Text: Dana Cristina Malaescu
Fashion Editor at The Fashion Tag
Photos: Danielle Freiman, Jose Marin
Sometimes all you need is a glimpse of someone’s work to fall in love with it. To assume that art comes just in paintings for instance is of pure ignorance. Art is part of our lives more than we could imagine and even the plainest clothing item or accessory we wear comes from a story, from someone’s state of mind, spirit and talent. All this plunging talk into fashion meets art brings me to one of the most coveted for pieces of all times – Jewellery.
Jewellery defines style, and tells stories of both the person wearing them as of the artist creating them. Such an artist – with an avid thirst for exploring it all jewellery wise is Jose Marin. Born in Valencia in 1965 he was introduced to the art of jewellery through his father, who was a goldsmith. It was in his father’s shop he fell in love with stones, metals and the limitless ways in which all these could tell stories and transpose his moods later on in life. At the young age of 13 Jose Marin started studying the Art of Jewelry and would perfect his craft from a very early age under his father’s influence and guidance. Throughout this period in Valencia he worked and stole craft from the best artists in town, only to later on pursue and perfect his dream and talent.
Jose Marin is the master jeweler who, at the moment is interested in jewelry as a form of dialogue and confesses that „to me a jewel is a novel we write between the viewer and me.
I think of a story and turn it into a gem, and the only clue I give is in the title. I love teasing this unconscious act when someone shows somebody one of my pieces: they first read the title and it automatically displays a situation and completes the story to their idea.”
What happens though when you mix talent, hard work and education? You get pure art and pieces with great value. It’s an act of creation perfected through time. Jose Marin is no exception and took no shortcuts from this road hence his success today. He learned the craft of jewelery from 3 Major figures in his life.
His father was the one who introduced him to the art of forging gold and it was during these years he perfects the jewelery style of Valencia, with baroque and floral inspired pieces, made from platinum and gold leaves in a very traditional technique, unique and specific for Spain. These pieces are exquisite and if you dare wonder where you could wear them, wonder no more. With the baroque trend making a huge come back on the runways last season, I think it’s safe to say these luxurious vintage looking opulent necklaces are here to stay. After all... such a piece is a style statement with whatever, or whenever you may choose to wear it.
He learns the art of riviere necklaces and bracelets later on from another teacher, and developes his style on various wire based pieces. And last, but not least he was taught by his last professor how to work with the back of the jewelry and create openwork plates with drawings and holes in them. He was working with stones and creating various shapes: stars, triangles, and more. He also studied superior technical design jewelry to become a qualified teacher from 2001 to 2005.
All these have shaped and nuanced his artistic character, but his work and pieces are defined though his great talent and vision. He's a master of his craft and because of this he's got the freedom to play around with metals & stones until he creates what he feels.
All artists need to tell a story and Jose Marin is of no exception. But as all artists and creators he too has a few loves closer to his heart and places, moods or decades he lets himself inspired by. „I'm a lover of Renaissance, I am inspired by nature and architecture.”
Regarding his favorite metal Jose confesses that „since 2010 the Titanic has become one of my everyday metals along with gold, silver and precious stones.”
He says it's probably the challenge this metal has that makes him love working with it, turning every work-in-progress-piece into a journey. „Titanium is a great unknown, hard, tough and resists being manipulated. I work hand techniques always, I had to learn for myself all the secrets it contains.”
Since we can remember, jewelry has been a mirror of its times and women's guilty pleasure. From ancient times to today jewelery was worn, adored and reinvented in millions of ways.
It's a sea of accessories out there and choosing one is sometimes such a hard task, but nonetheless exquisite all the way. But what matters more when choosing a jewelery? Is it the price? The shape or the color? Or is it the story it tells? The art it bares?
According to Jose - the jewelry artist, it's the latter. He says there are three types of jewelry: the expensive, cheap and good jewelry, and the last thing a jewelry must have is valuable material.
In other words wear what you love, what ticks with you, because it's all about the artist and wearer relation, and as long as the piece is beautifully executed you can't go wrong with it.
I would assume the best part of today's fashion movement is the fact that individual style is encouraged, which is fantastic for both the artists creating as for the people wearing jewelry pieces. Classics will never fade and simplicity will always be in fashion, but today it's OK to choose statement pieces in wild colors, and one-of-a-kind metals, crazy cuts, beautifully worked.
Opulence, luxury, vintage-meets-glam or understated pieces are no longer overlooked but shine on catwalks, on celebrities, in magazines, in retail chains and everyday in street style.
This jewelery & fashion freedom is a blessing for both sides.
As a woman who adores edgy glamorous pieces and stands by creativity and art in all its forms, I must confess Jose Marin’s pieces are works of art, statement ones without being too extravagant.
Wicked shaped earrings and brilliant necklaces that literally make you double stare and crave for them.
His art in metal and stones is his story for us, that unveils with each look we take and each wear of the pieces. Not to mention the stories we can tell ourselves by styling all this amazing jewelry to our personality, lifestyle, events & looks.
Dana Cristina Malaescu, from The Fashion Tag.
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