SECOND NATURE:
LAS JEWELRY GIVES A CHIC NEW LIFE TO RECYCLED MATERIALS
Romanticism vs. Realism, Darkness vs. Light, Painting vs. Sculpture – all notions seemingly at odds with one another yet completely harmonious in LAS Jewelry. Designed by LA-based husband-and-wife team Lisa and Dan Soltis, the LAS Jewelry collection features unique one-of-a-kind treasures made of recycled metal and repurposed leathers and fabrics that strike the perfect balance between antique adornment and modern craftsmanship.
She -- a 2-D painter and print-maker whose work can often be seen in Southern California’s most popular surfwear brands -- and he -- a 3-D sculptor whose work brings the backdrops of some of Hollywood’s biggest Blockbusters to life, each contribute their own artistic skill to the collaborative process. Drawing inspiration from natural and organic subjects spanning from their love of animals and anatomy to old biological and scientific illustrations, the couple begins each piece with a 2-D sketch from which Dan initiates the process of transitioning the design into a three-dimensional reality. Taking a block of carving wax, he sculpts a charm which is then molded and cast in various metals and called upon to stand on its own as a pendant or is woven into mixed media pieces. The resulting pieces bare the personal touch of human hands as well as the stamp of time – qualities that are very important to the designing duo.
With each design heavily reliant on vintage trims and chains, reproduced styles vary slightly – ensuring that wearers own something unique to them rather than something “fresh off the assembly line.”
The couple attributes their strength as designers to their collaborative process. Using the minds of both a 2-d and 3-d artist, they believe that anything they can conceptualize, they can create. Discerning stores from coast to coast would agree. The collection has caught the eye of notable fashion-forward boutiques including Oak in New york and TenOverSix and Em & Co in Los Angeles.
