The Villa Madama Collection: Lookbook

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THE VILLA MADAMA COLLECTION


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Meet Matthew Infused with inspiration from countries worldwide and his background in sculpture, jewelry and architecture, American designer Matthew Campbell Laurenza blends experiences and cultures to produce unique and distinctive jewelry designs. Born in Colorado, Matthew lived in New Mexico and Texas as a child before moving to Kentucky where he finished high school. He began his studies at Savannah College of Art and Design pursuing a degree in architecture and interior design. Realizing that architecture had creative limits, Matthew transferred to Bellarmine College and adjusted his focus to pursue a degree in Fine Arts with a specialty in sculpture. Although no longer pursuing architecture, he applied the concepts of design and construction to his sculpture projects and began to construct breathtaking jewelry designs. Every piece of jewelry is art. The carving of the wax, the placement of stones, the use of color and texture, the profile—all of these elements combine to create a miniature sculpture to be worn and become a part of someone’s daily life. As a part-time expat for the last 17 years, Matthew splits his time between Asia, the United States and the multitude of countries he visits. His non-stop travel schedule means that he is frequently in as many as five or six countries within a single month. As Matthew travels, he makes time to see the sights, experience the local culture, and visit the museums—all of which serve as a starting point for his designs. The old adage that ‘history repeats itself’ draws Matthew to historical design periods. The art deco, renaissance, modernism, arts and crafts and other movements hold special appeal. Artists are a product of their environment. We are sensitive to what has come before us, and acutely attuned to what is happening around us. My travels have informed and shaped everything I do and in return, I bring a new point of view and an invigorated energy to the design process. Matthew uses these strong influences and blends them with modern and refreshing nuances to develop opulent designs. Matthew Campbell Laurenza’s woman’s collection launched at Bergdorf Goodman in 2007 and was introduced shortly thereafter at Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, and other high-end luxury retailers. Today, the brand is in 36 markets and sold through more than 100 retailers worldwide including cosmopolitan centres such as London, Hong Kong, Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, Paris, Tokyo, and Moscow.

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M.C.L Craftsmanship M.C.L by Matthew Campbell Laurenza embodies Matthew’s belief in superb craftsmanship. Each piece stands as a work of art and is crafted in its own unique way. Our jewelry is all hand made—from the designs to the wax carving, construction, gem-setting, polishing... absolutely everything from concept to customer. With a 6-8 month design period for each style, quality control is critical at every stage to preserve the distinctive M.C.L signature aesthetic. Our natural stones are sourced from around the world—rough stones are chosen by certified staff and cut by the finest stonecutters to ensure optimum clarity and beauty. The difference in origin of the stones gives each design a particular surface texture, color gradient and unique identity. As Matthew explains: Different regions produce different colors in even the same kind of stones. For instance, the amethysts we see in Brazil take on a deep violet hue where as those sourced from Africa have a paler color to them. Our jewelry is sculpted entirely from 925 sterling silver then plated in black rhodium, which is both durable and comfortable for those with allergic reactions to the precious metal. Certain pieces are plated in 18k gold vermeil. These traditions will always be a cornerstone of M.C.L craftsmanship. Recently we expanded our range of wearable sculpture to include pieces that are carved from sustainably sourced materials, including horn and wood. Each and every piece of M.C.L jewelry is hand made and individually hand set with only the finest sapphires, rubies and semi-precious gems. We strictly forbid the use of adhesive products to set stones. The refined technique of hand-setting not only provides for the secure setting of our gemstones, it results in better texture and a greater sparkle to our finished pieces. The method also ensures that no two pieces are exactly alike. The differences are subtle, but when viewed with a keen eye you will see that these subtle differences reflect the unique character of each individual item and the considerable care taken during production.

Our Signature Style We create wearable sculpture, ornate pieces that exude a bohemian-luxe spirit. Our signature aesthetic distilled into a single word: vibrant. M.C.L jewelry makes daily accessorizing a bright and powerful part of a woman’s style. We believe that every piece of M.C.L jewelry makes a statement. They are designed to be noticed. And our signature can be found in the choice of vivid enamel coloring, the radiance of our genuine sapphires, the creamy luster of a freshwater pearl or the earthy elegance of semi-precious gemstones, all of which are ethically sourced from around the world.

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The Villa Madama Collection As the days grow longer, the sun’s warmth strengthens. It brings life and soon colors herald the arrival of Spring’s sweet blush. Thinking about nature—gardens in general and one in particular—influenced this collection. On a recent jaunt to Italy I had the pleasure of visiting Villa Madama, situated on a picturesque hill just outside of Rome, Italy. Built during the Renaissance, the villa is well known for its architecture and surrounding terraced gardens. Those gardens have a rich history. They influenced not only Italian architects but also the French who adopted the Italian style of ordering and taming nature into structured geometric plantings and pathways. That idea that nature can be captured and molded to aesthetic perfection has stuck with us, and anyone with a green thumb will tell you that it is a never-ending pursuit—gardens left untended revert back to their natural form with unruly vines and flowers growing wherever warmth and water provide nourishment. As I approached this collection, the use of natural materials such as horn, coupled with my signature blend of sapphires and other semi-precious stones hand-set in sterling silver struck me similarly. For me, The Villa Madama collection is a snapshot of the multitude of inhabitants that populate a garden, whether it be fantastically overgrown and wild, or carefully nurtured and formed into an orderly paradise. Whatever your preference, enjoy the newest collection from M.C.L.

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About M.C.L Jewelry M.C.L creates wearable sculpture, ornate pieces that exude a bohemianluxe spirit. Their unique and versatile styling blends classic influences with contemporary design. Every piece of M.C.L jewelry makes a statement. They are designed to be noticed and the team at M.C.L go to great lengths to ensure our statement is of the highest quality. M.C.L jewelry is all handmade, meticulously crafted in sterling silver and plated in durable rhodium or 18k gold vermeil. Other pieces are sculpted from sustainably sourced materials, including horn and wood. The one thing all of our jewelry shares is vibrancy. It’s the M.C.L signature, making daily accessorizing a powerful part of every woman’s style. That signature can be found in our choice of vivid enamel coloring, the radiance of our genuine sapphires, the creamy luster of a freshwater pearl or the earthy elegance of semiprecious gemstones, all of which are ethically sourced from around the world.

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