Cool Hunting
by Ariston Anderson
One jewelry line popping up everywhere this spring is Andrew Hamilton Crawford's Valley of the Dolls-inspired pill collection. Turning common anti-anxiety pills into charms or "dolls," the Damien Hirst-like collection of bracelets, necklaces and earrings make for a playful accompaniment to any serious wardrobe.
Design team Chad Crawford and Andrew Tessier hail from the south—Georgia and Alabama, respectively—and now work in New York City. Andrew started in costume design, while Chad's fine jewelry background results in a collection that is ironically luxurious. The line consists of affordable, unique items crafted from sterling silver, gold vermeil, often incorporating resin charms in striking colors.
"We didn't create the Valley of the Dolls collection to glamorize drugs—we wanted to comment on how fashionable pharmaceuticals have become," Tessier tells CH. "The collection started with the anti-anxiety bracelet, which got a great response, so we added the single capsule charm necklace and then later the capsule earrings and anti-anxiety cufflinks. Even though much of our collection focuses on higher end jewelry, we do enjoy incorporating a kitschy element in the collection."

The "doll necklace" is one shiny and glittery pill on the end of a sparkly chain, while 10 little blue helpers make up the "10 milligram bracelet." Both serve as a gentle reminder to calm down whenever you're stressed out, without heading to the medicine cabinet.
The collection is available from the Andrew Hamilton Crawford site, prices range from $78 to $248.
|
previous entry Flip & Tumble Bags |
next entry Soft-Maps Quilts |
Formless most accurately describes the new Le Blob jewelry line by São Paulo's Fernando Akasaka, which recentlydebuted with a collection of an ambitious 200 pieces. Akasaka, if you recognize the name, produces furniture and other conceptual pieces under his F. Akasaka Design brand. After earlier this year sharing with me his desire to realize his ideas in metal on a smaller scale, it's apparent...
by Rebecca Harkins-Cross For the Tin man and Scarecrow in all of us, Julie Parker's latest collection Black Jewls offers an exquisite range of anatomically-correct wearable human organs cast in solid sterling silver and strung on hand-finished chains. Packaged in glass test tubes with cork stoppers, the collection of bodily charms include hearts, brains, vertebrae, ribcages and livers. By externalizing human internal organs, the Melbourne-based...
Of the many subversive crafts we've seen over the years—crocheted cupcakes, cameras and hamburgers come to mind—Marianne Batlle's handmade mix of sex and fashion takes the concept to a decidedly more edgy level. The Paris-based artist crochets penises in a range of fanciful materials and colors, incorporating silks and bows, as well as fuzzy angora threads, pearls, sequins and more, to lend personality to...
Jewelry designer Tasha West's inventive Astro cuffs sleekly interpret the twelve zodiac symbols, subtly revealing the wearer's celestial personality. Beginning with a sketch of the symbol, the New York-based designer twists its form into a 3-D rendering to create the sculptural accessory. While shown in sterling silver, the cuffs come in a multitude of metals—including gold, brass, bronze and copper. At two inches wide,...
Miniaturizing some of our favorite objects in sterling silver, Victoria Mason's line of sterling silver jewelry satisfies a penchant both for all things tiny and for readymades. Her designs replicate the beauty of the everyday, items like clothespins, sneakers and pencil shavings. A fork and knife earring set "feed your senses" and make the perfect gift for foodies or just those who love cuteness....
Stringing plexiglass faces on shoelaces, Ottoman princesses and designers Yazbukey use lowbrow materials to take on some of pop culture's most famous silhouettes, forming outrageous statement necklaces and brooches. Having worked with similarly innovative designers including Martin Margiela, Christian Lacroix and Jeremy Scott, the absurdist pair call Paris their home base. Previously choosing iconic figures such as Billy Idol (above left) and Michael Jackson...
