By Angela Romeo
Art fairs, Desert X, Modernism – welcome February! Each event offers a unique view of the arts. Carlos King specializes in a form of art that is best described as historical adornment.
Carlos is the owner of Gallery24 Jewelry located at the Galleria in Palm Springs. This gem is home to a fantastic collection of vintage jewelry pieces. The collection includes rare Chanel, William DeLillo and other master jewelers. These pieces reflect an aesthetic of the time and show case the work of master artisans.
“People often think that costume means inferior,” said Carlos. “In these pieces that is not true. The couture jewelry of Dior, Chanel, Canovas, all show an extreme attention to detail and quality. Working in these materials can be more difficult than to create the same work in gold.”
“The pieces that I will bring to Modernism Week are rare, fine examples of the artisans that worked for these great houses. While part of the increase in price is the name, Chanel for example, it’s not the only reason. The design, materials and skill can make these couture costume pieces expensive. Moreover, these pieces need to be treated in the same manner as fine jewelry.”
But what makes these pieces very special? “Jewelry is art and art response to a time. Looking at vintage jewelry is looking at history,” continued Carlos. “One of the pieces that I will show case is a piece worn by the iconic legendary Mademoiselle Coco Chanel.”
“Chanel was a businessperson who was ahead of her time is terms of a woman’s role in history, society and business. What make this piece more special are its rarity, construction, and design. The inspiration for the design of the necklace came from Chanel’s religious upbringing, as she was influenced by religious and Byzantine works of art – you can find those characteristics in Chanel jewelry from the 1930’s – 1980’s,” said Carlos.
“William De Lillo designed for Adolfo and Bill Blass. His costume creations sold pieces for $30,000 – so you can imagine his clientele, Lauren Bacall, Liz Taylor, Dolores Hope and Barbara Sinatra. But again – name alone is insufficient without the skill of a trained craftsman and designer. I have been fortunate to obtain very special pieces from the collections of the designers themselves and their high-profile clients. Again, these pieces reflect a moment in time, a slice of history as iconic as Slim Aarons Palm Springs Kaufmann prints.”
“My collection is history. It’s also wearable art. I am curating and offering wearable art. We can all benefit from history. I just provide a means to wear historical art around one’s neck.”
For more information on Carlos King, Gallery24 at www.1stdibs.com/dealers/gallery24jewelry. During the Modernism Show at the Palm Springs Convention Center, February 15-18 Carlos will be located in booth 102. The Opening Night Preview Gala benefiting Modernism Week will be held from 6pm to 9pm on Friday, February 15th.
