Werkstatt:München – 2016 / 2017

And so today my world it smiles, your hand in mine we walk the miles…

Rather than decorative elements, jewelry expresses an aesthetic possibility that few observers have ever noticed: its ability to touch people.

The conceptual inspiration for Werkstatt:München’s 2016/17 collection were fragments. Memories and emotional traces are not used as cold references, but integrated in the design and the production process, imbuing the jewelry with new stories that are visible and invisible at once. Entwined with industrial craftsmanship, Werkstatt:München used antique metal stamps for fragments of early jewelry production to embellish the pieces, adding new elements to its signature symbolism. In Klaus Lohmeyer’s creative universe craft, art and music are seamlessly connected, hence the lyrics of Led Zeppelin’s song “Thank You“ were engraved on different tools like mills or anvils to be reflected as fragments on the pieces’ handcrafted surfaces. Some quotes from the famous ballad were directly engraved on the jewelry in an elegant handwriting. Far from being redundant, the text often can only be felt by touch as the traces of rusty vintage anvils make it hard to read; the words are there but as private memories, like any of the subtle and precious details that define Werkstatt:München’s understated luxury. Furthermore, the song also inspired the pendants with guitar picks and silver buttons similar to the pins sold in rock concerts or music shops, reworked by Lohmeyer into fine brooches-inspired pieces.

Each of Werkstatt:München jewelry has a certain tactile appeal that falls between sculpture and garments. Shaped by utilitarianism combined with the most refined crafts skills and a unique aesthetic sense, Werkstatt:München’s pieces are made to be worn. In this context, the brand presented a series of pioneering glass frames that typify Klaus Lohmeyer’s very ultimate piece of jewelry. From earpieces to nosepads, the frames are entirely handmade in sterling silver. The experimental glasses feature high standard lenses that are capable to sense and react to varying light conditions. This project eventually led to a collaboration with Barcelona-based, German-Persian artisanal fashion designer Boris Bidjan Saberi. For the Boris Bidjan Saberi AW16 show the frames were mounted on a headband with a flip-up design at once futuristic and vintage.

With everlasting taste and subtle innovation, Werkstatt:München designs perfectly balances formal perfection and emotional content.

  • Werkstatt:München – 2016 / 2017

    Article by
    Cecilia Musmeci

    Published

    Photography

    Cecilia Musmeci
    Zika Liu

    Special Thanks

    Klaus Lohmeyer