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| Gold Plated Brass Remi Spiked Cuff Bracelet |
Now we travel to the town of Chitral, located in Pakistan.
Rich with history Chitral is
known for its majestic architecture that includes the Palace of Mehtar, and the Jami
Mosque.
Today’s feature is the
jewelry design team of Libyan Dana Arbib and Pakistani Farah Malik.
Many independent jewelry designers use their brand as a
springboard to raise social consciousness.
For instance, brands like Lori
Bonn Design (USA), and Singaporean Choo
Yilin implement recycled metals while Ute
Decker (Germany) opts for Fairtrade metals.
Likewise, Arbib and Malik’s New York-based, six-year-old
brand, A Peace Treaty, aligns itself
with preserving time-honored craftsmanship “that would otherwise be forgotten,”
and using recycled materials.
The two women met in Rome during the nuptials of Arbib’s
brother where they exchanged phone numbers.
When Malik returned to New York she contacted Arbib at which time they
learned they “shared a love of fashion design and a desire to uplift age-old,
handmade customs.”
Their objective was to create seasonal designs reflecting
specific cultural motifs and techniques.
Drawing style inspiration from the Art Deco period, ancient Aztec and
Mayan civilizations, ritual emblems, and Japanese textiles the brand highlights
an aesthetic of exotic sophistication.
Brass covered with yellow or rose gold is the canvas for
bold cuff bracelets, demure pendant necklaces, cocktail rings and statement
necklaces.
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| 24K Gold Plated Brass UKRU Inlaid Bone Bib Necklace with African Buffalo Bone |
Enameling details and lush gemstones like turquoise and
lapis provide wonderful color accents.
To date the duo has enlisted the know-how of craftsmen from ten
countries to produce not only their jewelry collections but also their scarf collection.
“Our search for artisan groups is dictated by a specific
technique we want to include. We well
research regions where that specific craft is part of the local tradition,”
explains Arbib.
“We like to use traditional techniques in new ways and that
is a process. We ask our artisans to
push their boundaries but Farah and I have to be flexible because every design
we envision is not possible due to technical issues. However, many fantastic pieces have come
about because the artisans found creative ways to address technical
limitations.”
Malik and Arbib’s ambition has not gone unnoticed. The CFDA recently selected them to be a part
of its 2014-2016 Fashion Incubator program that assists in the development of New
York-based designers.
“Ultimately our goal is to create employment for skilled
artisans working in places of socio-political strife. We want to elevate their products to the
level of high design for an exclusive and international audience.”
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| 24K Gold Plated Brass Freyja Open Cocktail Ring with Acurite Malachite |
2015 Jewelry Trend Alert: Arbib and Malik’s stunning, affordable fashion jewelry line covers many style trends this year: bold, metal cuffs; lots of yellow gold; vintage-inspired silhouettes; and statement necklaces. How does that grab you?
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