You might recall that during my jaunt to Antwerp I was fortunate enough to be walked through the soon to be launched RA concept store. As we wandered through the huge, exciting space Dan The Scout talked us through the array of design talent (Gareth Pugh, Damir Doma, Juun J, Frank Leder, Ute Ploier, Material Boy, Makin Jan Ma, Peter Jensen and Katie Eary to name but a few) which left us motionless, tongues out, salivating like hungry stray dogs. A few months down the line and the store is just about to close the doors on it's first exhibition in Paris (it runs up until 27th at Galerie Foret Verte). The presentation is a unique display of emerging Antwerp talent in an independent fashion and art exhibition. It features the AW10 collections of young designers alongside innovative artistic installations and one designer in particularly who has caught my eye is Sayaka Yamamoto...
You might recognise the name Sayaka Yamamoto because she is one half of BCXSY together with designer Boaz Cohen. However, if you are anything like me this is the first you've heard of this design talent and in that case I should share her bio with you. Sayaka Yamamoto was born in Japan and she graduated from the Hiko Mizuno Jewelry Collage in Tokyo in February 2005. Since then Sayaka has been living in the Netherlands and has graduated from the department of Man & Identity at the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2008. Sayaka’s projects, Little Wonders and SKIN have recently been presented during Dutch Design Week. However, for the opening of RA in October, the designer created a special edition of her jewellery, Penna and it these floaty light accessories which caught my eye. Each of the butterflies designed in to brooches have the initials R or A, everything from Arctic Blue to Rural Skipper...
The life cycle of a butterfly is a remarkable series of changes between seemingly very different forms culminating in the emergence of a butterfly. Throughout nature there are fantastic and fascinating occurrences of many kinds. The metamorphosis of an egg to a butterfly is just one of those wonders that fascinated me as a nipper. I used to spend hours running around the garden with my fishing net trying to catch a butterfly but alas, I was too slow. Sayaka Yamamoto's creations should be easier to catch. Similarly, Yamamoto grew up in the countryside, close to the world of the insects fascinated by their variety of shapes, colours and behavior. This project attempts to evoke those same childhood feelings using imitative materials to recreate the beauty and diversity of the butterfly.
The life of a butterfly is both beautiful and short. I remember reading a quote from someone far cleverer than I, who declared 'butterflies to be self propelled flowers'. So, why not make them immortal and immobile before attaching them to your lapel? As we catch our breath from the first onslaught of fashion weeks, look books and press days with the second batch fast approaching, it is time once again to celebrate the finer details of menswear and these brooches certainly fit the bill. They could be used to transform any mundane, disheveled or aging garment in to a conversation piece. It is all about the finer details and having a little fun whilst getting dressed each morning. I am all a flutter for Yamamoto's jewellery.
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