It was a pleasure to be greeted at the stand by Antonio Cardamuro, the founder of Miseno, and his beaming smile. He introduced me to the pieces on show at Couture and told me a little about the brand in general. It turns out that it takes its name from the ancient Italian city of Miseno, once called Misenum. “It is the city where I grew up. In the olden days it was a key port, and to get to it you had to pass through the Arco Felice, which is the arch you can now see on the Miseno logo,” explained Antonio. “The Romans believed that if you passed through the Arco Felice you would achieve happiness and find love. We used this as a basis for our jewellery, designing pieces that will bring joy to the wearer and remind them that life is beautiful,” he continued.
The Raggi collection by Miseno
Jewellery made from gold has long been regarded as the pinnacle of luxury in Italy, so it will come as no surprise that this is the dominant material throughout Miseno’s oeuvre. The brand’s designers often include clusters of diamonds or large precious stones to convey the aura of the classic Italian Dolce Vita. Imagine a promenade along the waterfront, fan in hand, or bathing in the warm shallows where seahorses take cover in the kelp: all of this and more is brought to life in Miseno’s Seahorse, Sea Leaf and Sunshine collections.
So, without further ado, let us turn our attention to the latest collections themselves: Raggi and Ventaglio. Do you remember the famous Neopolitan song, O sole mio, written in 1989 by Giovanni Capurro, who, like the city of Miseno, hails from the province of Napoli? It is this song that forms part of the inspiration for the jewellery collections, all made from yellow gold and featuring decorative details in diamond which look like rays of sunshine. In some of the designs highly polished metal is used to create this effect instead of diamonds, and in each case the rest of the piece has been left with a matt finish to achieve a stronger contrast. My favourite of the different pieces – rings, pendants, earrings and bracelets – are the gold cuffs. This style of jewellery was actually one of the most popular at this year’s exhibition and has been a real trend for spring-summer 2015.
The Ventaglio collection by Miseno
The Ventaglio collection is stylistically very different: bracelets, rings and a necklace in an indulgent undulating pattern studded all over with clusters of diamonds or sapphires. I would say that this jewellery would probably look best under the dim glow of candlelight at a dinner party or under the spotlight on the Red Carpet. Dating back more than 3,000 years, the fan has always been one of the most elegant accessories a woman can have, the regular companion of many an Italian ingénue, relieving her from the heat and lending her a touch of class.
Those born outside of Italy can find it hard to understand exactly what is meant but the phrase Dolce Vita. I would offer the jewellery of Miseno as a pretty good definition: it is all about a gentle, indulgent and relaxed pace of life. You will love it!
Photos from Couture show are by Lordale Benosa, product images are courtesy of Miseno
The Ventaglio collection by Miseno
