Artistic Pulse of Milano Jewelry Week – A Report
Two days were certainly not enough to fully indulge in the beauty of the exhibits and the energy of the meetings at Milano Jewelry Week. In October, the Italian fashion capital transformed into the jewelry capital. The MJW program included events and presentations in as many as 40 locations – the heart of Milan was taken over by artists and enthusiasts of shimmer, among them, of course, was your favorite reporter, Agata!
I embarked on my Milan conquest adorned in beloved sparklers. Alessio Domenico’s chains are a hit in my collection – I love styling them in various ways: with a flowing dress or as part of a “power look” with a suit. My spectacular earrings, a wonderful gift from AMLE, also garnered many compliments. The rainy weather wasn’t ideal for running around the city in heels, but… as I bravely hopped over puddles, rushing to MJW’s next meetings and events, I felt the approving gaze of Carrie Bradshaw upon me.
Festival of Artistry
Milano Jewelry Week isn’t a closed, business event, though the majority of attendees are representatives of the glimmering industry. The Jewelry Week is more of an energetic festival, its spirit seizing the entire città – it’s no surprise that the city council is the main sponsor. MJW has three main sections. Talent Show features jewelry designs by young creators – I always support initiatives promoting newcomers – it’s a chance to discover true uncut diamonds! The open-to-public exhibit The Jewelry HUB included the latest collections from niche brands. Oh, there was so much trying on and discovering, I tried to document the most interesting finds on Instastories, but remember, that’s just a modest slice of the big, glittering cake!
Agata-Sroka and Agata-Sculptor (you might remember that’s my trained profession!) went wild during the Artistar Jewels showcase. In this section of MJW, organized in the elegant interiors of Palazzo Bovara, creators from the realm of artistic jewelry presented their work. My eyes nearly popped out at the sight of jewelry masterpieces by designers from around the world. Jewelry loves symbols and myths, and stories are told in the language of gold, diamonds, pearls. The stunning dragonfly brooch by Chinese designer Zuo Na, epic sculptural scenes by my favorite, the energetic Alessio Boschi (who was the star of this part of MJW), an incredible ring depicting a hedgehog battling a snake by Simone Mencherini Gioielli – an absolute masterpiece in material combination and finesse, surreal body jewelry from Rorofrose – in my magpie heart mixed awe, enlightenment, and surprises, and my phone camera was heated to red.
And the MJW Award Goes to…
The program’s climax was the MJW Awards gala. In Milan, jewelry creators were honored in many categories, awarding innovation, design artistry, and the most interesting debuts among others. Congratulations to all the winners, but particularly etched in my memory is Marine Billet from Incarnem, who received the Best in Creativity award from the magnificent Laura aka Donna Jewel. The unique gold cast hand ornament became viral during MJW. I’m sure we’ll soon see this marvel on one of the popular singers or at the next MET gala.
My visit to Milano Jewelry Week lasted just two days and honestly, I boarded the plane feeling utterly unsatiated. The program was an excellent, inspiring mix of styles and categories: from fashion jewelry, through brilliant artistic jewelry shows, to luxurious collections of renowned houses. I stretched time and space to its limits, wanting to meet all the wonderful creators and acquaintances. It’s hard to control the schedule and stick to set meeting times when you can’t stop listening to the phenomenal projects of Filipe Araújo (obrigada, Filipe!), enjoy the smile and creativity of Alessio Boschi, try on all the novelties from Aniris Jewelry (definitely follow the achievements of Dubai’s brand Anity!), absorb for hours the stories of inspirations of Aztec patterns by Caroline Erb, exchange delights with my partner-in-crime Dalila from The Unique Show… I promise that my next visit to MJW will definitely be longer!
