Fringe Benefits: Simon Alcantara

The name Simon Alcantara is a familiar one. Although I haven't seen or heard much of his work in the last couple of years or so, images of his past collections are etched in my brain, as I recall his pieces which were uniquely created from bone, shell and various stones. I'm excited to see his name again along with his gorgeous designs!




Weaving fringe out of precious metal is no easy feat but if there’s one artist who’s mastered the task, it’s Simon Alcantara. The jeweler, who has collaborated with fashion houses such as Oscar De la Renta, J. Mendel and Balmain, says the trick lies in patience and time. (Just think how tangled those strands can get!) While his stringy delights are stunning, Alcantara is still best known for mixing precious materials with natural ones like bone, exotic woods and leather to create sensual, tribal-like pieces. On a recent visit to his New York studio, I tried on a fringe bracelet from his Cosmic Samurai collection and, honestly, it was hard to part with.

(Atricle & Images: wmagazine.com)