August 11, 2006

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We all need to thank Swatch for what they have done way back in the 80s and early 90s. Artist editions of mass produced items readily available to anybody sort of took off with them and their feather encircled watches. Not to mention their own in-the-house extreme creativity: I am still looking for that watch with a 3D mock grass strap populated with true-size bugs and no handles to mark the hours (it had moving rings instead)! Especially if you were a Euro kid in the 80s, Swatch is a mythical name synonymous of the freshest ideas. You may know that recently they have moved into making bijoux, after memorable past ventures like the sunglasses with interchangeable frames (oh so 80s!) and twin phones (one phone could double to two speakers and receivers for three-way conversations): I am so lucky to have a specimen of both. Swatch Bijoux is an expression of the time: the crazy functions of the 80s and 90s are partially set aside (no necklace turning into skateboard yet!) together with that “so flashy you are sure to be noticed” guarantee that was a Swatch trademark, to give room to a study on new materials and colours, remaining within elegant shapes and compositions (and same could be said of their recent watches as well as by the once overly colouful catalogues). Pretty boring, you think? Worried Swatch is plunging into detestable regularity? The brands slowly becoming a flag for turned-old-definitely-unfashionable-to-be-avoided junk? Think again: these are far from your boring regular ring, pendant or bracelet (either flea market or jewelry store) and some of their accessories are true expressions of the most interesting contemporary design! Just by looking at their current summer collection, I was hypnotized by the Tiki Beach set: seriously a super smart, totally fresh idea! Which could have been forked out by design geniuses of the like of Droog design or Victor And Rolf and sold for a hefty portion of your monthly wage. This “jewelry” is made of a very unlikely material: soft silicone rubber, cut out in an interlacing patter of hibiscus flowers and leaves. Nothing else: the silicone piece closes thanks to a hook in the same material that fits to size, and the plastic is molded in one single colour (black or turquoise). The set comes with one silicone ring and two twin bracelets that if attached one to the other double to create a choker. Simple. Yet, stunning: an idea you could see applied to furniture design or wall décor, declined into personal accessory. On top, multi functional. I just feel like adding: “who else if not them could think of this?” Definitely inspired by body art (black this can be easily mistaken for a tattoo), it very much resembles lace as well, making of Tiki Beach the "perfect accessory" for the Victorian look (goth or Parisian runaway inspired alike), both as wrist cuffs and as choker. Simple rubber turned into sexy silicone turned into a design piece: brilliant! What the male readership has to do with this? Well, it's an easy (and reasonably priced) pleaser for both your girlfriends: the preppy fashion victim you date during the day and that your parents have deemed aged ago as your future wife, and the tattoed+pierced punk girl you are oh-so-aroused by every single night. And the ability of pleasing every single body is not exactly what Swatch has been doing for the last couple of decades?

» Swatch official website+ shop (not selling Tiki Beach though)
» Unofficial Swatch online Shop selling this.

By Tacita in Clothing, Reviews