The Sky’s The Limit
Heaven Tanudiredja eloquently proves that your past does not determine your future.
Though noted for his signature three-dimensional accessories, the Indonesian craftsman initially trained in womenswear design at Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Belgium.
We met in the United Arab Emirates during a three-day fashion event organized by Vogue Italia where, for the first time, 20 emerging global talents were given the opportunity to introduce their spring/summer 2015 collections to international press and buyers.
Tanudiredja’s sculptural jewelry was selected for the show- case at the Armani Hotel. The venue is built inside Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest man-made structure. Pure coincidence or a match made in heaven? The Bali native’s intricate pieces are equally groundbreaking in the fashion landscape and worthy of superlatives. Heaven Tanudiredja received the prestigious Dries Van Noten Award and interned with John Galliano before launching his namesake label in 2007.
As I wandered around the talent show, what looked like beautiful stardust sprinkled inside glass boxes from afar was actually the Belgium-based designer’s booth. No one was there, and yet, the distinct oversized lustrous accessories were magnetic showstoppers. I marveled at the bold, striking hues and texture that seem to be key to Tanudiredja’s sumptuous jewelry. The wing silhouettes and jet motifs are recurring in delicate rings, chunky cuffs and statement neckpieces. With names like “Aviator Goggles” and “Airplane”, Heaven’s newest collection focuses on travel, inviting the wearer on a celestial voyage of discovery. Off I went…
“Sorry I was not here when you stopped by, I am a heavy smoker and always outside,” said the designer as he greeted me and kindly suggested I try on the golden turbular cuff. What a gem… But how to pull it off? Less is more. “It’s best to wear my jewelry with solid colors like black and white so the piece really stands out. I do not recommend prints,” he advised.
“My jewelry is inspired by the chaos of the mind,” Heaven explained. Darkness and light fuse into a vibrant palette of enamel in light golden to blush, dark grey to lightened gold and silver mirror rhodium.
Our inner emotions and commotions are beautifully embodied in delicate bouquets of roses, fragmented black crystals, along with asymmetrical and geometrical shapes in meticulously calibrated proportions.
Sustainability and production transparency are at the core of Heaven Tanudiredja’s design process. “I would like to give more power to the people, make them beautiful and happy. This is why I work in fashion,,” says the designer.
To admire or to wear? His sought-after craftsmanship can be found in art galleries and specialty boutiques worldwide including Dover Street Market in NYC, Le Bon Marché in Paris and Luisa Via Roma in Florence. Tanudiredja’s captivating wearable art encapsulates the magic of the heavens.
Text by Sissi Johnson
Photography by Zeb Daemen
