whitewave: Katherine Wardropper

Katherine Wardropper

Katherine Wardropper is an incredible English designer who has created a unique look to her work; she has brought a new edge to jewellery as well as interiors and fashion. Through her work she has managed to become someone everyone in the fashion and design world is watching. By winning awards to having her work appear in many magazines around the world she has undoubtedly proved that she deserves to be a well known name in the design world.

Katherine Wardropper is not a trained jewellery designer but she has managed to create incredibly wearable jewellery pieces from textiles. Wardropper graduated with First Class Honours in textiles from Chealsea College of Art and Design in 2004. Only 3 years after her graduation she had won 4 awards for her work; the Bellhouse Foundation Award in 2007, Arts Council England in 2007, PULSE in 2007 awarded for ‘the Most on Trend Product’ and the Larusmiani Prize awarded for "Originality and Innovation". The Bellhouse Foundation Award was a grant for studio space at Cockpit Arts. This is a huge accomplishment for a designer that had just graduated college. I can only hope to be close to where she is in her career after I graduate from college, she very cleverly and skillfully made a name for herself in short space of time.

Katherine Wardropper works towards making 3D, sculptural pieces that can still be wore as rather magnificent jewellery. It does that a lot of courage to wear her pieces, they are not jewellery pieces for the faint of heart. Wardropper says that 'Instead of adding a piece of jewellery to an outfit, the jewellery itself is the outfit.’ And this is so true, her works are all statement pieces, be it the commercial line or the more extravagant pieces.

The piece above is part a collection using winter colours.

This picture is one of Wardropper’s pieces up close, in this you can see the minute detail that goes into making a piece like this. Her technique is impeccable, by using bands of silk fabric she creates these tiny little swirls and twirls, and she then puts them all together to create the amazing structures.

The twirls are resonant of the paper technique called quilling, which consists of twirling paper using a little fork like instrument. Using a similar technique with fabric Katherine Wardropper has created art with a new feel to it. As you can see in this picture Wardropper sometimes adds pearls or beads to her pieces to give them a bit more shine and ‘bling’. Her very extravagantpieces are normally white or cream coloured with added pearls in them, I feel as though the cream or white colouring helps the pattern and amazing technique show better. It is almost as if the designer wants to showcase the skill in the piece as well as show it’s over all beauty.

From what can be seen in the image above, Wardropper’s work requires delicate hands to create the intricate patterns, this is why all her work is hand constructed by the designer herself. She hasmanaged to make a rather flat material – the fabric, into very 3D forms. Wardropper has pushed the boundaries of the material she works in and by doing so she has create very unique wearable art.

Katherine Wardropper creates a variation of sizes and shapes of jewellery. She makes over the top, lavish pieces used in runway shows that can be made for commission as well as smaller, more accessible pieces that can be worn every day. She makes a variety of things such as brooches, hairpin, pendants and earrings. Wardropper also expresses that her bigger pieces can be used in interior design after as stunning wall hangings.

These two pieces show the difference between a more over the top piece and a simple pendant. The left image is actually three different necklaces layered onto of each over, this piece is part of her bridal collection; I think that her pieces are rather perfect for a beautiful fairytale wedding whereas theimage on the right shows a simpler pendant on a 9K gold chain, it has a very different feel than the bridal piece but they are both equally incredible. The bigger piece on the left shows off the detail in the piece, it is bolder and has a lot of character whereas the smaller piece shows off how well the piece looks aesthetically on the body, the simplicity of the piece help show off the model slender neck.

Even though the fabric used in the pieces are soft, Wardropper manages to create durable, strong and yet light weight jewellery. If the pieces were made out of silver for example they would weigh way too much and would be incredibly expensive to manufacture. The bigger, more exaggerated pieces would be rather uncomfortable to wear if they were made out of silver however the smaller pieces would be no problem. I feel as though the pieces would be beautiful in silver but I think that the coloured fabrics bring a completely new aspect to the pieces.

It is very easy to see where Wardropper gets her inspiration for her work. The jewellery can be recognized as drawing inspiration from 17^th century lace and Elizabethan ruffs. The folds in her work are very similar to the light density of the 17^th century lace. Her work is more elegant and softer than Elizabethan ruffs, I think that this helps cater to the modern customer’s needs.

Katherine Wardropper also pulls inspiration from fairytales and fantasy, this helps in creating a playful feeling in her jewellery. The styles can be classic and rather sophisticated but they can also be lighthearted with a contemporary feel, this means that her work is suitable for all ages. Her pieces bring some ‘extraordinary’ into your everyday life.

By often using different colours Wardropper is able to create different feelings when it comes to her work, sometimes she uses darker colours that have a high-fashion gothic feel to them whereas often her pieces are softer, more pastel colours that make you think of Mad-Hatter tea parties and Alice in Wonderland themes.

Katherine Wardropper has own website (www.katherinewardropper.com), and had been recognized as a designer to watch by some well known figures in the fashion and jewellery world, she has been publicized in magazines such as Vogue, Vogue Italy, and Marie Claire UK. Her collaboration with other designers for many events has brought her name out in the world. Below are some images showing her work being showcased in different magazines.

There are so many things I love and admire about Wardropper’s work, she managed to make a big name for herself and attract a lot of attention very quickly after graduation which I feel is something to admire in a designer. She has collaborated with many other designers in many different fields. Aside from this I love her work due to its large scale which creates a fantastical feel. The sculptural aspect of her work provides a different sense and feeling to the piece. My favourite and the thing I notice the most about Wardropper’s work is her use of the fabric to create amazing textures in the jewellery.

I feel as though the textures that the pleats and swirls create bring a whole new look and tactile feel to the pieces. I think that Katherine Wardropper has created something of true beauty and skill, I love her work.

References:

http://www.cockpitarts.com/designers/katherine-wardropper-4

http://notcouture.notcot.org/post/4364/

http://a-faerietale-of-inspiration.blogspot.com/2009/07/katherine-wardropper-sculpted-jewelry.html

www.stunning-pieces.com

www.katherinewardropper.com

http://www.londonjewelleryexports.com/Gallery/katherinewardropper.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katherine-Wardropper/135770368579#!/pages/Katherine-Wardropper/135770368579?v=info#info_edit_sections

www.kabiri.com

http://www.vogue.co.uk/jewellery/news/081127-katherine-wardropper-neckpiece.aspx/Gallery,Pearls

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/2007-06/070612-the-new-romantic.aspx

http://www.katherinewardropper.com/commissions.html