It’s not easy being Canadian. As soon as you leave the country, everyone mistakes you for your all too powerful neighbor. And on the map of fashion, your North American homeland is mostly a blank slate, so Arielle de Pinto’s roots may hold some significance. But after all, her jewelry designs are way more interesting than her origins, especially considering her unique technique.
Her creations have a weighty feel and seem foreign yet familiar. Her method is crocheting by hand. Silver, gold and black strands are worked into designs, produced by the designer and her girl-team in Montreal. During de Pinto’s fine arts studies she lived in Montreal’s textile district where, little by little, she accumulated all kind of trimmings. Soon she began using them to play around and eventually crocheting led her to jewelry design. Without drawings or directions she began, guided only by her intuition. Her background in art is evident in some of her pieces, such as the facemasks that have both a hint of human countenance and animal expression. On the other hand, she also produces pieces that are reminiscent of classical jewelry like, for example, a tennis bracelet oriented design that which its diamond shaped elements provides an ironic play on material and convention.
Text > Nina Trippel
