Hood by Air's crystal-embellished construction drum
Precision-cut crystal maker Swarovski is auctioning off a selection of art objects designed by the nominees for the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Proceeds from the online auction will benefit Free Arts NYC, a charity that offers art education and mentoring to children of all ages in New York, benefitting those in need and fostering appreciation for the arts. Swarovski is showing its commitment to supporting future talent, whether it comes in the form of emerging fashion designers seeking recognition or underserved youth in the city.
All that glitters
Nine brands created art objects for the auction, including womenswear nominees Public School, Rosie Assoulin and Ryan Roche. The menswear nominees were Orley, Ovadia & Sons and Hood by Air, and the accessories nominees were Eva Fehren, Paul Andrew and Mansur Gavriel.
The objects range from backgammon boards to construction cones, but all were embellished with Swarovski crystals in some way. The theme of the collection was “disruption,” and the artists were encouraged to expand on this concept in some way.
Rosie Assoulin created a stack of crystal-studded books that pushed the boundaries of literature when they were originally published. Eva Fehren designed a cinderblock geode that is roughly split in half.
Swarovski has hosted auctions to benefit Free Arts NYC in previous years. In 2014, the brand celebrated the thirteenth year of its partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards with a charitable auction.
Swarovski enlisted the nine designers nominated for a Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent to design an item to be auctioned online to benefit Free Arts NYC. Hosting this auction allowed Swarovski to celebrate a unique milestone while also showcasing its support of the fashion and art worlds (see story).