If you had to design an accessory line...

[wildcat]

If you had to design an accessory line today, what would you do? Where would you draw inspiration from, what materials would you use etc...?

[Comma H]

Depends on the accessory type, its intended use and market.

You need criteria for your design before you actually sort out stuff like materials and inspiration. Perhaps if you elaborate more we can help more. Or is it just a hypothetical?

[Uinku]

I'm currently creating my own rings and necklaces(made out of earthwear), it started out as something for fun because I don't like (or can't afford) the jewelry that's offered for men nowadays. I got a lot of great reactions and quite a few people want to buy one of my rings/hangers . No pictures tho, because I don't have a camera.....

[fg0d]

Powerhaus' latest collection is kinda earthy and organic. I prefer metals and maybe plastics in jewelry.

[onemancult]

i make my own necklaces and pins. bjork liked one of my necklaces.

i work by repurposing and refashioning vintage and scrap finds.

[jeepster]

i draw inspiration from Eric Glennie by eric glennie, i saw him @ spring fashionweek in paris just after lagerfield and i could not help but notice how utterly beautiful his pieces were. so mainly, thats where my inspiration comes from. along with D horror films.

thanks eric,

EG

[wildcat]

Depends on the accessory type, its intended use and market.

You need criteria for your design before you actually sort out stuff like materials and inspiration. Perhaps if you elaborate more we can help more. Or is it just a hypothetical?

Just throwing ideas around right now, but I'm always looking for unique new accessories and thought it would be cool to design a small line for friends, musicians, and people like us that appreciate and buy high-end fashion, but are always on the lookout for something new and cool that everyone might not be turned onto yet.

A few things/designers that come to mind: margiela, older dior homme leather cuffs, some ann d. necklaces and belts (i remember liking these ann d. armwarmer things that were in supermarket not too long ago and i really liked that thin leather belt w/ the big black circular metal studs)... there's a company called Phenomenon Beyond Description that makes necklaces, rings, and belts out of twisted quarters and different coins that's pretty cool. Also another company called Harteau that makes some cool belts and thin leather cuffs with oxidized/coated metals (some of there stuff is just lame) but either way the quality is good and I don't see too many people wearing their stuff. A higher quality Alex + Chloe would be cool, maybe if they made their pendants out of glass and used some unique chains I'd be more into them (but then they'd be in a different class targeted at a different market).

So if I had to start somewhere, it would be leather cuffs, belts, and gloves/armwarmers. Something different, maybe all monochromatic leather and hardware, incorporating zippers or buttons and other interesting hardware.

i make my own necklaces and pins. bjork liked one of my necklaces. i work by repurposing and refashioning vintage and scrap finds.

That sounds awesome. Post pics!?

[gryphon]

The leather cuffs idea sounds nice, I like Roger Vivier's pilgrim ones- there should be more jewelry along puritanical lines

You should check out Rosenkrantz and Rosenberg of Nervous System, they use an iterative design process and algorithms to make superstrong, really thin metal cuffs and necklaces. Thinspiration- it's funny how something so visually resonant can arise out of quotidian impulses.

[coalessence]

wildcat: its great to scan the market and know what is out there but if u plan on creating your line or designs i would suggest finding unique inspiration from external sources rather than other jewelry lines... when designing for any field i think its important to scan various forms or art, design, media, and culture and not just the particular field involved... a lot goes to designing a successful line... more than just lookin at what else is out there unless u want your designs to be regurgitated versions of everything else that is out there i would recommend u spend a great deal of time developing your vision and thinking about things like your target audience/market and let that be the frame work for whats to come.... just thought i'd throw that at ya... hah take as u wish.. but anyways i personally would look to sleek architecture for inspiration and try to keep things streamlined and fairly minimal for men.... incorporating materials typically unfamiliar to the jewelry biz

[onemancult]

minimal jewelry for men is overdone. men need to stop being afraid of ornamentation.

there is a difference between simplicity and minimalism, too. figure that one out and

you've got something.

[coalessence]

agreed....minimalism in the true sense of the word wouldn't be what i'd go for... but sleek/streamlined/ ..blah..etc. i cant think of enough adjectives to describe my vision maybe ill sketch some stuff up soon

[onemancult]

sketch yes. share plz.

i dont really have a particular aesthetic i go for with stuff i do. it really just

boils down to what materials i have access to at any given point in time.

here are some recent bits i wear often:

[xcoldricex]

the one on the right is bad as hell

[coalessence]

nice stuff.... man that material in the second one is crazy its almost a tamed down version of the big gold ropes of the 80s......... what are those tubes from ..it seems so familiar where have i seen it used before ?

[wildcat]

coalessence - great advice. i agree, although at this point i feel like everything is regurgitated kind of like music. i like the idea of minimalism, but i think omc hit the nail on the head about simplicity vs minimalism. i think it would be really cool to make some simple monochromatic pieces using unique materials, just haven't really seen what's out there yet.

omc - i like the necklace on the left, flattened metal looks cool. which one was bjork into?

[mpcec]

I like the one on the left too, one in the middle reminds me of a scrunched up elastic cord for a wired phone or someshit.

[onemancult]

thanks for the kind words guys

the bjork one isnt any of these, i posted about it a while ago. was standing at a red light downtown waiting to cross the street over the summer and next thing i know bjork is standing next to me and looks over and says "i like your necklace"

[sean_]

the one on the right is bad as hell

exactly what i was going to say

very cool

[Guest]

i rmemeber you telling that storry, pretty cool

simplicity vs. minimalism, explain

[onemancult]

it is extremely difficult to explain, but in terms of general aesthetics and in terms of design, i think the best way of understanding it is to consider the opposites... complexity and maximalism.

something complex isnt necessarily maximal... compact clockwork is insanely complex, but it isnt by any means maximalist. by the same token, something can

be simple... simply made, working in a simple manner, or simply appealing... without

being an example of minimalism.

minimalism evokes a concerted effort in design to produce something that functions/exists in a stripped down, bare bones way. but often, the mimimalist

solution is not the simplest solution... ie. a minimalist chair with only 3 legs is

not more simple than the tried and true sturdy 4-legged chair...

[vincentvostok]

i make my own necklaces and pins. bjork liked one of my necklaces.

i work by repurposing and refashioning vintage and scrap finds.

I'm into that transformation idea. A bit like margiela 0 line with jewelery.

I Like items that merge into clothing like cufflinks, tuxedo studs, keychains, bigones .

If I had access to an oven I think I would melt money and twist antique silverware (butter knives?). Buttons on old fur coats are amazing.

[cloudhands69]

^^I want to see more of this on superfuture.

more designs by users (w/photos!). more how-tos (sewing, screen printing, jewelry/metal smithing). more collabs w/different users.

[eastcoastrider27]

Two words:

Hamburger earmuffs.

[Guest]

it is extremely difficult to explain, but in terms of general aesthetics and in terms of design, i think the best way of understanding it is to consider the opposites... complexity and maximalism.

something complex isnt necessarily maximal... compact clockwork is insanely complex, but it isnt by any means maximalist. by the same token, something can

be simple... simply made, working in a simple manner, or simply appealing... without

being an example of minimalism.

minimalism evokes a concerted effort in design to produce something that functions/exists in a stripped down, bare bones way. but often, the mimimalist

solution is not the simplest solution... ie. a minimalist chair with only 3 legs is

not more simple than the tried and true sturdy 4-legged chair...

pretty excellent description, reaffirms my understanding of the subject

much thanks to the house of cult