A Spy in the House of Bandits

True trailblazers and the cool kids on every block, the Sarabande foundation was set up by Alexander McQueen in 2006. Since his death in 2011, he is survived by the organisation which has worked tirelessly to nurture more than 200 designers and artists. Returning for a fourth year, Sarabande’s House of Bandits pop-up eased us into the bedlam of Frieze Week. While the creative calendar carves out space for both art and fashion, jewellery tends to be somewhat of an afterthought. So, like the anarchic bunch they are, piggybacking on Frieze’s collector influx, Sarabande took matters into their own hands and hosted their indie jewellery showcase. Held at 5 Carlos Place (RIP Matches Fashion), the space could only be described as an Aladdin's Cave. While no genie's lamp was in sight, the sparkling smorgasbord tucked in glass cases was far more to my taste. Below are a few of our standouts from the showcase!

Perched on the sun-soaked bay window of the House of Bandits was Castro Smith and his library of handmade  creations. Spread across the lining of an open jacket splayed on the windowsill, the whole scene was somewhat akin to a bougier rendition of a street corner salesman, but instead of trying to sling seedy goods and wares, your options were much shinier. Castro’s jewellery designs are inspired by history, mythology, and biology. Working with both silver and gold, and setting his pieces with rubies and sapphires, Castro's creations are as varied and technicolour as a field of flowers. With each piece hand-engraved, the intricacies of his designs reveal themselves over time, with birds, snakes, eyes, and other anthropomorphic creatures emerging from their stone-set hiding places. Brilliant blue shines or reverse-set diamond eyes blink back at you as you wear them on your hand.

For Sarabande alum Conor Joseph, fingerprints, lip creases, and epidermal textures have provoked a surreal exploration of second-skin jewellery. Having collaborated with hair artist Taiba Akhuetie, House of Bandits spotlighted ‘Hairwear,’ a collection of jewellery born out of a weaving of crafts and minds, preserving the unregarded beauty of hair accessories and objects. Introducing the pieces was the hair extraordinaire herself, Taiba. Butterfly clips, hairspray nozzles, and gel-laid edges were all rendered in shining gold and silver. Chunky gold hoops crafted from moulds of real braided hair and claw clips that are usually chucked around our makeup bags are realised as beautiful objects in their own right. The nozzle earrings shine with a surreal power and feature a sapphire setting, glinting with imaginary droplets of hairspray.

Drawing relationships between the body and the mind, Akiko Shinzato’s pieces stimulate active participation in what you’re wearing. Prompting a sense of personalisation, at first glance, Akiko’s ear cuffs appeared locked in a singular position, wrapped neatly around each other in silver and gold plating. And yet, coming alive in Akiko’s nimble hands, the pieces, held together with tiny shiny hinges, could be transformed into different shapes and positions—contorting around the ear, or dangling off the lobe, with the wearer collaborating with Akiko from afar, even as they stand in front of a mirror, getting ready in the morning.

Drawing inspiration from fairy tales, it makes sense that I was so enchanted by Miya Kumo’s jewellery pieces. At first glance, there’s a certain contemporary weirdness engraved in Miya’s wearable anthology, yet their work finds its roots in traditional craft and contexts. Inspired by the more gruesome origins of classical fairy tales, Miya draws from the fables of their Japanese and Slovenian heritage. And while the distressed damsels often met fateful ends, Miya’s intrigue with doe-like femininity meshed with primal brutality is celebrated through their jewellery. Pink tourmaline crystals, freshwater pearls, and silver-cast ribbons all whip up a girlish image, and yet a citrine dagger pendant and Boudicca Sword necklace dare to place feminine aesthetics in more ferocious forms.