I first met jewelry designer and all-around fascinating personality Dana Lorenz through Ikram Goldman during the Fall/Winter collections this past March in Paris. Prior to launching the luxury accessory and jewelry collection personality FENTON in 2005, Dana worked for the likes of Donna Karen and Gucci. While taking a break from her posts, she proceeded to spontaneously create jewelry -- eventually joining forces with Cloak to design signature pieces for his show (down the line, Proenza Schouler would also join the impressive ranks of Dana's collaborators). While underway with FENTON for two booming years, Dana founded FALLON in 2007: a younger, bolder, more price-conscious collection established by popular demand from her retailers -- Barneys, Harvey Nichols, Ikram, Lane Crawford, Linda Dresner, among others.
On September 1st, Dana will open a New York FENTON/FALLON flagship located at the end of Freeman Alley (guarded by flamingo-shaped shrubbery near Chrystie Street). Deeply rooted in Dana's design aesthetic, the boutique's "more is more" motif is based on her mythical vision of an '80s-era teenager who inherited a prim Park Avenue townhouse that she soon thrashed and rejiggered into her own punk debutante paradise. Crowned by a Patrick Nagel lithograph, the pink-paneled boutique's interior highlights include a kooky lip-shaped chaise and a zebra ottoman -- but it's Dana's eccentric FENTON and FALLON bijoux that really steal the spotlight.
How did your first collaboration with Alexandre Plohkov (of Cloak) transpire?
Alexandre and I have at ton of mutual friends and we used to go out to the same hangouts, shows, etc. He saw something that I was wearing and asked if I could use it as inspiration for a handful of pieces for his show...
After launching your luxury venture FENTON, what was the driving force in creating the high-spirited line FALLON?
Immediately stores and buyers were requesting additional styles and more of "a range” from me. Small boutiques as well as the Barneys buyer for CO-OP came in asking for the FENTON sensibility but in an easier, broader and less expensive assortment. I wanted to stay tight and exclusive with FENTON... but absolutely had to take advantage of the demand!
What are the fundamental differences between the two lines?
FENTON is thought to have a more advanced, more sophisticated feeling; although I think the main differences lie in the development and assembly techniques. The materials are in fact a bit more expensive for FENTON, but the time it takes to make one piece far exceeds that of one from FALLON. We have a signature bondage technique where we wrap a profusion of short pieces composed of chain and crystals so tightly that it turns into a hard collar structure rather than a necklace of loose hanging chains.
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