The American jewelry designer debuts a range of men’s designs, all perfected in his expansive, experimental workshop
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
“I love the idea of taking something quite simple and rendering it in precious metal,” says Reed Krakoff, Tiffany & Co.’s chief artistic officer. The American designer and Parsons School of Design graduate — who spent over 25 years mastering his craft at such labels as Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren and Coach in addition to his own eponymous label — relishes nothing more than remaking functional household staples, like an empty tin can or first aid box, in impeccably polished sterling silver. Form and function are preserved, a dash of wit is added.
Now, after two years at the helm of the storied jewelry house, reworking collections to include casual variations with a modern point of view, Krakoff is applying his trademark elevated irreverence to a range of new men’s designs this fall. The collection debuts at the house’s boutiques and the Tiffany Men’s Pop-up Shop at The Grove (open through Nov. 27). Signet rings are inspired by celebratory sports rings; new sterling silver and 18-karat yellow gold eyewear is on offer; and there’s even a yo-yo rendered in American walnut. In addition, Dover Street Market Los Angeles will debut limited-release designs, including sterling cuff links and pendants with a tumbled finish.
At the heart of Krakoff’s new chapter for Tiffany is an open-plan, 17,000-square-foot Jewelry Design and Innovation Workshop, an under-the-radar oasis of rapid prototyping in Manhattan. In addition to setting precious stones and working with metals, its craftspeople utilized CAD software and 3-D printers and scanners to create the wax and resin models Krakoff and his team envisioned for the new men’s offerings.
“I started at the core of what Tiffany is known for in the men’s category: long-standing classics [such as] signet rings, ID bracelets, traditional cuff links, simple bands,” Krakoff says, adding, “I reimagined men’s jewelry using new silhouettes, materials and scale.” Inspired by Louise Nevelson’s monochromatic sculptures, Frank Stella’s color theory and the smooth geometry of Marc Newson’s industrial designs, Krakoff’s fresh, streamlined vision touches everything from the Tiffany T collection wedding rings to minimalist sterling beer mugs and flasks in the Tiffany 1837 Makers line. The result is a clean sweep.
Feature image: Accessories from the new TIFFANY & CO. men’s line, including the Flight bag (top right), $2,200.
This story originally appeared in the Fall/Winter 2019 Men’s Edition of C Magazine.
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