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Friday, January 21, 2011

Vivienne Westwood to Create Palladium Jewelry Line

Vivienne Westwood
British designer Vivienne Westwood will create a limited edition collection of palladium jewelry that will be available in the U.K. and U.S.

Vivienne Westwood’s “Get A Life” Palladium Collection will be unveiled during London Fashion Week in February and will be available exclusively in Vivienne Westwood boutiques in London and Los Angeles in the spring.

“Jewelry has nothing to do with Get a Life,” Westwood said. “Get a Life is about how we stop climate change and therefore preserve life for the next generation while at that same time get a better life. My focus at the moment is what one person can do. Stop climate change. Save the planet.”

Westwood’s bespoke palladium collection includes elements inspired by the need to allow the environment to flourish. Designs from the collection are inspired by nature and symbols from paganism—the acorn, oak tree and a heart all feature prominently to represent strength, luck, power and hope for change to make the environment better for the future.

“The acorn is symbolic of the rainforest, its importance and how it is our first duty to save it,” Westwood said.

Westwood’s new jewelry line is being done in collaboration with Palladium Alliance International, an organization whose goal is to establish palladium as a luxurious, precious and distinctive metal for jewelry.

Originating from the platinum family of metals, palladium is naturally white, maintains its color for a lifetime, and is light and strong.

“We wanted Dame Vivienne Westwood to showcase palladium to the world because of her continued exploration and reinterpretation of history, combined with a tireless individualism, which has cemented her reputation as the U.K.'s most culturally significant fashion designer,” said John Stark, PAI Chairman. “We believe this creativity and individuality make her the perfect fit for the brand and her designs will complement our metal.”

In addition to the collaboration with Westwood, PAI is working with student designers in New York City and London to their talent with the metal.