Trash, Treasure, Junk, and Jewels

"Jewelry is always a treasure, and though it may not be made of gold and diamonds, it should still have that sentiment" -Tom Binns

Though I just discovered Tom Binn's jewelry from Style.com's Fall 2009 Accessory Report, this eccentric jewelry designer has been turning trash into treasure since the 1980's- he even collaborated with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren making pirate-themed pieces to go along with their New Romantic trend. He has been called the pioneer of junk jewelry with his 'more is more' aesthetic! He has a lot of different collections that offer such a wide rage of pieces from classic to punk. I just love costume jewelry, it's so much fun and can add so much to an outfit, without you having to pay a fortune for it. And I like how Binn's pieces have such a great spirit and attitude to them, they are edgy, bold, and definitely make a statement (He even designed a silver collar with the words 'Statement Piece' etched on it!). Here are 3 of his collections below, but you should definitely check out the rest of them at his site HERE.

Dumont:I love these chunky necklaces of intertwined chains and tiered gems, and the playful arrow piece is so great! Even though these gems aren't real I think they would still make me feel 'real good'! As Binn said, "It's actually the integrity that's precious, not the material. Value is not what they say it is, it's what you feel it is."

Tough Chic:This is my favorite of his collections, I love how he mixes skulls, crosses, and spikes, with gems and stones. I would probably wear every piece from this one!

Get Real:This collection actually started out as a joke but Binn ran with the idea- he used laminated magazine cutouts of jewelry, from Cartier to Lanvin, and arranged the 2-dimensional gems on a collar. "If you can't afford the real [stuff], you can have a paper cutout. It's virtual jewelry! I'm virtually rich!" he said about these pieces.


(Pictures from Style.com and Tombinnsdesign.com)