“Playful Spaces”: A Design Approach in Contemporary Jewellery

Abstract

In 1932, Gabriele Chanel (1883–1971) presented an unprecedented jewellery collection at the Bijoux de Diamants exhibition (London), inspired by stars, planets, and comets, working in partnership with Paul Iribe (1883–1935) and producing transformable pieces in precious materials. This idea of changeability was explored by other jewelers or companies such as Van Cleef, but after the middle of the 20th century, we assist to changes greatly stimulated by artistic fields and by the desire to transform the society that will be reflected not only in language but also in materials and techniques. This theme is still pertinent to us. With one single object, we can answer to different occasions and aspirations. Jewellery can be an extension of ourselves, communicating our personality, our moods and breaking at the same time with the tendency to a standardization very present in the fashion field. The present collection entitled “Playful spaces” is part of a post-doctorate in Design called “Possible but improbable spaces” developed within the CIAUD (Lisbon School of Architecture, Universidade de Lisboa). Architecture and nature are our concepts, side by side with the manipulation of volumes and masses and its possible games of transformation. The present objects resulted from the construction of a system of fitting so-called mobile elements that were replicated in all components of the same collection to make their appropriation more intuitive and playful for the user. The same solution was applied to more mimetic scales.