One to Watch: Delfina Delettrez

This incredibly talented and rising star in the fashion circuit is none other than Delfina Delettrez. She belongs to the Fendi family’s fourth generation, from her great grandmother Adele, to her mother Silvia; this young talent comes by her passion for detail honestly. Delfina decided to follow in her fashion families’ footsteps, and after academic studies she specialized in costume history, and after the stages at Chanel haute couture’s style department Deletrezz dictated her own path.

In 2007 she launched her namesake jewelry collection, and works with gold, silver, iron, copper, Tuscan marble from the Massa Carrara basin, Capodimonte ceramics, exotic woods, glass, crystal, and resin. She plays with materials, mixing and matching precious stones, and black diamonds, bone, and leather among other artistic materials. Delfina works with “polished metals, which emphasize and highlight the bright, decisive, powerful, flashy, bold, unusual, fresh, and surprisingly colored varnishes.”  Furthermore, “All of the collections were born out of her symbols; the alphabet of her generation and Delfina’s desires, passions, dreams, cultural references, travels, and experiences.”

Most recently Delfina collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld on a dazzling and demure spring collection filled with gems, and dashes of fur and crystal for his latest runway show. For her own label, she just presented her delightful spring 2014 collection at the Almine Rech Gallery in the Marais district, showcasing pieces on stark white plates suspended in thin air by magnets. Editors, and buyers alike had their perceptions altered, as she placed precious gems in phantom surroundings, and presented a pair of pearl earrings that seemingly shifted away from the lobe. The collection was mesmerizing, and simple perfection for next season, with pops of beautiful colours and hints of precious metals. Delfina created a series of bracelet-watches, which were fastened using matte quartz versus a traditional face. “I wanted to make a timeless watch, one truly with no time, taking away the functionality and just going for the aesthetic,” Delfina noted. It’s a smart take on the reality of a timepiece today: In a world where everyone’s carrying an iPhone, you don’t need a watch to tell time. Some of her bracelets played on her classic love for silver and gold elements, while others were an experimentation that boarded the masculine and feminine realm. What we learned about this designer is that she is truly so much more than that. She is a visionary with a long legacy behind her, and most certainly a fascinating one in front. What she does with her famous name, and her design talents will surely be inspiring. Her eye for curating a collection of pieces that are novel and brilliant is a gift not held by many, and for that Delfina Deletrrez is one to watch.

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More at delfinadelettrez.com

Story by Sarah Harris, KA MAGAZINE