Joomi Lim and Xavier Ricolfi at their New York City showroom.
Statement Jewels
Joomi Lim employs skulls, spikes and titanium for an edgy, high-end jewelry line.
story by DAVID YI
photographs by VICTOR CHU
It’s an early Friday afternoon, and jewelry designer Joomi Lim and her partner in business and life, Xavier Ricolfi, are running out of time. They’re conducting a meeting in their New York City showroom with a potential distributor, while simultaneously directing contractors on how to set up the lighting in the new space. They take time to speak with this reporter, before dashing off to an event at Saks Fifth Avenue to promote their line, Joomi Lim.
“It’s always this busy,” Lim says, chuckling.
Liu Wen and her best friend (diamonds!) in this latest campaign for Tiffany and Company.
Elaine Truong (left) and Jenny Bui(right) | photo provided by Calvin Eusebio
Meet Jenny and Elaine: together they own Antoinette’s Boutique, an online and non-profit store of handmade, vintage jewelry. The Boutique that’s only about a year old is divided into three sections: “handmade,” “vintage,” and “global.” These jewelries are either handmade by Jenny and Elaine themselves, made and sold by other local boutiques or online stores, such as Etsy, or they come from third world countries, which are made by the women there. Despite the fact that the idea of the company was created a year ago, they have created: partnerships with non-profit organizations and other similar jewelry stores, an up-to-date website that channels their vision of French chic-ness, and have already been mention in established publications such as, Teen Vogue, Seventeen magazine, and Pasadena Star News. Oh, and did we mention that they’re only sixteen and eighteen-years-old?
Continue reading for the full interview and for more pictures!
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Audrey Style — Stylemakers
EDITOR: Anna M. Park
- Tam Tran’s specialty — rose cut diamonds set in 22-kt gold bands, left — as well as a selection of antique diamond rings available at Lost Wax.
In a world of cookie-cutter diamonds, it’s hard to find an engagement ring that’s less about weight and more about gravitas. Thankfully, fine jewelry designer Tam Tran specializes in the relatively uncommon rose-cut diamond. “Rose-cut is an old stone cut used during Victorian times, before electricity,” says Tran. “The stone was cut with uneven facets to maximize the brilliance of the diamond when reflected from the low gas lights during this time period.”
In addition to customized ring designs (22 karat is her gold of choice), Tran offers a selection of antique diamond rings at her studio/boutique Lost Wax in New York City. But it’s more than just jewelry — the studio incorporates a wealth of raw materials and metals for customized wearable art or even jewelry-making parties.
Here is jewelry that makes a statement without being gaudy. Designed by Nina Steenwyk, NinaCristinaJewelry offers trendy handmade bracelets. Earrings and necklaces will also be available soon.
Ring-to-Wrist with Turquoise Spike Detail by NinaCristinaJewelry.
I took a dream vacation last month. Not to some tropical hideaway surrounded by crystal clear waters. Not to a romantic European capital overflowing with crumbling palaces and fine wine. No, I went on a shopping vacation. To Korea.
Shopping in Myeongdong, an old part of town revitalized with everything from nouveau Korean street food (french fry-covered corndog and french fries on a stick, anyone?) to cutting edge indie boutiques to Seoul's flagship Uniqlo store. Photo from flickriver.com.
For me, Seoul is the place to go to shop. Tokyo – too expensive. Singapore – too western. Hong Kong – too inconsistent. While Seoul may not be the bargain it used to be, the quality of goods and quantity of goods make it a shopper’s dream. So when my husband told me he was going on a once-in-a-lifetime Pebble Beach weekend with the boys, I took that as my cue to plan a once-in-a-lifetime-solely-to-shop-without-the-hubby trip with my mom.
It’s time for another edition of Summer Styling. This time around, we’re focusing on the dress code for our favorite kind of summer event—concerts!
Outdoor Concerts
Nothing screams summer like lying out on the grass and listening to some great music under the sun. Whether you’re hitting up a rave or listening to some local music in the park, you’ll never be out of style with these fashion tips.
ISSUE: Spring 2012
DEPT: Audrey Style
STORY: Anna M. Park
Indie rocker Meg Frampton has always been frustrated with jewelry. “I think jewelry should have special meaning and should remind the person of something positive. It shouldn’t just be a shiny rock on a chain,” says the 26-year-old, who once worked at a jewelry chain store. So she crafted a robot out of base metals and vintage watch parts and named it Chandler (yes, the one from Friends — Frampton’s one-time obsession).
“Chandler the robot is quirky, steampunk, a bit on the ‘industrial’ side with a classy-feminine edge,” says Frampton. She’s expanded the collection to include other iterations of the original (Stupendous Chandler is particularly adorkable), bringing her visions to life while on tour with her sister Dia and country singer Blake Shelton. Her love of the quirky spills over into the Korean-Dutch American’s personal style as well, who finds inspiration in the gothcute aesthetic of filmmaker Tim Burton. “I love it when fashion has personalities,” says Frampton. “Sometimes I like adding a little
‘darkness’ to an outfit.”
My feel-good outfit: Cute shoes and a vintage dress. Big earrings.
Wearing straight off the runway: Floral accents, wedges.
Can’t wait to wear: High-waisted cut-off denim shorts — because I live in Austin, Texas, and I can.
Style secret: Keep a pair of flats in your purse if you know you are going to be out for a whole evening, just in case your heels are killing you.
More stories from Audrey’s Spring issue here.
All right, I’ll be the first to admit it. Shopping for us picky Asian girls is no easy feat. Not only do you have to keep up with the Chongs, you may feel that you also have to able to read our minds to please us.
When it comes to pleasing an Asian girl, Valentine’s Day is definitely the time to do it, so listen up to these Valentine gift ideas:
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Seven Freedom 2 Express via www.shopsevennow.com
Are you carefree and adventurous or are you classy yet glamorous? Lola, Roxy and Zoie will help you decide!
These three fashion jewelry profiles will cater to your specific fashion needs according to your personality or mood, thanks to the new online accessory online store Seven Freedom 2 Express. Mina Patel and Riya Bhattacharjee created this web boutique to customize shoppers’ personal styles.
Beginning with Lola, the J.Lo inspired accessories swear by glamour, grace and charm while providing pieces that are elegantly structured to attract the sparkly ruby or sapphiric crystal fanatic. Roxy, in its complete opposition to Lola, thrives on the ideals of adventure and sponteity; priding itself in edgy and metallic fashion items such as geometric clutches and rhinestone studded snake watches. Zoie, emulating an easy-going spirit with the wind as her compass, is a line that offers pieces coated in earth, aerial and aquatic hues. Its turqouise gems and oak-spilled belts are a few examples of what would intrigue an “boho-chic” kind of mood.
You can purchase these especially tailored treasures here.
