Jewellery designers in Wonderland

Posted March 09, 2010 |

The new Alice in Wonderland film is just one example of the power of media as a promotional tool for jewellery.

Inspired by the film’s gothic style, a number of jewellery designers have produced pieces based on characters and themes from the story.

Swarovski and Stella McCartney are two of the bigger names to have jumped on the Wonderland bandwagon.

Swarovski’s range is made up of rhodium-plated pendants adorned with colourful crystals. They reference the story’s tea party scene, as well as the characters White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat.

Stella McCartney has released a charm bracelet and necklace which reference characters the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and White Rabbit. The pieces include gold and pearls.

Disney Couture has also commissioned designer Tom Binns to produce two lines inspired by Alice’s adventures: a 6-piece collection of high-end jewellery and a more budget-friendly range of 35 pieces.

Binns’ extensive range includes rings, necklaces and bracelets featuring gold and silver-plated designs inspired by every character from the Mad Hatter to the Queen of Hearts.

In a press release, a Disney spokesman said: “Drawing inspiration from such creative works of art as Alice in Wonderland and collaborating with top designers like Tom Binns keeps Disney and our characters relevant.”

Jewellery designers are also recognizing the value of Hollywood for clever product placement strategies.

Alex Woo’s jewellery features prominently in the television show Gossip Girl, garnering attention not just for the designs, but for the symbolism each piece carries.

Woo’s designs have been used to tell stories about each character’s personality, giving his a work a significance beyond shameless product placement.

His “Little Number” necklaces are worn by some characters to symbolise their social ranking with the numbers “1”, “2” and “3”.

He has also designed a signature piece to be worn by one of the show’s main characters, which the show will reportedly use as part of a promotion for their upcoming season.

In a recent media release Woo said: “I love that Gossip Girl uses my jewellery to help tell the stories of each of the characters.

“It's exactly the reason why I designed the collections… each icon represents something special and meaningful to the wearer. It's all about telling your own story and making it personal.”

Hollywood isn’t out of reach for Australians either, with Bondi jewellery designer Samantha Wills recently announcing her work would feature on the big screen in Sex and the City 2.

A few years ago Wills was selling her wares at the Bondi markets.

Her steady rise in the jewellery industry was topped off when she met with an assistant to the film’s costume designer last year.

"They viewed our collection and chose 15 pieces to hold in the wardrobe department during filming,” Wills told the Sydney Morning Herald, adding, “it has been six months of crossed fingers that they would feature at least one piece, so we are ecstatic to get confirmation that Samantha Wills is going to be in Sex and the City 2."

"While it will be beyond exciting to see Samantha Wills on the big screen, from a business perspective, this is a really defining moment for the brand," Wills said.

Visit our image gallery for some of the highlights of the Alice in Wonderland craze.

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Image Gallery (9 Images)