Tom Binns - Jewelry Designer

[MissMagAddict]

Source | Chicago Tribune: Style & Trends | May 22, 2008

Less is more? Forget it.

When it comes to designer Tom Binns' jewelry, it's more and more and -- oh yeah, more.

One encrusted beauty, a "crystal garden cuff bracelet," is low-key compared with many of the designs that have made Binns the beloved naughty boy of high-fashion accessories.

His work mixes dripping skulls, rusty keys and broken "bits and baubles" of old costume jewelry with more precious items. It adorns the slim bodies in the chicest of glossy high-end fashion spreads.

"I'm sort of undermining the previous notion of what's fashion and what's jewelry," he says. " 'A few old pieces of discarded junk and tie it around your neck.' It's a very simple equation."

Binns describes his oeuvre as "alchemy." "Turning junk into gold," he calls it. You can almost imagine him, Rumpelstiltskin-like, jumping up and down with glee in his Venice, Calif., studio (tombinnsde sign.com).

"I use a lot of old stuff and just rubbish and other people's jewelry. Whatever comes to hand, really. I just go to flea markets, pick it off the street and just sort of reinvent it."

Clothes on the runway today are "stupid" and "dull," says Binns, but sling on "a fab piece of jewelry and you're up and running. That's what I'm trying to do."

One bracelet, reproduced in a New York factory from an original Binns created out of old junk jewelry, goes for nearly $1,000 at Neiman Marcus. Other originals (Chicago's Ikram boutique carries his line) can cost even more. Boasts Binns, who came to the United States from Northern Ireland some 20 years ago, "It's going to get more expensive soon."

Despite this cheek, Binns last year received the highest of accolades from the American fashion establishment. Yes, establishment. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awarded him the prestigious Accessory Designer prize. He summarizes: "I recently have become part of the establishment, but I'm the loose brick in the wall."

[MissMagAddict]

Oxidized antique sterling silver, Swarovski crystal,
and Rhodium plated necklace

source | style

[MissMagAddict]

Hoop Earrings $880.00



Black Crystals w/Skulls Earrings $770.00



Black Crystals w/Skull Necklace $880.00

source | evanewyork

[MissMagAddict]

Numéro 92 April 2008
FORK EARRINGS
Photographer: Horst Diekgerdes
Stylist: Charles Varennes
Model: Karlie Kloss


source | scanned by taben

[wheneveriwakeup]

You all are welcome...
TY, MMA, for reminding me of Tom in Lisa Levine's thread...
He is so under-the-radar..
that he is sadly forgotten @ times...

He rly is quite influential..
So many great, up & coming labels/designers
are inspired by his works, which span 2 decades or so...
I had also forgotten how versatile he is...

Finally was able to get some photos from his site...

From the Real Deal collection...













source: tombinnsdesign

[wheneveriwakeup]

A few from the Couture collection...













source: tombinnsdesign

More later...

[softgrey]

versatile is a great word...
he definitely is no one trick pony...
over the years he has done so many things...

i confess that while he was in this most recent skull period i was less than enchanted...
i guess he goes in and out of that skull thing...
but the most recent one was particularly commercial and i found it less than interesting...


i particularly love what he does with rhinestones and how he often mixes them with other materials...



thanks for all the additional images guys!...



*side note...
i can't believe that intermix is selling tom binns......

[wheneveriwakeup]

^ Softgrey, I agree...
I had intentionally refrained from posting the scull pieces...
which happened to be the only accesible images on the web..
naturally..
I just found them so grotesque & trite..
Ugly, even...

[wheneveriwakeup]

Some of Tom's earliest works...













source: tombinnsdesign

[wheneveriwakeup]

More...













source: tombinnsdesign

[wheneveriwakeup]

Few randoms...













source: tombinnsdesign

[iLoveCouture]

Some random bracelets.

ebay

[MissMagAddict]

V52
CROWN & BRACELET
Photographer: Mario Testino
Stylist: Beat Bolliger
Model: Catherine McNeil


source | vmagazine

[Meg]

I had no idea he was hard to find, since to me he seems to be carried at a couple of places online like Kabiri and NAP and maybe even neiman's/saks? Anyway, i LOVE kabiri. It opened up in Marylebone about the time I was living there and they carry such a great and unique range of designers. Love Tom's work, but he seems to get a decent amount of press to me but maybe he's been going a lot longer than I've known of him and the press is more recent....

[wheneveriwakeup]

^ His career spans 20 years..
Older than me...
That is a good question, though...
Is his exposure in publications such as US Vogue
very recent or was it always so...?
Besides that, as Scott said, his pieces are quite singular...
Some may find them to be a bit much..
&/or diff to pull off...
But I think so many of his things would be stunning IRL...
Great conversation starters, too...

His earlier work is so gorgeous... so modern-looking...
Hard to believe it's from the 80s...
Esp. love the Bauhaus & Gustav Klimt inspired pieces...

Thanks for the contributions everyone...