Five Golden Gifts: The Gift of Sentiment + Win A Limited Edition Alex & Ani Bracelet

Jewellery is not a unique gift idea, I am aware. However, I do think that it can be a really powerful gift if thought is put into it. It is something that the person receiving it will likely keep and wear frequently for the rest of their lives. There is also something in the fact that they wear it, keep it against their skin, carry it around, that makes it a really intimate gift. If you give them the right piece, you are essentially giving them your feelings and allowing them to hold your sentiments close.

I'm not personally a big jewellery wearer, I don't really like the sensation of it against my skin, but there are many pieces that I have received over the years and hold very dear: the lovely silver pendant my mother gave me for my 16th birthday, the gold bangle with my name inscribed on it that my godmother gave me when I was born, the gold locket my mother gave me on my Confirmation day.

And some of the gifts that I have given and have most proud of have been pieces of jewellery such as one of my best friends' Christmas present last year. We were going to be separated for a year while she went to work in Hong Kong so I bought her a simple heart-shaped necklace and had in engraved with a message. Small and simple, it could be easily brought and packed, easily worn and could stay with her as a constant reminder that, even if she felt very homesick, I was with her and missing her too.

In my personal opinion, it is not the most expensive jewellery that makes for the best gifts, it's the pieces with the most heartfelt messages attached. So, how do you figure out how to tug on the heartstrings in the right way? I've compiled a list of questions to help you come up with a theme for the piece and then your understanding of your own budget, the tastes of the person in mind and practical considerations (such as whether they have their ears pierced, have active lives that make wearing long or dangling pieces difficult, dislike wearing certain types of jewellery etc) will help narrow down the potential list of candidates.

1. Do you have pet names for each other?
(For example, even if you just happen to call the person "dear" a lot, you could buy something with a deer on it.)

2. Do you have a memory of a moment together that you hold particularly dear?
(That one time you had too much wine and ended up staying up all night talking? Bonding over a mutual love for Bowie when you first met?)

3. Do you have an in-joke that no one else knows about?

4. Is you the person a mega-fan of any brands?
(Particularly luxury brands. Chanel offers some costume jewellery pieces that are, by no means, inexpensive but are much more affordable than anything else from the label. If someone loves a particular brand, just seeing the box will make their face light up with joy.)

5. Did you meet somewhere specific? Have you ever gone on a trip together that changed your relationship? Have you been dreaming of going somewhere together?

Which brings me on to today's giveaway. It's a piece from Alex & Ani's Liberty Copper Collection, available in Ireland from the Kilkenny Design Centre. I talked about this collection upon its launch and it is a very limited line of jewellery that features recycled copper from one of New York's most famous landmarks; the Statue of Liberty. It is, therefore, the perfect gift for someone you share important memories of New York with or plan to travel there with. It would even be a great little gift to announce to someone that you are bringing them to New York as the main gift!

If you want to win this piece, just read on and be sure to come back over the next few days for more amazing prizes!

1. This giveaway is, sadly, only open to entrants located in Ireland, who are over 18 years of age.

2. The prize is one Kindred Cord bracelet from the Alex & Ani Liberty Copper Collection.
3. All you need to do is comment below here or on Facebook with who you'd give it to - or if you want it for yourself! However, you must be following me on at least one platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin', Tumblr). Let me know which one in the comment if it's not obvious!

4. Competition closes a week from now on the 9th of December 2016 at midnight Irish time.

5. Winners will be chosen at random.

6. I will then comment below the winner's comment and ask you to email my official blog email address.

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Alex & Ani Liberty Copper Collection

Blogger launches probably seem glamorous from the outside. And they probably are, for most people, but I seem to constantly embarrass myself at these things and shouldn't really be allowed outside on my own without an escort. At the launch of Alex & Ani's new Liberty Copper Collection in the Kilkenny Design Centre on Nassau Street last Thursday, I managed to, once again, make a tit of myself.

