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Jennifer Kellog's Casino Collection
This Jewelry Hits the Jackpot
By Catherine de Castelbajac
Photos by Luis Santana
Aug 6, 2002 -– Slot machines don't readily suggest jewelry, but Jennifer Kellogg's
latest collection "Casino" uses this theme as its inspiration.
The hot new designer/artist, whose fans include Kelly Osbourne, Todd Oldham, Robert Verdi
and Amy Sedaris, uses the six slot machine icons -- BAR, lemon, cherry, bell, orange, and
plum -- as the basis of her most recent creations.
The collection -- three bangle bracelets, a charm necklace, and stackable Bar rings of
sterling silver and enamel -- challenges the wearer to play the odds.
The bracelets, for example, are sold individually and the placement of each of the six icons
is different on each.
Worn in a set of three and twirled, the bangles operate like the wheels of the slot machine,
and the wearer has the same probability of "hitting the jackpot" as on the casino floor.
Kellogg, who grew up outside Washington D.C. and studied jewelry making at the prestigious
Rhode Island School of Design, has consistently used whimsy, exuberance and exaggeration in
her work.
She takes objects meant for adornment and infuses them with new, amusing, often surprising
ideas.
As an artist and creator, she finds inspiration from such disparate sources as the Periodic
Table of the Elements and marshmallow Easter bunny candy.
Her "Braille" Collection uses the raised dots of Braille language system to create both an
aesthetically beautiful object, and a powerful statement.
The bracelets are embossed with citrine, amethyst, peridot or rhodolite garnet in a pattern
forming the words "Feel your way." The rings say "Kiss."
The designer's sense of whimsy is also found in the "Diamond" and "Gemstones" collections.
These pieces (necklaces, pendants, bracelets, dangle earrings and rings) are created as
cartoon-like, one-dimensional versions of the traditional gemstones.
Kellogg uses sterling silver and enamel, or gold and opal to combine the sparkle of the real
thing with her own sense of hyperbole.
"My focus is on creating jewelry that is both witty and wearable as a personal adornment and
as a personal statement," Kellogg says in an interview from the Manhattan loft where she
makes her pieces.
Her "Flowers" collection does just that, as it challenges the wearer to create individualized
pieces using her own choice of fresh flowers.
Silver cups are affixed to a chain to provide the armature, and pins topped with
semi-precious stones fit into the middle of the flowers to give shine and stability.
Of course, when the flowers wilt, they can be replaced for a different look.
Jennifer Kellogg's work is available through her website,
www.jenniferkellogg.com,
and from selected retailers around the country, (listed on the website).
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