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| Maral Rapp | vintage chair in studio | jewelry from vintage mesh | Robert Clergerie sandals + Rachel Comey leather socks |
Hello, I'm Maral.
I live in a sunny, 100-year-old flat, on a hill in San Francisco. There's a fresh bay breeze, cable car bells, and the occasional melancholy fog horn. The jury's still out on whether these charms offset the fact that a washing machine is strictly forbidden up here... but, all in all... it's pretty sweet.
I'll use this blog to note the process/progress of my handmade jewelry venture, and to gather anything that moves me in design/graphics/fashion/interiors. And shoes. I'll probably have to include some shoes.
I like clean design, dirty finishes.
Thoroughly charmed by old materials and objects, I've delighted in scouring vintage and thrift shops since about the age of ten—and I've drawn, sewn, built, and made things all throughout my life. With a BS in design and a professional background spanning interiors, graphic design, styling and photography, as well as a lifelong love of vintage and fashion, I've been focused on the form and finish of objects for as long as I can remember. I have equal love for a clean, modern line and a dirty, tarnished patina. Don't make me choose.
I design jewelry.
My deep appreciation for the artistry and history in certain iconic vintage materials inspired me to incorporate them into my daily life. I just wanted to wear them! Today I strive to present these ornate, embellished, or otherwise 'fancy' materials in a contemporary, more easily accessible way—reengineering deco era metal mesh purses and other overlooked vintage treasures into modern, wearable pieces of jewelry.
Certain works are one-of-a-kind, or very small runs, due to the limited availability of appropriate vintage materials. Chipped, torn, and tarnished mesh bags are deconstructed, cleaned, and transformed into jewelry.
I love metal mesh.
And I work in the medium to explore and enjoy—and wear—the amazing deco fabric that is truly the stuff of my dreams. I'm obsessed with it—from its romantic, medieval references to its draping, articulated structure of cells, simultaneously representing two favorites: the organic and the industrial/machined. Its links—as cells—can be combined to create myriad forms, causing my design-mind to just reel. I think I'd be content to explore its amazing properties for many years to come.