The launch was happening during a customer evening and there was lots going on; there was candyfloss, popcorn and retro glass bottles of Coke being passed around, the Bugle Babes (a trio of ladies in forties military garb) were singing ragtimey tunes, Dara Kenny was painting the New York skyline and totes were being screen printed with an image of the city by Damn Fine Print. Cue my arrival in the midst of this, a wave of social-awkwardness washing over me and my turning to the snacks in lieu of human interaction. Sadly, when I reached for some candyfloss, six sticks had melted together and after a flustered interaction with the girl handing them out, I was told to take the lot. Which is why I spent the rest of the launch walking around with a giant melted glob of candyfloss in my hand, trying to juggle my camera and be taken seriously...

...sigh...

Anyhoo, if we ignore my little bout of social disfunction, I'm sure a trend or theme has already become apparent. New York was brought to Nassau street to celebrate the launch of Alex & Ani's very limited line of jewellery that features recycled copper from one of the city's most famous landmarks; the Statue of Liberty.

And how, pray tell, did the brand end up with recycled copper from a world famous monument? They were on the ball, that's how. When the Statue of Liberty was recycled between 1984 and 1986, to celebrate its centennial, the original copper supports were replaced with stainless steel and the copper was removed. Alex & Ani were clever enough to seize the opportunity and bought up the copper.

Now, they have produced a limited line of 26 special pieces using the copper that they purchased.

As per the brand's usual ethos, this line has a deeper message; it is the Carry Light collection. The design of the charms on these pieces features a torch and flame that is an exact replica of Lady Liberty’s torch and is a powerful symbol of hope.

The line is super limited due to the nature of the material used and each stockist was only granted a certain number of pieces. Kilkenny were given the most in Ireland but there still aren't many knocking about, which is something to keep in mind if you are interested in the line.

To me, jewellery with a sentiment behind it is really meaningful and personal as a gift, in particular, and I think that this line is the ideal thing as a present to someone in need of a reminder that there is always hope or, maybe, someone with whom you share a fond memory of New York.

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ISLE - Jewellery Inspired By Ireland and Formed By Japanese Aesthetics

On my first Galway Fashion Trail last November, I saw, and fell in love with, the delicate jewellery of ISLE. The brainchild of two Northern Irish sisters - Ger, who lives in Tokyo, and Helen, who lives in Belfast - it is a brand inspired by the tales and natural beauty of Ireland and informed by the minimalist aesthetic and emphasis on craftsmanship of Japan. Each piece is handmade in Ireland and then beautifully presented in high quality packaging from Japan.

I wanted to know more about these two sisters and the magic jewellery that they produced; their thoughts on design and Irish design, in particular; their inspirations; and why it's important to support smaller makers.

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Moi: How did ISLE come about? Can you tell us a little about its journey as a brand?

Ger: Starting some form of jewellery business was something that I'd thought about a lot over the years, ever since I started making jewellery for high school art projects. Although I loved painting, drawing and photography, I was especially drawn to metals and the mixed media possibilities of jewellery. So, I studied Metalsmithing & Jewellery at the University of Ulster in Belfast, but after, decided to become an Art teacher in England. After a few years there, my partner/boyfriend and I wanted to experience living further abroad and decided to have a go at living in Tokyo and here we still are.

ISLE has evolved a lot since the original idea that came about from a discussion with a Japanese friend who worked in the jewellery business in Tokyo. We planned to create jewellery that would tell stories of Ireland, introducing Irish culture to people that probably hadn't heard much about it.

Unfortunately, my Japanese friend wasn't able to continue with the initial progress we had made. So, instead of giving up, I turned to my sister Helen, who has long been a part of my design process - even coming in on the night before my final degree show to sit on the floor sanding and painting the display furniture for my installation. We work well together and are constantly sending images back and forth and bouncing ideas around.

Her main medium is textile but she has quickly learnt a lot about Metalsmithing and works closely with our talented Belfast-based makers.

