Local jewellers create designs inspired by the Asian Civilisations Museum's collections

Local jewellers create designs inspired by the Asian Civilisations Museum's collections
PHOTO: Marilyn Tan Jewellery

When The Peak last spoke to Leonard Choo, the director of industry development and engagement at the Textile and Fashion Federation (Taff), a few months ago, he shared why Taff had partnered with the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM): “Fashion is about identity and history. Our role at Taff is to promote Singapore as the fashion hub of Southeast Asia.

Singapore has great infrastructure and governance. How can we connect with our cultural history, and understand what our unique selling point is, in order to make this hub a reality? That’s why we linked up with the ACM.”

Among other things, one of the results of this partnership is The Museum Collection, the first collaborative retail initiative featuring unique jewellery pieces created by locally based designers. In this inaugural outing, the five participating names are Boheme SG, BP de Silva Jewellers, Marilyn Tan Jewellery, Pearly Lustre and State Property.

In the process of developing this collection, the designers had exclusive access to the ACM’s collections, as well as curators and industry experts. The ensuing designs are available for sale exclusively at the Design Orchard Retail Showcase (and psst, would make great gifts for a loved one — or yourself). Here’s a closer look at highlights from the collection.

01: Boheme SG

Founded by Vero M, Boheme SG’s designs are inspired by the designer’s travels, as well as her time spent living in countries including France, Dubai, India, Thailand and Singapore.

Titled Xanadu, Boheme’s designs for The Museum Collection are inspired by the ancient Chinese city of Shangdu (which is also known as Xanadu) and features references to the city’s legends of emperors and dragons.

02: BP de Silva Jewellers

One of Singapore’s first luxury labels, BP de Silva was founded in 1872 and is named after its founder, Balage Porolis de Silva. The brand’s Moonlight Collection places a rare, natural Blue Sheen Moonstone as the highlight of each piece, with every custom-cut cabochon chosen by the brand’s gem specialists.

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03: Marilyn Tan Jewellery

Working with jade, pearls and gemstones, Marilyn Tan creates one-of-a-kind bespoke pieces that are inspired by the characteristics of her materials and the wishes of her clients.

Here, Tan took inspiration from early 20th century jewellery stencils in the ACM’s collection, putting a contemporary spin on them by upsizing them and using matte and polished finishes. To retain the simplicity of the streamlined shapes, the pendants are crafted from 925 silver with gold vermeil and complemented by leather cords.

04: Pearly Lustre

As its name suggests, Pearly Lustre is a jewellery brand that specialises in pearls. It also focuses on sustainability. For The Museum Collection, the brand created a nine-piece collection, including earrings, necklaces and bracelets, that takes its cues from the history of antique jewellery in Asia.

05: State Property

Inspired by the contrasting elements of architecture and nature, State Property is a fine jewellery label that mixes modern design language with traditional craftsmanship. The pieces the brand has created here pay tribute to local craftsmanship from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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This article was first published in The Peak.

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