first concept store in the city. The design of its Milan counterpart is undoubtedly more interesting, but you have to give its creators their due as the choice of brands, the merchandising and everything else has been done to the highest standards. There are never any sales in this shop, but take heart – on Garosugil Street in Sinsa-dong there is an outlet store for Corso Como 10 where you can indulge yourself to your heart’s content. The street itself, each side lined with closely spaced gingko trees, looks like it could be somewhere in Europe. There are loads of restaurants, bars and interesting shops of kinds of different stripes to be found there. Go and spend a few hours hanging out there and browsing, you won’t regret it.
And just what could there be to regret, in any case? Take your time, because you’ll always find an excuse to go back to Seoul. The people, the service, the Koreans’ sense of humour and their good nature will stick in your memory, as will their unique culture, historically isolated from the rest of the world, and their ability to create something beautiful from the most unexpected forms and textures. It’s not for nothing that in 2010 Seoul was made a UNESCO City of Design.
I almost forgot – you can and will need to take a break from shopping in yet another place brought to you by Samsung – the Samsung Museum of Modern Art…
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- Shopping in Florence.
The first article – shopping in Florence:
No offence Dubai and Singapore, but there are cities where you might as well be blindfolded when you go shopping. You wake up in your hotel room and step out of the lobby into a kingdom of marble, air conditioning and identical-looking shops. It’s all very predictable and convenient for, say, a weary businessman who knows that there’s no way his special lady is going to turn down a Tiffany ring or a Gucci bag. It’s a failsafe option.
You can do exactly the same in Florence and hide yourself away in the airport duty free-style shops on the Via de’ Tornabuoni. But you can also go shopping for really unusual things in a city which is famous and interesting for all sorts of reasons. Above all, Florence is famous for its jewellery, leather goods and top quality paper. During the Renaissance something called a ‘bottega’ appeared. The word translates as ‘workshop’, although the English word isn’t an exact fit, as in workshops like these the master craftsman (the maestro) would create a masterpiece and his apprentices would then imitate it. So it’s very difficult to tell apart the original masterpiece and things that are copies of it, but by no means fakes. Everything has always been and always will be of the highest quality.
The realm of jewellery is to be found on the Ponte Vecchio. This bridge was originally built in 1177 and was then rebuilt in 1345. Ever since then there have been shops, boutiques and stalls on it. A point of interest is that this is where the word ‘bankrupt’ originates from. When traders couldn’t pay their rent soldiers would come along and break up their counter – or ‘banco’. That would ruin the counter – it would become ‘rotto’, which gives us ‘bancorotto’ and from which in turn we derive the English word ‘bankrupt’. Another point of interest is that originally all the traders on the bridge were butchers, until the Medici family (and you have to see their point) got fed up with having to look all the time at the blood pouring off it into the Arno and that was how jewellers came to take up residence there. When you’re walking across the bridge with your guy then you can tell straight away that men really did arrive on Earth from Mars and that we women are from Venus… A man’s eyes will glaze over, he’s got the frightened look of someone who knows he’s been cornered. Any woman who at that point was taken in for a dope test would come out positive, without a shade of a doubt. By the time you get to the middle of the bridge you’ll both have got your breath back and by that point it’s obvious that there is nowhere else where you can see so much beautiful jewellery, the work of true artists, anywhere else…
It’s said that we have the Medici family to thank for Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and for leather caskets made without a single stitch. Catherine de’ Medici brought her dowry and valuables with her in boxes and caskets such as these when she arrived in France to marry the future Henry II. Her future husband was so impressed by them that he ordered a number for himself. All the nobles of France followed suit and the lasting fame of the Florentine leatherworkers was assured.
In the 1930s the Scuola del Cuoio, the only school in Italy for training leatherworkers, was set up in the monastery of Santa Croce. Back then there were orphans who lived and were raised in the monastery and the school was supposed to teach them the trade and give them a start in life. But these days it’s a school for high-flying leatherworkers. You can call in and take a look at the students and masters at work. In the labyrinth of the numerous backstreets around the monastery you can pick up some of Florence’s leather wares – something traditional, in the line of what so impressed Henry II, or something up to the minute.
Marbled paper arrived in Florence in the 16th century. It was probably invented in China, then appeared in the Middle East in the 15th century and finally in Florence following the Battle of Lepanto. It attained widespread popularity in the city in the 18th century. Initially this paper was just used to decorate books and it was only later that it was used for printing. The ‘Il Papiro’ chain, which sells marbled paper, has achieved worldwide renown, but think twice before checking out any of their stores – in the historic centre you’ll find a huge number of tiny boutiques selling marbled goods which aren’t quite so high-end and without the corresponding price tag. You can’t finish your historical shopping spree until you’ve been to one of the oldest pharmacies in the world – Santa Maria Novella, founded by Dominican monks in 1221.
In a small garden in the courtyard behind the pharmacy the monks once grew herbs to make medicines, balms and ointments, mainly for the monastery’s own infirmary. In 1612 the ruler of Florence gave permission for the Dominicans to open a little chemist’s shop, whose fame spread throughout all of Europe. It may have had something to do with the fact that the formulas for many of the creams and balms was based on remedies invented especially for Catherine de’ Medici back in the 16th century.
The origin of eau de Cologne is also related to the history of this pharmacy. In fact the substance was originally Catherine’s own perfume, which she took with her to France before her marriage to the king. Originally that was what this perfume was called – ‘the queen’s aroma’. Then, in 1709 the Italian Giovanni Maria Farina took up residence in Cologne, rediscovered the recipe and began to mass-produce it. He named the perfume ‘eau de Cologne’ in honour of the city, forgetting that it was still being produced in his homeland under a completely different name as it had been for ages. And three centuries later we think we have problems legally protecting registered trademarks…
Once you’ve taken the two to three days that you need to explore the city’s history and do a bit of historical shopping I strongly recommend that you pay a visit to a very beautiful shop called PNP. There are two of them in Florence and the one on the Via del Proconsolo is the newer and the more handsome of the pair. It has an unusual looking interior with a glass floor through which you can look down at the medieval remains of what is either columns or something turned up in an archaeological dig. Their lines of clothing is equally unusual, so exclusive that they’re not to be found anywhere else in Italy, and the staff are really friendly, as are the successful owners. You can take a seat in the bar, relax after an overdose of history, take your other half off the leash and leave him in the trusty care of the salespersons. You won’t regret it.
Florence is the kind of place where embarking on a shopping trip means embarking on an excursion into its history. And PNP is no exception – make it your aim to find out what’s under the glass floor beneath you.