My whole family is involved in ISLE in some form now and have been an amazing help.



Why are you so inspired by Ireland?

I guess living so far from home in an incredibly different culture, makes you think about where you come from and you look at things you took for granted with fresh eyes. I regularly go back home to Co. Down and yet it hits me every time I arrive; the landscape, the people, the atmosphere.



Who do you admire? What things inspire you?

Everything. I have about a thousand design ideas passing through my head a day. I have to tell myself to be quiet and focus on one thing (or else Helen will tell me Neutral Face). Sometimes you see a building that could be translated into a necklace or an accidental collection of colours that would make a beautiful print pattern. I have a crazy amount of photos that I've captured hoping that I'll go back to them someday and create something original from them

I admire the people that, in an age of mass production and fantastic digital machinery, are opting for a slow, focused and considered way creating. The joy of craftsmanship is not totally lost and I believe appreciation for it is growing again in Ireland.



Who is your customer?

We are our customers really. We want to offer contemporary jewellery that presents something deeper than passing fashion. Jewellery that is both stylish and has lasting quality, that reflects modern trends but that can be a future heirloom.



Why should people support smaller makers?

Supporting smaller makers allows for diversity, for uniqueness



If you could do anything you wanted - no limitations - what would ISLE do?

We don't have huge crazy ambitions for ISLE, we just want to keep on designing and making and hope that we can share what we do with people who feel the same as us. Sorry that's a boring answer, isn't it? But it's true.



What are you most proud of?

Surviving this far.

(All images belong to ISLE and are reproduced here with permission.)

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Year of Irish Design 2015: Kiki Na Art

When I was on the Galway Fashion Trail this month, I was exposed to a lot of new and wonderful brands, labels and shops. One that really caught my eye, in particular, was Kiki Na Art which was being stocked in the wonderful purveyor of Irish design, My Shop...Granny Likes It. Bright, bold jewellery pieces that combine images of figures from pop culture with geometric patterns and hand-painting, stared out of one of the display cabinets and immediately set the group of bloggers gasping in delight.

Cue dozens of Instagram posts - one from myself as well!

But I didn't want to leave it there.

I was intrigued and wanted to know more about these pieces that danced somewhere between art and design and stood out so boldly from everything else on display.

I contacted the lovely Ciarna, who is the genius and craftswoman behind the brand, and she gave me a little more insight into the world of Kiki Na Art.

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Moi: Can you tell us a little about your background?

Ciarna: I am an artist who studied Fine Art Painting in Galway. When I finished up college, I moved to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam for 6 years, where I met my husband and worked as the Art and Music Project Manager for the Christina Noble Children's Foundation (absolutely brilliant Charity!). When I moved back to Ireland with Duc (my husband) in 2010, I found it difficult to find work and decided to use that time to give my husband’s art and my art a chance. Duc is an extremely talented painter and we wanted to really give that a go - which meant being broke and choosing an alternative way of living. I have always loved photography and always wore jewellery so when I moved back to Ireland, I started to play around with ideas.  The idea for this came very organically. I started off doing them for creative fun and for friends using different materials but, eventually, I found a formula that worked for me. I started out making them in my back room two years ago. They’ve come a long way since then!


How did you come up with your concept for your label?

I am a big fan of Joan Baez and wanted to make earrings with her on them and my sister had also bought me a pair of Frida earrings when she was away - so I developed the idea from there with a lot of hand drawing and individual design and pattern on each piece. The name Kiki Na came from a nickname given to me by a certain group of friends in Vietnam, who called me Kiki, and the kids I worked with, who called me Kieu Na, so I combined the two. I make every one [of the pieces of jewellery] as a one-of-a-kind, as I treat them as unique illustrations, and that was important to me from the start. I really value individuality.


Which pop culture icons would you wear on a daily basis, if you had to choose one or two?

