A textile jeweler based in Carouge, Switzerland, Valérie Hangel began to experiment with kimono silks following a trip to Japan, changing the focus of motifs to create new and surprising visual interplays. She recently extended her range to include vintage luxury scarves and neckties, some from the leading late-twentieth-century French couturiers, combining their graphic motifs with the delicate Japanese prints. Similar to the essential T-shaped cut of the kimono, the incredible simplicity of turned wooden beads or laser-cut reconstituted leather guides her selection of color and motif. The dizzying feeling that comes before cutting the silks deepens her respect for the work of the craftspeople who originally wove these precious fabrics, which find new life in her jewelry.
