ORIGINS: A VANITAS

That’s how Guy Berryman, founder of fashion label Applied Art Forms, and jeweller Hannah Martin feel about their meeting. The two came together by chance on a Los Angeles to London flight when Martin spotted Berryman’s earring as one of her earliest creations. It just so happened that Berryman was planning a foray into jewellery for his contemporary clothing brand at the time.

That moment of fate has led to A Vanitas, a collaboration borne out of a mutual respect for elevated design and meticulous craftsmanship. The jumping off point was the 17th century Dutch tradition of Vanitas paintings that evoked the fleeting nature of life. In Martin’s and Berryman’s hands, the idea becomes a call to arms to make the most of every living moment. In a combination of Martin’s rebellious-meets-refined aesthetic and Berryman’s form-meets-function approach, stylised razor blade motifs and hand-carved pearl skulls emulate the fragility of life. Dog tags and hospital ID-style bracelets remind the wearer of the importance of staying true to one's self.

A Vanitas is clean, timeless, heirloom-quality jewellery that is full of emotion.

Seize the day. Live an extraordinary life.