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Fashion Jewelry: Catwalk and Couture, by Maia Adams, a new book in stores now covers 33 international jewelers who combine traditional techniques and ultra-modern methods to create noteworthy jewels. From craftsmen who create their own collections to those who've collaborated with the likes of Lanvin, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Comme des Garçons, the book talks about bedazzling from start to finish. We caught up with Adams and here's what she says about the project:

What does the book aim to teach fashion insiders?
As a body of work, designer fashion jewelry hasn't really been explored in great depth before. Jewelry in general is enjoying a fashion moment right now, but not many of us know about the people behind the scenes, whether they're creating lines for luxury brands or running their own labels. Many of them have never been interviewed before so I hope that the book will lift the lid on their working methods, inspirations and collaborative ventures.

In the book, jewelry is described as "enhancing individual styles." How does bedazzling
an ensemble with jewels reflect personality?
Like any aspect of image projection (from the way you decorate your home to the clothes
you hang in your wardrobe), the jewelry you wear says something about you, even if it's
just how you felt when you picked it out that morning. I see jewelry as a shorthand way to convey or evoke many things: humor, glamour, fetishism. And sometimes you just want to
wear something that looks nice and makes you smile!

What are your thoughts on jewelry designers collaborating with fashion designers?
Collaborations are great because there's a cross pollination of ideas that can give rise to something entirely new. In addition, collaborating with a big name brand often gives jewellers access to materials and finances that would otherwise be unavailable to them, it allows them to explore and experiment.

What makes someone a good jewelry designer?
Someone who's into problem-solving and exploration; a person who considers their work in the context of its end use, that is, how it will look on a person; an ability to edit and know when to stop. And if building a business is the goal, the ability to combine creativity with commercial viability is essential.

Here are five of Adam's considers meritorious:

	Florian: Florian edits his work beautifully. Where others would embellish, he cuts back and while he thinks very hard about what he's doing. He believes that the end result is the important thing. As he says, "To dismiss great aesthetic possibilities for a poor conceptual gag makes no sense to me."
	Scott Wilson: Scott has an amazing CV but is very modest about his work. Not all of what he does is jewelry in its purest sense, but it often bears the hallmarks of his jewellery training. His work is elegant, sleek and modern.
	Alexis Bittar: Alexis' career trajectory is the embodiment of the American dream. He made his name and his fortune with his Lucite jewelry. Despite presiding over a now global empire, he still hand carves every prototype himself.
	Bless: Not jewellers in the strict sense of the word, jewelry is just one of the many mediums they use to explore their often leftfield ideas. Their quirky sense of humour is evident in fur necklaces and USB cable jewellery.
	Natalia Brilli: Natalia uses a technique popular in the 1930s to wrap things in leather. From sea urchins to drum kits, the objects she works on are transformed into ethereal echoes of what they once were.

Check out Adams blog for more: www.thebibelotphile.blogspot.com