A glittering menagerie of animal, fruit and seashell-inspired jewelry is on display as part of the exhibit "Fabulous Fakes: Costume Jewelry of Kenneth Jay Lane," which opened Friday at Rhode Island School of Design Museum.
Kenneth Jay Lane RISD'54 has designed costume jewelry for celebrities, first ladies and style icons - from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn to Jessica Simpson. The exhibition is the largest retrospective to date of Lane's work, featuring primarily pieces from 1963 to 1993 on loan from his personal collection.
The exhibit celebrates the versatility of a designer whose work can adorn both Barbara Bush and Paris Hilton with ease. The playful pink and black gallery display is book-ended by a blown-up picture of Lane from the 1960s, decked out with his jewelry and enthroned like a Russian czar.
The jewelry on display is divided into groupings based on era and inspiration. A collage of Glamour magazines, tabloid covers and fashion spreads featuring Lane's pieces serves as a backdrop for the section "Bling It On for the Celebutantes" - which shows pieces worn by Paris Hilton and Sarah Jessica Parker, among others.
Other famous patrons include Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson, Princess Diana and Nancy Reagan.
Much of Lane's work is whimsical and fun, drawing on a variety of influences. One section displays gold work inspired by Egyptian and pre-Columbian civilizations. Another features elaborate crosses and opaque resin stone necklaces reminiscent of Renaissance jewelry. Lane draws inspiration from everything from English china to Greek coins. His work makes use of natural shapes, such as a bejeweled strawberries and china pansies, as well as abstract geometric designs.
Other works include Op-Art bracelets from the 1960s, black and white punk inspired pieces from the 1970s and 1920s inspired Art Deco watches.
Lane's work also features a large number of animal inspired pieces - 1960s bangles adorned with snakes, elephants, rams and giraffes. A series of brooches - frogs, dragonflies, snails and unicorns - in the exhibit are perched on a log in a glass container like insects in a terrarium.
Lane received his bachelors of fine arts in advertising design because no jewelry degree was offered at the time. Although he is based in New York, much of Lane's work is manufactured in Rhode Island.
The exhibit was organized by Henry Joyce, an independent curator of decorative arts and design, with the help of Lane, who loaned many of the objects and materials. The works will be on display until Jan. 27.
