Lolita Starling + Rock Parlor Presents...

Thursday, December 2, 2010

PH Magazine Toronto Canada Feature

download full version here

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Maria Francesca Pepe-avant-garde high-end Fashion Jewellery

Maria Francesca Pepe is a London based Label of avant-garde

high-end Fashion Jewelery and Ready to Wear.

Born in Foggia, Italy, on March 5th 1979, Maria Francesca Pepe was destined to a life of design. Having studied Litera- ture and Philosophy at the “Universita’ degli Studi di Milano” between 1998 to 2000, she spent the following four years completing her BA in Fashion Design at the “Marangoni Institute”, Milano, which encompassed womenswear Fashion Design, Illustration, Pattern Cutting and Fashion Business.

Honing her fashion skills further Maria undertook several courses in London from Fine Drawing at the Royal College of Art to Styling, Experimental Fashion Design, Digital Fashion Design and Professional Sewing at Central Saint Martins. In 2003 she won the Tannan Fashion Award, Japan. Her links to Italy and in particular Milan have been crucial to her creative aesthetic and identity.

The Women's wear Collection, which includes jewelery and footwear, immediately receives a positive response from leading UK and International press and buyers including Vogue Italia, Elle US, Self Service, I-D, Dazed&Confused, Evening Standard Fashion, Harpers Bazaar and many more.

Maria Francesca Pepe’s “Jewellery-Wear” is a New Concept for both Fashion Jewellery and Clothing that become inter- changeable pieces and essential designs for a new luxury ideal. The boundaries between clothing and accessories become blurred whilst retaining a contemporary functionality. Made in Italy, every piece is handcrafted to the highest standard by selected artisans and factories Maria Francesca works in strict contact with.
MFP Creative Studio, Press, Sales and Distribution are all based in London.

The Tubular is undoubtedly MFP’s most recognizable design statement, having been featured in prestigious magazines from around the globe and appearing on celebrities such as Agyness Deyn, Sienna Miller, Skunk Anansie, Beth Ditto, Rihanna and Roisin Murphy.

MFP is recognized by the industry and her peers and is nominated as Best New Talent in Accessories at the British Fashion Awards 2009.

“It’s not like I began making jewelry and then decided I could do clothes. I just felt like jewelry was a good way to establish my brand and proved a natural creative progression.” Maria Francesca Pepe MFP

Lady Gaga in Maria Francesca Pepe

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Sevan Bicakci-Works of art based on Nature, Classical and Islamic references.

Sevan was born 1972 in Istanbul and grown up in a district called Samatya, which has been home to many Istanbul-born Armenians for centuries. He was 13 when he left school to start working with his hands in a trade. With the help of his father, Sevan started to work at the workshop of goldsmith-master Hovsep Chatak at the Grand Bazaar where is a huge complex which carries more than 500 years of traditional jewelry making within its walls.

His jewelry designs and mostly the rings are like pieces of architectural masterpieces coming from the past. Every single piece makes you feel like you wear the miniature of a monument. History combined with stones; perfectly hand crafted designs therefore make Sevan rings unique and precious.

There was so much motivation surrounding him to increase his knowledge of jewelry design and craftsmanship. After his master passed away, when Sevan was just 18, he had to make a choice between shifting to another workshop and going on his own. And even though he was young in comparison, Sevan started to work all alone in a tiny workshop space.