Voodoo Erzuli ring by Lee Renee
I’m thrilled the holiday season is upon us – there’s loads of family time, food and gifts in my future. Yet sometimes, all this holiday cheer can be a bit too saccharine. Offset the season’s sweetness with Lee Renee’s edgy, voodoo-inspired jewelry gives the season some edge.
Another week, another influx of creative and unique designers.
Seventy Eight Percent are inspired by a design philosophy developed by the designer’s late collaborator. With the insistence that each product be “78 percent perfect,” the designer creates quality bags using durable leather that will change and age beautifully with use. Each bag or case is designed with a busy day in mind: Many bags have space for a laptop, documents, and other daily essentials.
Ozie Amadi studied accessory design at Cordwainer’s College in London, giving her the skills to relaunch her family brand, Solomon Appollo. London-born Ozie honors her Nigerian roots by creating handbags that mix European aesthetics with colorful African textiles such as Ankara and Kente. Each bag is handmade in the designer’s London studio.
Lee Renée is a relative newcomer to the jewelry world. She left a career in advertising to pursue her lifelong passion for jewelry design. Lee spent three years training as a silversmith to prepare for this new career. She now uses her skills to work silver into intricate and original shapes, creating dramatic, exciting statement jewelry. Her current collection depicts a series of powerful Voodoo spirits.
Mecurialist jewelry is an exploration of life and death. With inspiration coming from such fields as alchemy and geometry, Mecurialist jewelry is made to “adapt to its owner” and change with use. The designer employs oxidized finishes on some of the jewelry to give it a weathered look, making each piece look as though it’s already had a long life.
