PaperCity Magazine

May 2018- Houston

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the most revered in the Kingdom collection," Emanuel says. "In 2013, we offi cially adopted it as our corporate logo." Webb's other striking motifs included shells, Art Deco, heraldic, and zodiac themes, and his fearless use of color and oversized swaths of coral, turquoise, jade, and other precious stones beguiled Hollywood stars and European royalty. Princess Grace of Monaco, Lee Radziwill, and Evelyn Lauder were top clients, and the original designs they wore are part of an extraordinary trove of 40,000 design concepts found by the company after the jeweler's death in 1975. The archives include drawings, molds, and collaborations, a n d s e r v e a s endless sources of inspiration for E m a n u e l , w h o acquired Webb w i t h R o b e r t Sadian in 2010. "We do not think of our collection in terms of old and new, but as a continuation and evolution of David Webb's d i s t i n c t v i s i o n , " E m a n u e l says. W h e n Emanuel and Sadian came o n b o a r d , Webb was in bankruptcy. The new owners rejuvenated the brand by combing the archives and reissuing many of the classic pieces that had lain fallow for years, including the iconic zebra bracelet and Nail, which Webb designed in 1971 using the common nail as inspiration for 18K gold rings and bracelets. Webb's most recent re-launch, Motif, incorporates Webb's original 1970s zigzags, arrows, and U shapes in simple black and white enamel, diamonds, gold, and platinum. Ad campaigns shot by Terry Richardson and Inez & Vinoodh and styled by Carine Roitfeld, with models Carolyn Murphy and Eniko Mihalik dripping in Webb, along with weekly Instagram posts from inside t h e W e b b w o r k s h o p , have edged up the company's i m a g e . Emanuel has increased the number of master jewelers at the company from six to 25 and brought back highly specialized artisans from Webb's original era. "When the opportunity to consider purchasing David Webb arose, it was a dream come true," Emanuel says. "Every time I walk into our New York City workshop, I am reminded of the great responsibility to preserve and honor the legacy of this true design master, and with every piece created in our workshop we are adding to jewelry history." THE CULT OF SEAMAN SCHEPPS A trip to Hong Kong in the late 1930s i n s p i r e d A m e r i c a n j e w e l r y designer Seaman Schepps to rethink materials in imaginative ways. Rough branch corals, lawn ornaments, and carved- ivory chess pieces became fodder for inspiration. Back in New York, Schepps paired humble woods, seashells, coral, turquoise, and jadeite with gold, sapphires, tourmaline, and baroque pearls to create chunky brooches, barbaric bracelets, and bubble earrings with wit, style, and originality not seen in the world of fi ne jewelry. Gleaming mother- of-pearl shell earrings, mounted in gold with rubies and sapphires, are among his most iconic designs. "It's the kind of jewelry built around a casual American lifestyle," says Seaman Schepps co-owner Webb's Shoelace Cuff, $19,500 Zebra Bracelet from the Kingdom collection, $69,500 Diamond Nail Ring from Webb's Toolbox collection, $6,500 (continued on page 36) Above: Blanche Knopf wearing Seaman Schepps' mousetrap bracelets. Seaman Schepps' Turbo Shell earrings Historic sketch from David Webb archives 31

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