I would wear anyone I admire and respect. I am quite political and would be inclined to wear people like Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela or Angela Davis but I am also into art and music big time so I wear anyone from David Bowie to Frida Kahlo. Realistically, I wear the ones I make and I usually make ones that are more popular such as Bjork, Bowie, Blondie or Grace Jones etc. These people are true artists and usually the styles and photographs of these people are amazing. I keep making pieces that I think I will keep for myself because I love the person, shape or design but eventually I end up selling them!


Why are handmade pieces and craft important?

Because individuality is important and things develop naturally from eye to hand. A designer who cannot make their own pieces is like a painter who cannot make their own paintings. Eventually things can get bigger and develop to a concept made by machine but to start out hand making and crafting your creative pieces is vital to allowing a greater development of said piece.


What do you think of the Year of Irish design?

More of this I say! I studied Fine Art, not design, so I find myself lagging behind in what’s happening but this year I started a back-to-work enterprise with my jewellery. Now, I have a platform to really develop my stuff and part of that is to discover what is out there for designers in Ireland. The Year of Irish Design is something I honestly need to look into more for my own stuff and I'm glad it’s there for people like me who need to discover more in what’s happening with Irish Design.


What do you think of Irish design?

I love anything expressive and fun and I see a lot of that happening. Although, sometimes, I think the minimalist trend has reached some sort of peak and that a lot of stuff is along those lines. My motto is go big or go home - haha - but I understand that that is not for everyone and that minimal forms of expression are more accessible to a lot of people. It’s all very subjective. So when it comes to Irish design I love to see all the different expressions out there. I have stuff in OmDiva and its great seeing people making some beautiful works of art through jewellery design and clothing design. Ruth, who runs OmDiva, is great for allowing a space for different forms of expression and design whilst managing to stay on trend.


Which designers do you admire?

Ah, Jaysus...I’m crap at this! I love fashion, design and art but I’d be able to name more artists that I love than designers. I do love the whole advanced style thing happening - Older people in fashion - I also love the non conformist styles and the different body types out there and I think fashion design needs to catch up a bit more with that. I think I'm more into artists – all kinds of artists – musical, like Roisin Murphy (her style!!!); fashion - Irish Apfel and Vivienne Westwood; art - Frida Kahlo. I love eccentrics. I'm a second hand shop girl so when it comes to designers I am not great. I do like COS because, as Irish Apfel, put it – ‘I love to accessorise... my mother said buy a lovely simple black dress – you can dress it up or dress it down’. COS is great for nice material and simple monochromatic colour clothing which really suits my jewellery but who their designers are?... I’ll [have to] google it!


What inspires you?

Big Question. Everything!!


What would you like to do with your brand in the future? Are there other avenues you'd like to explore?

Go bold or go home! I plan to expand to wearable art pieces and wall pieces but who knows... I'm someone who likes to go with the flow – not that I am resting on my laurels – I work hard at what I do but it’s like this; in Asia, the turtle is one of the most respected of creatures, as they move very fast by following streams and ending up where they end up...it’s a Buddhist thing I guess.


If you had to describe what you do in five words or less?

One of a kind; individual.

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So, if you're after something for the individual, something one of a kind, something hand-crafted and filled with love, hit Kiki Na Art up. It's hard not to fall more in love with (the already desirable) brand when you hear from Ciarna. Her passion, sense of fun and no-nonsense and inclusive attitudes are rather refreshing. And, I think, visible in the art/design that she produces.

Thanks to Ciarna for chatting with me!

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Chupi Turns Ten!

Last week, I popped into the wee tenth birthday party that was being held for Irish brand, Chupi, in the Powerscourt Townhouse as I'm a big fan and supporter of the label.

Chupi Sweetman makes jewellery that is meaningful. As in, truly full of meaning. Giving someone one of her pieces is not merely giving them something pretty and sparkly but telling them how you really feel.They are, of course, still pretty but there's much more to it than just that.

