The recession has hit people hard and has influenced many things including Kali Arulpragasam's 'CRA$H' collection of jewelry. This Sri-Lankan-born designer is now based in London and crafts a jewelry line that reflects the economic downturn in a fun Fresh Prince of Bel Air sort of way.
When asked why her necklaces were all pie charts and graphs, Arulpragasam's response was that she "wanted to do something that manipulates glitz and brings reality and misery into glamour. Even though the stones are selling something so miserable, it’s still fantastic. It’s a sort of clash that works really well, unemployment, homelessness, debt, statistics, numbers – the truth about the economic crisis."
Take a look at her CRA$H line in the above gallery.
Graph Necklaces
Kali Arulpragasam's Jewelry Collection 'Cra$h' Reflects the Recession
Trend Themes
1. Recession-inspired Jewelry - There is an opportunity for designers to create jewelry collections that reflect the current economic climate and offer a unique perspective on the recession.
2. Graphic-based Accessories - Using pie charts and graphs in jewelry design presents an opportunity to combine glamour with the representation of reality and social issues.
3. Merging Glamour and Misery - Exploring the juxtaposition of luxury aesthetics and somber themes enables designers to create innovative collections that challenge traditional notions of beauty.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Jewelry - The fashion jewelry industry can tap into the trend of recession-inspired collections by incorporating symbolic elements and narratives into their designs.
2. Creative Accessories - The creative accessories industry can adopt graphic-based designs and explore unconventional materials to create statement pieces that convey social and economic messages.
3. Luxury Fashion - Luxury fashion brands can embrace the concept of merging glamour with misery to create innovative and thought-provoking collections that resonate with socially conscious consumers.