Loree Rodkin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 25, 1949 Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation | Jewelry designer |
Loree Rodkin (born February 25, 1949) is an American jewelry designer based in Los Angeles, California. [1] She designed the jewelry worn by Michelle Obama to the inaugural ball in January 2009, now deposited in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution. [1] [2]
Rodkin was raised in Chicago, Illinois. [3] She is Jewish. [4] [5] She moved to Los Angeles where she designed homes for Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart and her then fiance, Bernie Taupin. [3] Her next career was as a talent manager. [1] She managed the careers of Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr. and Alexander Godunov, among others. [2] [3] [6]
Rodkin's relationships also included actor Richard Gere and musician Don Henley. [7] Her break-up with Henley inspired lyrics in the Eagles' iconic 1977 song "Hotel California": "Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends / She got a lot of pretty pretty boys she calls friends." [8] [9]
Loree Rodkin has lived in Manhattan, [7] but is now based in Los Angeles, California. [10]
While working as an interior home designer for celebrity clients, Rodkin come across worn jewelry that she would buy and repair. These experiences led her to six years later oversee her own jewelry design studio and launch a collection of Gothic-inspired jewelry called Loree Rodkins Gothic. [11] Her first sales were to Tommy Perse, then owner of the Maxfield boutique in West Hollywood. Elizabeth Taylor and Barbra Streisand were among her earliest clients. [2] [12] [13] Her most famous piece is a bondage ring, reminiscent of medieval finger armor. [12] [1]
Her designs were further popularized by First Lady Michelle Obama, who wore Rodkin's 61-carat diamond celestial earrings, a 13-carat diamond cocktail ring and diamond bangles, to the 2009 inaugural balls. [1] The jewelry now hangs in the permanent collection at the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution. [2] [1]
Rodkin's flagship store is in Tokyo, Japan. Her designs are also sold in retail specialty stores globally. [1] [6] [13] Her clientele has included Elton John, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Madonna, Daphne Guinness, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Rihanna and Steven Tyler. [14] [15] Rodkin's collection includes a bath and body product line, eyewear, fragrances and candles. [1] [12] [14] In 2014, she launched a jewelry line, Hunrod, with French designer Michèle Lamy. [16] [17] She collaborated with perfumer and Hennessy heir Kilian Hennessy to launch a niche perfume line, called By Kilian, in 2016. [18] [19]
Rodkin's jewelry designs employ elements of Art Nouveau and Gothic stylings. She makes use of symbolism, engraving and works with precious stones, gold and platinum. [20] Crosses have also been an important element in Rodkin's brand since she founded it in the 1980s, which she has used to evoke a medieval fashion style. [4] [5]
Rodkin helped redesign the Beverly Hills tiki bar, Luau, opened by concert promoter Andrew Hewitt in 2008. [21] [22]
The Hope Diamond is a 45.52 carats diamond that has been famed for its great size since the 18th century. Extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine in Guntur, India, the Hope Diamond is a blue diamond. Its exceptional size has revealed new information about the formation of diamonds.
The ruby slippers are a pair of magical shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film The Wizard of Oz. Because of their iconic stature, they are among the most valuable items of film memorabilia. Several pairs were made for the film, though the exact number is unknown. Five pairs are known to have survived; one pair was stolen from a museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018.
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The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is a nonprofit institute based in Carlsbad, California. It is dedicated to research and education in the field of gemology and the jewelry arts. Founded in 1931, GIA's mission is to protect buyers and sellers of gemstones by setting and maintaining the standards used to evaluate gemstone quality. The institute does so through research, gem identification, diamond grading services, and a variety of educational programs. Through its library and subject experts, GIA acts as a resource of gem and jewelry information for the trade, the public and media outlets.
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Paloma Picasso is a French fashion designer and businesswoman, best known for her jewelry designs for Tiffany & Co, and her signature perfumes. She is the daughter of artist Pablo Picasso and artist Françoise Gilot. Her name, Paloma (Dove), is associated with the symbol her father designed for the World Peace Council's World Congress of Partisans for Peace, held in Paris at the time of Paloma's birth, and it can be found in many of her father's works.
Doris Marie Payne is an American convicted jewel thief.
Lorraine Schwartz is an American bespoke high jewellery designer. She has designed jewelleries for a host of famous female celebrities including Beyoncé, Blake Lively and Kim Kardashian. In 2009, Angelina Jolie showed up at the Oscars wearing a pair of emerald earrings designed by Lorraine Schwartz which cost $2.5 million.
Cathy Waterman is a California based jewelry designer and a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. She designs “ethereal, feminine, lyrical” jewelry using recycled metals and fair trade stones.
Martin Katz is an American jewelry designer based in Beverly Hills, California.
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Cher Coulter is a British celebrity stylist and fashion designer. She is known for her list of celebrity clientele, including Sienna Miller, Kate Bosworth, Elizabeth Olsen, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Caroline Scheufele is a German-born Swiss business woman. She is the artistic director and co-president of Chopard, the Swiss-based luxury watches and jewellery manufacturer. She is the daughter of Karl and Karin Scheufele, German entrepreneurs who purchased the company in 1963. During the 1980s, Scheufele expanded the business into the jewelry sector.
Cindy Chao is a Taiwanese jewellery designer. She founded her company, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, in 2004. She is known for her Black Label Masterpiece Collection and Annual Butterfly.
Sophie Alexina Victoire Matisse is an American contemporary artist. Matisse initially gained notice for her series of Missing Person paintings, in which she appropriated and embellished upon, or subtracted from, recognizable works from art history.
Michèle Lamy is a French culture and fashion figure. She has been a clothing designer, performer, film producer, and restaurateur. She is the co founding partner of Owenscorp and functions as the Executive Manager Art/Furniture.
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