Elizabethan Inspired

  Women have been adorning their necks for as long as history. In the Elizabethan Era, the adornment was much larger than a simple necklace, and much more eye catching as well. The most pleasing part of neck ruffs is the covering of the entire neck, making the face the focal point of the woman, as beautiful as the neck ruff may have been. Although one does notice a collar, or piece of jewelry, one’s attention is automatically drawn to the woman’s face.  The more beautiful the neck ruff, the more beautiful the face appears. Queen Elizabeth herself was a great symbol of beauty, and of power. Drawing from her confidence and outwardly appealing fashion, the neck ruff has gone down in history as a symbol of nobility, strength, and power, as well as femininity.

                Focusing on 16th and 17th century fashion, Elizabethan neck ruffs were my main inspiration. I was drawn to neck ruffs because of their large, bold scale, and the way they pull all attention to the woman’s face, giving a sense of confidence and strength. Inspired by their many different shapes, sizes, and various types of materials, I wanted to create an entirely new approach to the neck ruff.  After researching the many different types of neck ruffs I saw that most all of them were created out of various fabrics, precious metals, and precious stones. I was instantly compelled to explore alternative materials.  

                Neck ruffs symbolize a bold and confident woman. With a sense of strength and confidence I wanted my choice of materials to reflect the beauty of a tenacious and intrepid woman. After much material exploration, steel mesh and acrylic seemed to be the most successful material to use. While they are not physically strong materials, steel mesh and acrylic are aesthetically sound and viable materials for my vision of work.

                Being a very workable material, steel mesh has helped me to create beautiful form, as well as having an appealing luminous quality which can be enjoyed through its shadow-casting nature. Because steel mesh is a very light-weight material, using it for the bold and bountiful pieces of jewelry such as neck ruffs makes it a perfect material. While neck ruffs are volumetrically heavy, pieces made from steel mesh will be comfortable, as well as pleasing to the eye. I am able to create bold, almost ostentatious adornment, but the art will be deceivingly voluminous. Working with such a viable material gives me the ability to fool the eye while retaining the stout nature of the piece.