On 7th July 2014, Club der polnischen Versager hosted the opening of the Future Voodoo showroom and fashion film installation: a collaboration between Berlin-based fashion labels Penelope’s Sphere (Tamari Nikoleishvili) and RB Jewels (Natia Bakhtadze). Both designers decided to showcase their collections together due to the perfect fit of their work. Having known each other for years, the Georgian-born duo share a mutual interest and respect for each other professionally and personally, leading to collaborative works.
At the far end of the showroom was Penelope’s Sphere collection, and in front of the collection stood a rather formidable doll installation, styled to embody the woman Tamari had in mind when she envisioned her 19th collection. In her words, the title “Future Voodoo” comes from the desire to create “something magical” that reflected “a woman going through cities/places and doing her voodoo, but not in the stereotypical morbid sense.” The futuristic detailing of the doll installation was inspired by visual special effects artist H.R. Giger and was created to symbolise a woman who journeys from place to place, and dresses for practical comfort, which was why the doll installation was styled with a rucksack to carry all her belongings, wearing comfortable Buffalo boots whilst being protected from the elements in an oversized raincoat.
When asked what kind of woman she saw wearing this particular collection, Tamari replied she envisioned someone casual but who enjoyed interesting silhouettes and details. The Penelope’s Sphere woman, also loves to enjoy her freedom hence the soft viscose used throughout the collection. To facilitate the leisurely ethos of this collection, Tamari washed the entire collection before she previewed them to ensure they had a ‘used touch’.
On the other side of the showroom, was a stunning display of RB Jewels, designed by Natia Bakhtadze. Every piece was handmade and is characteristic of nature’s elements which is evident from the rough precious stones, glass, pearls or feathers used in the collection.
L’Art De Bijoux, is Natia’s first collection under the label RB Jewels and she explained that the inspiration to create the pieces came from the special materials themselves, which she sourced from her trip to India. She added that she enjoyed mixing the natural stones with the metals to create the bold shapes and symmetrical lines inherent in all the pieces.
Vintage is a lifestyle and art form for Natia and this is what she portrays in this global traveller-esque collection. When asked about the religious inferences that weave themselves in and out of L’Art De Bijoux, Natia stated that she had wanted to provoke, but not just for the sake of it. Coming from Georgia, she wanted to use her work to portray the chaos she believes is going on in her Orthodox home country.
RB Jewels will soon be able to be bought online, with details available on her site: www.rb-jewels.com.
About the designers
Penelope’s Sphere
Georgian-born, Berlin-based designer Tamari Nikoleishvili is the woman behind the functional label, Penelope’s Sphere. A few years ago, she arrived in Europe to study design, which led her to interning for Vivienne Westwood and Marjan Pejoski in London, before going at it on her own in Berlin. She is now stocked all over the globe (e.g. Italy, Japan, Hong-Kong) and continues to grow a name for her trademark washed and distressed silk and jersey pieces, covered in monochrome sombre palettes and accented with hand-drawn prints.
RB Jewels
Natia Bakhtadze originally studied fashion design before setting her sights on making her ‘collectible’ jewel designs. Traces of her Georgian heritage can be seen in the religious accents in her debut collection, L’Art De Bijoux. The contemporary accessory collection radiates a classic re-interpretation of vintage style with use of stones and gems sourced from her inspiring travels around the globe. Given her talent and reasonable price points (starting around 22 euros for a pair of earrings and going up to 198 euros for the more complex pieces), the Berlin-based designer is bound to be true gem of a find for retailers beyond the E.U looking to stock new and independent designers.
