If you’ve ever fallen hard for a piece of high-fashion costume jewelry, chances are good that it has passed through Edgard Hamon. Founded in 1919, the atelier was the first to create belts for Chanel, and decades later, it was the first to thread strips of leather through metal chains.
Today, the Edgard Hamon archives scan like a who’s who of couture’s glory days: Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Nina Ricci, Chanel, Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Balenciaga, and Christian Lacroix have all called on Edgard Hamon at some point.
Which is why Lacroix, along with Elie Top, Paris Vogue jewelry editor Franceline Prat, and various other experts all gathered today at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Their mission was to elect the winners of the two first-ever Edgard Hamon awards: the Edgard Hamon Prize for Costume Jewellery, which goes to a designer under 30 years old who has worked in fashion jewelry in France, and the 3,000-euro Edgard Hamon Future Hope Prize for Costume Jewellery, which goes to a student in his or her last year at a European school of fashion.
The contestants were challenged to design pieces based on the work of a chosen architect, and tonight, Style can exclusively reveal the winners. Century Xie took the 15,000-euro Edgard Hamon Prize for Costume Jewellery, and Yao Yu won the Edgard Hamon Future Hope Prize for Costume Jewellery.
“We had a great time, they were incredibly creative,” said Lacroix of the selection process. “It was really beautiful. Many of them referenced Gaudí or Prouvé, for example. And many of them were influenced by Elie [Top].”
Top, the self-taught talent behind Lanvin’s fabulous baubles, replied that he was flattered to hear it. “Everyone’s always talking about bags and shoes, but costume jewelry really deserves attention. It’s so closely linked with fashion’s silhouettes, color, and what you want now—that’s the magic of it. There’s so much more to it than silver and gold.”
Xie’s line will be produced and displayed at Le Bon Marché; Edgard Hamon will produce three of Yu’s prototypes and she will receive an internship. The winners’ collections will be presented at an official ceremony at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on July 4.
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