This ability, to put into objects, the things you most want to say, is one of the reasons that Chupi has become such an important name in Irish design. It's why Topshop scouted her in first year of college and made her the youngest designer that they had collaborated with. It's why the brand endures. It's why we are celebrating ten years of Chupi.

There are lots of reasons to love the label but among them is the fact that the pieces are designed, manufactured and finished in Ireland - making them ethical, the opposite of mass-produced, lovingly constructed and good for the Irish economy. All good things!

Inspired by nature and objects around her, Chupi uses feathers, leaves, coins and twigs to turn something small and mundane into something beautiful. She finds the beauty in these things and gives them the spotlight that they deserve. She turns a hawthorn twig into a variety of symbols; interconnected rings to symbolise a deep connection between two people, a simple circle for eternity, a short segment on a chain as something sturdy to represent support. She makes messages, love letters written in silver, gold and gems.

Funnily enough, I found the brand through one of the people I love most in the world. When Chupi was a young brand, my childhood best friend told me about her. In fact, she raved, if I remember correctly, about this label she had seen at a market in Temple Bar. A few years later, I bought a Chupi dress from Topshop as a college student. Now, though I don't wear the dress as often, I see the tag as I look through my closet or I read an interview with Chupi herself or see an article about the brand and I smile because it will ever be interconnected to a friend's passionate love of design in my mind.

If you're looking for design that attracts this kind of love and devotion, which is so lovingly made and which conveys love so beautifully, Chupi is what you're after. And, after ten years, they know what they're doing.

Happy Birthday, Chupi. I wish you guys every success in the future!

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Otiumberg.

I never endorse or discuss things I don't believe in completely. Normally, they're things I've spotted online while tumbling/having no life/reading magazines etc. However, more and more, I'm emailed by companies about their products or platforms. I will only ever share things with you Lilettes that meet my discerning standards, I won't spam you or show you things that aren't 100% awesome.

On this note, I introduce you to Otiumberg, a jewellery, gifts and accessories site which has been extraordinarily skillfully curated. Just launched last month, it is the brainchild of three London-based sisters. It ships all over the world and prices start at under £20. How am I meant to be good when everything is SO PRETTY?! Ah, you tempt me overly!

Anyhoo, below are my picks of the best of the best from the site and some lovely images I've plucked from them.

Enjoy, and try not to go too mad!

http://www.otiumberg.com/

Thank Folkster, it's arrived!

Anyone interested in fashion in Ireland will be familiar with the Folkster brand and the practice of admiring it from afar if they're not based in Kilkenny as the store is. But no more! The Eustace street pop-up store is now open for the summer in Dublin. Great news to those of us based in Dublin and without a licence (the shame, I know).

A friend of mine works there so I popped along yesterday to scope out the new haven of style in the capital as well as to say "hey". Sadly, she wasn't about but I was comforted by all the pretty things to look at. And, my, was there plenty to see.

The store is divided into three main spaces; one enters into the more casual clothing, moves through the homeware and into the back room where occasionwear and dressier pieces (including bridal edit) are displayed. Everything is laid out beautifully with an eclectic and achingly cool aesthetic. The space is roomy and full of stock but uncluttered with light streaming beautifully through the windows.

Stock ranges from Folkster Edit, Shutterbug Vintage and Gild & Cage Homewares to brands somewhat difficult to find in Ireland such as Jeffrey Campbell and Miista. Prices start at just a euro and there's really something for everyone no matter your budget or sense of style - from boho, to punk, to prim and proper. My personal picks from the store have to be the Folkster statement jewellery (the earrings, in particular, make me weak at the knees), any and all of the bombers in stock, a very Grace Kelly grey vintage dress, the coordinating crop top and skirt sets, their very cute greeting cards and the art prints available from the homewares section.

But, here, I'll shut up and let the pictures do the talking. Check out their facebook page for more info.

Managed to restrain myself enough that I only spent €2 on these two beauties. Worth it.