NEW YORK. This Tokyo-based artist visited the U.S. this winter to share his design style and techniques. A trained architect, Masaaki Takahashi traded stainless steel structures for wearable designs to follow in the footsteps of his jeweler father. Part of the lure: utilizing the YoseMono jewelry-making technique, using gofun, or ground seashell mud, to shape individual plated-brass-and-Swarovski-crystal styles. (Karat gold and sterling silver designs are made in more traditional fine jewelry methods.)
Its a technique that has been passed down through generations and cant be learned in school, explained Takahashi from an uptown hotel suite. It helps to keep the integrity of design sturdy.
Takahashis signature style, meanwhile, speaks to his university trainingsome of it spent in Finland. Minimalist linear designs feature marquise-cut stones, ample high-polish finishes, and neuron-and-synapse-inspired silhouettes along with the occasional and unexpected nature motif like giant koi on bubble-esque chain. Suggested retail prices start at $120 in his e-shop, and for an extra-fanciful treat, dont miss his tiaras.
Getting Personal
Tokyo-based designer Masaaki Takahashi works with little-known jewelry-making techniques and precious materials, but outside of his profession, he’s just like the rest of us. Here, Takahashi dishes on what he does when he’s not making jewelry. Do you know what he stocks in his refrigerator? Click on the image (which links to a video) to find out.
