Tucked inside a small case at retailer Plukka’s booth at JCK Las Vegas was a collection of glittering pieces that riff on a celestial theme—the constellations, to be exact.
Korean designer Tana Chung, who partners with Hong Kong–based Plukka on manufacturing and distribution, uses golds, diamonds, and other precious gemstones to create beautiful, off-kilter designs that reference the jagged shapes stars make in the nighttime sky.
The delicate designs, which often affect sparkling spider webs, fall right in line with the emerging trend celebrity stylist Erica Cloud called “off-balance pieces that look a little messy” during a trend panel last week at JCK Las Vegas. Their lack of traditional balance is what gives these piece their edge.
Constellation necklace in gold with diamonds, $2,850
Chung studied fashion and product design “in an era of fortuitous ‘randomness,’ when you could still be discovered on the street,” according to her website. And the artist was at some point tapped to host a cable TV show. She began designing her own accessories to wear on screen, “to break free from the straitjacket of imposed style.”
The designer aims to create pieces with a “bright, festive feeling,” adding, “If my jewelry makes their face more pretty and bright, I feel really happy.”
Constellation “kite” diamond and emerald ring, $2,500
She’s prone to sketching forms hundreds of times—and even cutting out shapes from her notebook and holding them up to where they would be worn on the body—to gauge the potential success of a design.
Chung writes on her website that she “has no interest in the outlandish” and considers her designs “vivid sparks of girlish imagination.” Count us in.
Constellation earrings, $1,800
(Top: Constellation pink sapphire earrings, $9,100)
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