Jewelry Tribe

In men's jewelry, the big luxury brands — especially those who peddle uber-expensive watches — receive all the attention, and neophyte designers, even the ones with clear and distinct design programs, are often overlooked. But here's a shortlist of jewelry mavericks, both old and new guard, putting their stamp on menswear jewelry and aggressively seeking to change the status quo.

Lazaro
Though Lazaro Diaz has been around for 20 years, the Mercer Street store that houses the Cuban-American designer's over-the-top jewelry and clothing lines doesn't receive the traffic typical of a Soho store. However, upon entering his lair of meticulously handcrafted, dramatic-yet-wearable art pieces that are as rock 'n roll (and timeless) as the Rolling Stones, you'll discover that he has a demographically diverse and cultish following. A banker or a pimp could easily fancy a tarnished, silver ring engulfed in copious black diamonds. A silver skull ring that seems to be a remnant from Montezuma's reign could enamor an avid jewelry collector or a stylist (Bill Mullen is a fan). Orlando Bloom's quixotic style is accessorized with Diaz's necklaces, and, to make herself even more irresistible, Sienna Miller buys presents for her boyfriends from the label.

Lanyard
Philip O'Sullivan resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but he hasn't fallen into the hipster trap of ultra-cool posturing. Instead, for his accessories line Lanyard, he creates woven and knotted adornments from brightly colored cord, often flecked with metallic filaments. Think of the friendship bracelets you made out of string when you were young — just increase the intricacy of the knots and weaves tenfold. While there's something DIY about the necklaces, key chains, and bracelets, the design root is in O'Sullivan's varied disciplines, from furniture, bedding, and textiles to ceramics and product design. Most necklaces have injections of super-bright color that add a high-tech, urban feel — one wouldn't be surprised if, say, Pharrell Williams layered on some of these pieces for one of his hip-hop affairs.

Jelena Behrend
When it comes to working with metal, Jelena Behrend is no amateur. She's been in the business for 20 years as a metalsmith and jewelry designer, and her clients range from fashionistas to rock stars including Keith Richards. Working from her Lower East Side studio in Manhattan, Behrend is one of those few craftsmen who still takes the time to customize every piece while using the finest quality metals, making oversized, silver men's rings, handmade platinum pieces, chunky, yellow-gold ID bracelets, and charm necklaces made from keys, crosses, hearts, and razors. Keeping the old-fashioned mentality of customization, Behrend doesn't hold to a schedule for producing new collections. As she explains: "I do not believe in creating just one collection every season — my studio is like a wheel in continuous motion. I constantly create new things. Repetition is my least favorite word."

Bing Bang
Bing Bang Men is the brainchild of Anna Sheffield, CFDA nominee for the 2007 Swarovski Accessories Award. Originally from New Mexico, Sheffield finds inspiration for her gold, silver, and gunmetal jewelry in the outlaws and rebels who once roamed the land. For 2007, Steve McQueen is the embodiment of that rebel character. Some highlights of the collection include gun-trigger necklaces, signet rings embossed with the image of Saint Christopher, and silver cufflinks make out of handcuff keys. Expanding on the theme into other categories, Bing Bang offers bandanas with motorcycle prints and leather belts with a brass lock pick hidden in the lining. Some of the pieces would be perfect for a real-life bank robber, if such a thing were still common. But Sheffield's jewelry lets us imagine a time when the romantic notion of the rogue is still alive and well — and available nationwide at Barneys.

Victoria Simes for FORM
Freelance stylist Victoria Simes (who works with Maria Cornejo) started her foray into men's jewelry with interactivity in mind, designing necklaces for FORM's pre-spring fashion show. "You can wear this jewelry as a tie, bracelet, belt, and so on," says Simes. "It's to be worn by both men and women" for a gender-bending appeal. Simes notes that her small collection of long lariats that form necklaces are "predominantly made out of yarn, chain, and metal rings" in black, silver, and gold.

Chris Habana
Chris Habana's jewelry-design work has a playful mischievousness that creates a sensation of both charm and discomfort. This sense of unease, however, is oddly refreshing, reminding us that — just as clothing does — jewelry can still provoke, irritate, and surprise. Raised in the Philippines, Habana's aesthetic inspirations are eclectic — his casts of tiny bones and teeth and use of human hair evoke violence and strife, while the touch of Victorian style ultimately elicits a reexamination of the layered aesthetic. The "three-dimensional collage" result of Habana's creative process is a mélange of primal motifs and cosmopolitan cool. His edgy new work also appears in the New York documentary series New York Stories, directed by French illustrator/director/animator Yoann Lemoine.

Brian Crumley
Brian Crumley's jewelry is no stranger to the runways or the printed page. He has collaborated with VPL and Rachel Comey and participated in the Gen Art Styles 2006 International Styles Design Competition. His latest collection, entitled "Peace Under Fire," is one of the most thought-provoking lines we've seen. The sterling-silver collection takes the violent icons of guns and knives — which our society has turned into chic statements of rebellion — and rendered them harmless. A knot in a rifle, a hangman's rope that turns into a peace sign, and a broken knife take their cues from the hippie generation's flower in the gun, but Crumley's statements are arguably more powerful. These are pieces that will spark conversation and quietly make a point without being hippy-dippy or cliché. "I wanted to render these symbols of aggression impotent and reclaim them as new symbols of peace," he says.

Fenton
When our editor-in-chief sported a Fenton one-off cumberbund fashioned from lariats to JC Report's anniversary party, it seemed likely that the designer would be venturing into men's jewelry. Lo and behold, two years later, Fenton's Dana Lorenz (profiled in issue 62) launched a small line of men's jewelry that borrowed iconic materials from Fenton's women's pieces. "We are starting with brass and aged sterling, with a few pieces in 14k gold and incorporating natural raw materials like ivory and horn," explains Lorenz. So why should men accessorize? "What a man chooses to wear around his neck, closest to him, is so telling," Lorenz states. Typically, if he is wearing tasteful, interesting jewelry, the pieces really mean something to him... a necklace a friend gave him, a ring his grandfather wore, a piece he found on a trip he took with his true love. Jewelry can be a window into who you are."

-Justin Conner and Robert Cordero