Laure Tours Design Miami
ABOVE: DELFINA DELETTREZ’S JEWELRY AT ANTONELLA VILLANOVA. PHOTO COURTESY OF LORENZEO MICHELINI.
Design Miami is a great and always visually impactful stop onthe Art Basel Miami Beach tour. It inspires me and even helps me grow my aesthetic. There I saw Delfina Delettrez’s jewelry (shown at the booth of Antonella Villanova), which was a great reminder that design isn’t always limited to furniture. Delfina, who designed an exclusive flamingo feather earring for the Webster and is a dear friend, is well known for her witty, sensual, and innovative jewelry. The work here was from 2007 through 2012. Pieces include Delfina’s iconic eye- and lip-shaped rings and earrings, encrusted in crystals, one with pearl tipped long lashes. Everything is finished by hand, a key aspect of thecollection, which is driven by the fascination between traditionalcraftsmanship and modern manufacturing anddevelopment.
Eyal Burstein joins a group of lucky artist, including Erwin Redl and Fredrikson Stallard, who have collaborated with Swarovski CrystalPalace to present pieces influenced by the shape of classic SwarovskiChaton-cut crystals. Burstein created chairs cast in concrete shaped to look like diamonds are jutting out the backs. My personal favorite was a Plexiglas bench with grey mirrored panels that seemed to be straight out of a sci-fi film.
Elsewhere in design, Cuban-born, Los Angeles-based artist Jorge Pardo presents “Pardo on the Allée” at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, one of my favorite spots in Miami. Pardo, who’s known for his vibrant colors and attention to detail, designed lamps in premutations of red, orange and white and made of powder-coated steel. Reminiscent of flowers, Pardo’s light installation will be sure to light up the Garden’s tree canopy and provide calm viewing during Basel nights.
