Glassy Goodness By New York Jewelry Designer Annika Inez - Forbes
New York jewelry brand, Annika Inez (formerly known as by boe) wants to express a personality, invoke emotions and create memories. And she will certainly achieve this with her latest collaboration which has seen her partner with a local Brooklyn glass artisan to create this 0h-so-cool classy glassy collection.
DUAL GLASSY HOOPSAnnika Inez
The line consists of hand-blown borosilicate glass as well as metals which makes for an interesting juxtaposition; the glass appears fluid in nature, merging boldness with lightness and is set against even bolder metals. Showcasing the purity and minimalism of a Scandi aesthetic, influenced by the confident New York scene.
Annika InezAnnika Inez
What's your most beloved piece of jewelry? A sterling silver bangle by the Swedish artist Elon Arenhill. My dad gave my mom four of them, all of them different thicknesses. As we grew up, my mom gave me and my two sisters one each and kept one for herself. It is such a beautiful and simple hammered bangle, solid with a nice weight and of course carries a special meaning. I wear it almost every day.
What compelled you to go into the jewelry world? I have always been interested in both style and art, a couple of things made me go into the jewelry world, a bit of chance and a love for what jewelry can represent, expression of personality, emotions, and memories. Additionally, I have always loved how jewelry is a wearable sculpture and that it is an industry that balances on the edge of fashion and art.
ENDLESS GLASSY COLLARAnnika Inez
Sum up your aesthetic...An ode to my Scandinavian upbringing flavored heavily by the multicultural pot of New York City.
Tell us about the process, where is your starting point? My starting point is very varied with influences coming from a wide spectrum, the way a piece of music makes me feel creative, the shape of a broken tile on the wall of the subway, the sleeve of a dress. Often though I start seeing a certain shape across many things around me and once I sit down to sketch it usually repeats itself. Sometimes I'll start with a sketch, sometimes I'll start with copper wire or plate to make a mock-up. With the copper material being soft and inexpensive I can play around fine-tuning a style until it feels right and fits right.
GLASSY INDENTED HOOPSAnnika Inez
How has your line evolved? My line has gone through a few changes since we first started in the early 2000s. When we first opened our studio/shop I worked on a lot of one-off pieces with vintage materials. The 'by boe' collection was born in 2004 and was a collection concentrated on delicate wire jewelry. The latest morph back to Annika Inez feels so right in that it carries a bit from 'by boe' but also gives me a 'new' platform on which I can experiment with new materials and directions.
Shop the collection at annikainez.com
