Make a subtle statement with retro accessories
Retro accessories have made their way back into the world of handmade luxury for seekers of artisanal beauty, writes Daniel Scheffler
The world is in a deep reflection. From fashion to food and all the way to the ubiquitous mum-and-pop retail stores and old-school barbers, life is looking back as a respite to the turbo speed it has taken on. Fast-moving technologies and hyper-modernity have left people longing for the familiar and the comforting, resulting in the tremendous rise of retro all over.
"Fashion has frequently had an element of nostalgia - just think of the way that the empire lines of the early 1800s idealised the dress of classical Greece and Rome. But contemporary fashion is probably the most retrospective of all," says Pnina Fenster, style icon and editor-in-chief at South Africa, who won the South African Style Award at the annual competition's 13th edition.
"[This is due to] several reasons: we have more to draw on and more resources at our fingertips; period movies and TV shows have had a massive influence on current style; and, yes, the past is another country in which things just look prettier. Finally, the tactility, romance, individuality and eco-consciousness of vintage touches have a special resonance in the age of mass production, fast-changing trends and instant access."
"Handcrafted luxury items take time to produce, and time is the greatest luxury," says Emma Parker, a London designer and owner of the jewellery brand Alexandra. It takes a real artist or craftsman's patience and skill to produce luxury accessories, and, according to Parker, "nowhere is this dedication more apparent than in the crafting of collector's items where intricate handiwork indicates devotion".
In addition to the time and dedication required to craft these pieces, consumers are also deeply interested in their history. "More and more, I think about how our objects relate to our ideas. Growing up, my favourite jewellery were the retro pieces I inherited because they were meaningful," says Elizabeth Suda, founder and CEO of ARTICLE22. "I look at [the brand's] designs as history's heirlooms. Our new bomb shard necklaces tell the story of the presence of the 80 million unexploded bombs in Laos that plague farms and forests today - they don't only draw you in with their distinct beauty, but they also have a far greater story to tell."
From exquisite parasols and hand-decorated handkerchiefs to sculpted canes and sock suspenders, the world of forgotten handcrafters is finding light again. "There is this definite search for distinctive and unique handmade pieces in order to liberate traders and craftsmen who champion individuality and have unfortunately suffered at the hands of mass consumerism," Parker explains. In a homogenised, interconnected world, the thorough and new-again appreciation for beautiful handmade objects stemming from individual cultures is unsurprising.
Fine parasols and umbrellas are always methodically made by hand, and in Paris the brand Heurtault, with Michel Heurtault as the imminent couture umbrella designer, is where the world's bespoke items are sourced. Heurtault refers to the art of umbrella-making as "alchemy", with a particular attention and respect to the silk's tension. It is guaranteed that they will "never make an umbrella that will turn inside out". The business, hidden in the French capital, only creates about 200 umbrellas per year and uses maple, ebony, rosewood, leather and even animal heads as it constructs these masterpieces for seekers of pure artisanal beauty.
Umbrellas date back to the antique civilisations of Persepolis and were first seen handled by a servant of King Xerxes of Persia and later by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Xian, with his terracotta warriors steering it for him - both with material stretched out and spokes holding it all together elegantly.
