New York-based jewelry designer Stella Flame’s creations are handcrafted in Istanbul – the Eternal city known for its ancient history, for being the bridge between the East and the West, and for bearing three names.
It is thought that Istanbul, previously known as Byzantium, and later renamed as Constantinople, owes its name to the Greek phrase εἰς τὴν πόλιν “èis ten pòlin”, meaning “towards the city”. Stella Flame, not dissimilar to the ancient Ottoman jewelers, showcases a cosmopolitan approach which embraces and celebrates multiple cultures.
The Ottoman Empire was known for its plethora of jewelers. In fact, it is believed that Emperor Süleyman the Magnificent employed ninety of them within his palace. Most jewelers were Christian Armenians and Jews, and many European Goldsmiths moved to Constantinople to train in jewelry-making. The Middle East was often romanticised by 19th and 20th-century artists, especially with regards to sexual behaviour. Many artists portrayed Turkish and Middle Eastern women adorned in jewelry, clothed in ultra-fine robes and were often depicted in suggestive poses transforming them into “odalisques”. These bejewelled embodiments of mystery and seduction endure as part of Turkish jewelry’s past and present even as other perceptions have changed over the centuries. Stella Flame can be considered a navigator and, like Istanbul, a union between East and West.
Research and exotism come alive in her creations. She likes to define her art as the coming together of motifs taken from ancient Constantinople, the Italian art of Buccellati and a hint of rebel edge, intertwining to create something truly unique. But there is more; Stella constantly searches for inspiration across all four elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water), because it is from this spiritual and earthly journey that her work displays such originality and passion. There is both an aura of mystery in her creations and a sense of allure.
Her own history and experiences have shaped her personality. She told me how her mother survived a concentration camp during the Second World War and how she too loved jewelry, instilling a love of history and jewelry in her daughter. The relationship between the two is constantly intertwined in her creations. She loves to define herself as a storyteller, sometimes as one who tells a story quietly, and sometimes as one who tells it loudly, but always present is her bold and unmistakable style.
Art, travel, music, talismans, astrology, and nature all serve as inspirations in her collections. I imagine she conceives them to the rhythm of tanbur (a bowl lyre), oud (a Turkish plucked-string instrument resembling a lute), ney (end-blown reed flute) and kudüm, the ancient drum, while sipping a good Turkish çay (tea). Ottoman music was also mystical, often played in a Sufi environment, a manifestation of the Gan Eden that was Ottoman Istanbul. But in her poetics, there also lies a Baroque opulence and an intricate workmanship. She often makes references to Buccellati, the Italian genius who is renowned for his original style which sees precious metal reign supreme over gems; gold, silver and platinum are always the protagonists, but iron and copper always have their place.
Stella’s creations mix sterling and high carat gold in the way of the ancient Ottoman Empire jewelers, and in the way of Buccellati’s works. In such an uncertain period, Stella’s strength lies in the timelessness of her pieces.
A long-lasting adventure of everyday life and why not? Also, a travel among the centuries and the inspirations. Her mother laid the foundations for her love of travel, insisting on buying a set of World Book Encyclopedias for her and her sister. These books, read in alphabetical order, opened their eyes to countries around the world. “These literary journeys were magical. I started travelling as soon as I could, and I’ve never stopped!”, Stella explained to me. In this storytelling, there were also other familial influences. “Aunt Irena was very bohemian in nature; she graduated from the Sorbonne and was then sent to America in 1935 or 1936 because she had a gentile boyfriend. When she eventually returned to Paris, she ended up marrying a very nice but very boring Jewish man, and they lived separate lives. She loved meeting people and had friends from all over the world – she was always introducing me to people from Africa and China. In her professional life she was an antiques dealer, and so it was from her that I got my love of antiquities and ancient cultures. She opened my eyes and my heart to people from all corners of the globe.”
Openness, cosmopolitan spirit, genius, adventure, audaciousness, craftmanship, sustainability, nature are only some of the themes that inspire Stella’s creations. This season, Stella continues to expand on her imagery inspired strongly by nature: ladybugs, serpents, flowers, and garden flora are signature motifs of her creations.
The challenges presented by the last two years of the Covid pandemic have inspired a sense of renewal and optimism within her and resulted in the creation of two capsule collections. The Veronica Collection – the name signals “Victorious” reflects the designer’s vision of jewelry as elegant and essential, fortifying, modern day armor. Spiritual support is embodied in The Stella By Starlight Collection – diamond studded stars are featured throughout – global symbols of divine guidance and protection…
In a time of human suffering, the Turkish mystic Yunus Emre’s voice restores hope and meaning to life. His message is as timeless as Stella’s:
“I haven’t come here to settle down.
I’ve come here to depart.
I am a merchant with lots of goods,
selling to whoever will buy.
I didn’t come to create any problems,
I’m only here to love.
A Heart makes a good home for the Friend.
I’ve come to build some hearts…”
Yunus Emre (1238-1328 CE)
Stella Flame’s limited edition and one of a kind pieces are available both at the store at Mad Museum and MUSE x MUSE in New York City, at Objet d’Emotion in London, at Karry Gallery in Paris, on the newly launched website, Stella Flame Gallery and at her well-known Sag Harbor Gallery.
Photo by
Jesse Eliott – Onur Oduncular – The Commercial Art Lab
Article edit by Laura Astrologo Porché
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