Elke Kramer Looks to Monolithic Architecture for Her Latest Collection ‘Concrete’

Queen of Protuberant Geographical Shapes Elke Kramer continues her domination of the accessories scene with 'Concrete'. While chunky shapes and materials reeking of ritualistic power run have been hallmarks of all her jewellery collections, this time around she’s been inspired by architecture.

More specifically she’s been inspired by the architecture of Louis Kahn, which, while there’s not a lot of it, is celebrated for its monolithic style and its refusal to mask which materials it’s made from: something that unfortunately can’t be said for a lot of jewellery. Elke Kramer, however, has always celebrated the materials she uses, and takes that a step further here by using some pretty weird ones.

The whole thing is a lot less shimmery than her previous collections, with materials many would call “humble” (and a few would probably call “cheap”) taking centre stage. Pendants are often just a single cork tube, necklaces feature actual concrete and rings are anchored on each side by a sphere of pumice (that stuff you use to buff the dry skin off your feet). But where mystical power is missing in the materials, it’s present in shapes that still smell strongly of the transcendental. As it happens, Kahn was influenced too by ancient ruins.

For those not convinced, there’s still plenty of precious onyx and jade, plus a slew of Elke’s infamous tassles. But the best pieces are those that are made to look luxurious by glorifying materials like concrete and cork, such as the beaded rope-set Necklace of Verity.

Kramer teamed up with director Nicole Rose to shoot an accompanying short art film for 'Concrete'. Watch it here.