Jewelry

An Emerging Jewelry Designer Meets Her Match - New York Times
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The jewelry designer Wing Yau of WWAKE has been following the designer Amanda Phelan’s work for the past year, from the time that Phelan — a fellow RISD alum — launched her eponymous women’s wear brand. “Her clothing is about the texture, and creating something unexpected but with a sophisticated silhouette, which I can relate to,” Yau says. “It’s refreshing, after everyone has become so obsessed with basics.” Earlier this summer, she emailed Phelan about CLOSER by WWAKE, her line of sculptural accessories that she had sidelined after her finer, jewel-encrusted pieces took off in 2013.

Once Phelan saw Yau’s CLOSER pieces — which consists of large, folded sterling silver earrings, pendants and cuffs — she realized it complemented her own spring/summer 2017 collection of unraveled basket-weave knits, so they decided to team up. CLOSER will officially debut as the sister line to WWAKE’s main collection at the Phelan show tonight (powder-coated various colors to match the garments) and online, priced from $150 to $649. This marks Yau’s first fashion week go-round, and a reunion of sorts: “I’m excited to return to our original customer — she’s a completely different girl — and communicate with her again,” she says. “And I like that it’s an opportunity to make something louder. And braver.”