You have to admit the that the timing of Office Supplies, a jewelry design collaboration by Jacob & Co. and Virgil Abloh (artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear), which was announced in mid-March, is very apropos now that everyone is working in some sort of home-office situation.
The timing adds an undeniable layer of irony to the collection as well, given that its central motif is the paper clip. But pre-COVID-19, and at its core, the collection is about the creatives’ vision of an everyday item transformed into a contemporary piece of fine jewelry.
And while paper clips may not be as essential to your current day-to-day as say, high-speed internet, or the ability to move product and connect with colleagues and customers on a digital platform, it is one of those workplace supply-closet staples that, like Post-its and highlighter pens, is familiar—if mundane and verging on obsolete.
And that’s what makes it cool.
The collection consists of money clips, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces in 18k yellow, white, or rose gold. Each paper clip is engraved with “Office Supplies” to highlight the inspiration behind the collection.
“Jacob, for me, has always been innovative, particularly in the notions of merging design sophistication and the pop culture emanating from the streets,” said Abloh, who also serves as chief executive officer of Italian streetwear fashion brand Off-White, in a prepared. statement. “That lineage is the foundation for these new ideas I have designed within fine jewelry under the moniker of Office Supplies.”
Each piece within the Office Supplies collection is made-to-order, with a six-to-eight-week lead time. Clients can email officesupplies@canary—yellow.com to request an order form. Jacob Arabo and Virgil Abloh will personally oversee every order submitted.
“We are so excited about this project,” says Jacob Arabo, founder of Jacob & Co., in the official announcement. “To use something ubiquitous like the paper clip and transform it into a beautiful object was a real challenge, [but Abloh and I] have been friends for a long time, and his inventive mind, his incredible sense of design and fashion, and his energy have been a real revelation.”
Top: Paper Clip bracelet with approximately 7 cts t.w. micro-pavé fancy yellow diamonds in 18k yellow gold, price on request
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