We’ve gone all in on spring flowers over here, and no bloom is more representative of the season than the delightful daisy. It’s no wonder we often see it embellished with a smiling face—this happiest little flower always appears to be smiling, even without the smile drawn on.
Irresistibly charming, the daisy is one of my favorite flowers—and now, thanks to Polly Wales, it’s the centerpiece of the jewels I can’t get out of my head. These sweet babies are anything but twee, though—their rock ’n’ roll edge reads true, the mark of a designer confident in her aesthetic.
Back in September I wrote about Wales’ ClusterF@&$ collection, one of those heartily coveted lines that are bucket-list material. Well, the Los Angeles–based designer has done it again, with daisy arrangements that bring a spring twist as only the Polly Wales brand can. Some pieces marry the brand’s signature styles—the signet ring, for example, has both its clusters and a sprinkling of its Confetti—and you’ll instantly recognize the skulls, looking like an ode to the Day of the Dead.
“We are the antithesis of a fashion- or trend-driven brand, but I agree that daisies are definitely having a moment,” says Wales, who creates her jewelry along with partner James Firman, who joined the studio in 2013.
“When I first designed the ClusterF@&$ collection, I was driven by a desire to lift the stones off the surface—to liberate them and allow them to sing and shine,” Wales tells JCK. “I often imagined them caught mid-dance, twirling and alive. As the clusters evolved, I tried to ignore the potential of the obviously happy, little daisy faces shining up at me, their saccharine voices begging to be heard.
“But just like the artist Murakami, those voices got the better of me,” she continues. “Now they twinkle like little kittens in a teacup, lovingly crafted and dazzlingly cute. And just like Murakami, many of these pieces have a darker side—we have married pink, yellow, and rainbow daisies with our iconic skull pieces.
“We couldn’t have brought these pieces into our world without the design influence, craftsmanship, and ingenuity of my partner James,” says Wales. “He designed the original skull pieces, and he casts all of our jewelry in-house amidst the flowers at the bottom of our garden.
“Retailers and customers are loving the new daisy pieces—everyday studs and statement rings alike. The daisy skull padlock is at the top of many wish lists this season, and as always, our stores can’t help themselves for anything rainbow.”
Top: Daisy skull ring in 18k yellow gold with multicolor sapphires; Polly Wales
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