Fashion is an odd business; it is far
easier and more common to sew a dress and start a business than it is to start
a fine jewelry business. In fact, it is
even more difficult and rare to establish a business in the tradition of the
great jewelers, i.e. Cartier, Tiffany, Verdura or Van Cleef and Arpel. I refer to M de PHOCAS and the multi-talented
Jesus Torres and Alexis Zambrano.
These two young men have begun on a
journey that will no doubt take them to great heights of recognition by way of
offering objects of great desire for many in the same way the legendary
jewelers did in their times. The focus
of their business, at the moment, is men which is again a rarity, especially in
the fine jewelry business. They take
much of their inspirations from nature as well as from the art of fine jewelry
making. Whether it is the exquisite
diamond and sapphire studs with matching cufflinks, the black coral scallop
shell cufflinks or the crab stick pin, the level of artistry is beyond the pale
and their appeal is timeless. These men
also display a wonderful sense of humor in their work as you see in the black
diamond crow stick pin, the fly on coral stick pin, the squid cufflinks as well
as the shoes and bow tie links.
The humor and respect for the art and
craft of jewelry making are what set them apart from the contemporary flock of
designers. Their commitment to offering
original and exquisitely designed and rendered jewelry is certainly not taken
lightly when you consider the plethora of designers who opt for “bridge”
collections which are far more commercial rather that stepping all the way up
to fine and precious jewelry. Hands
down, it is evident that these two are gentlemen, in every sense of the word, possess
a refinement and taste level that is unique amongst their peers.
Features of the collection are that
each style can be offered in 18k white, yellow or rose gold as well as sterling
silver. Their choice of “stones” is a bit more particular to their tastes as
they use coral, turquoise and agate as well as the usual variety of precious
stones. In the very near future, this
design team will be offering a capsule precious leather collection (totes,
wallets, belts) and by that I mean… think croco, as well as the more standard
varieties of skins. At the moment all
pieces are made to order and in the true tradition of “bespoke,” they can be
customized to the buyer’s specifications.
Keep in mind that cuff links are easily converted to earrings so that any
woman of discerning taste can partake of M de PHOCAS as well.
Special thanks to James Andrew for
bringing these gentlemen to my attention
