LITO KARAKOSTANOGLOU 

Lito Karakostanoglou is best known for her series of evil-eye-inspired rings, bracelets and pendants. Each surreal-looking eye is hand-painted in a village outside Moscow, so no two are the same. But there’s more to the boho-luxe collection, which debuted in Canada at Holt Renfrew this season, like her series of dazzling cocktail rings topped with multi- faceted gemstones. The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up a ring is that the stone seems loose in the setting and shifts as you move your hand. This is intentional, says the designer. “I wanted the stones to ‘breathe’ and have light go through them,” she says. There’s another reason for this atypical design: When you wear two or even three rings on one finger, the gems nestle together, “like a bouquet,” adds Karakostanoglou. Who needs flowers?

 

TILLY MACALISTER-SMITH OF @EARAFTEREAR

Tilly Macalister-Smith is unabashedly obsessed with earrings. “They’re made for the selfie,” says the writer, who is based in London, England. “You get a dose of personality and product in one shot — there’s nothing more intoxicating.” Macalister-Smith shares this love for studs and hoops on her dedicated Instagram account, @earafterear. So what’s on this connoisseur’s radar at the moment? One: artsy gold earrings. “With her collection at Chloé, Natasha Ramsay-Levi proved that big dripping and twisted pieces of molten-looking gold are still a trend.” And two: pearls, particularly by Sophie Bille Brahe, “the master of the modern and minimal approach.” And for the non-pierced ears out there? “Charlotte Chesnais makes some beautiful sculptural ear cuffs that can only be described as ‘face furniture.’” Hit “follow.”

 

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Plated metal allows Corbo to create her unique, subtly organic shapes without the hefty price tag of traditional fine jewellery.  Image by: Lisa Corbo

LISA CORBO

When stylist, buyer and fashion-industry insider Lisa Corbo launched her eponymous jewellery line last year, she had one particular material in mind: plated metal. Called ottone in Italy (where the jewellery is made), it allows Corbo to create her unique, subtly organic shapes without the hefty price tag of traditional fine jewellery. “It’s the best of both worlds: You can buy a special piece and make it easily translatable into everyday life rather than saving it for once-a-year-occasion wear,” says Corbo. The items, from bold flat-chain bracelets to artfully curved cocktail rings, are meant to stand out and are certainly a departure from the current trend of delicate jewels. “I love the return to statement pieces that are not trend-driven but are definitely style-forward,” she says. We couldn’t agree more.

This article first appeared in the February 2019 issue of ELLE Canada.