Guest Blogger Sundays: Natasha Suter

Today I welcome talented jewellery designer Natasha Suter as my guest. Based out of Wayne, NJ, Natasha is both the creator and designer of Capricious Adornments and its trendier sister shop, Swank. In her writing piece, The Romance and Mystery of Steampunk, Natasha explains what the “Steampunk” trend is all about:

According to a recent New York Times Fashion and Style review,“Steampunk is a trend that is rapidly outgrowing niche status”. As a trendspotter I tend to agree and as a reader of fashion and style boards I can tell you that there is so much mystique about what this style trend really is.

My simplest definition is a fusion of Jules Verne fantasy and the romance of Victorian Style that has been tweeked, deconstructed and altered with an edgy feel. The materials are metals and brassy, seasoned leathers and rich woods, the hues are dark muted shades of all colors and the style is ornate with a splash of one vibrant color as a focal. Add some imagination and daydreaming with flying machines and fantasy technology!

This culture is very popular internationally as well as here in the US. It’s in every genre of expression. Besides jewelry and fashion you’ll find famous examples of it’s presence in entertainment games such as a Russian board game electrified version of the classic Monopoly; Art – as in the famous Telectroscope 3-D piece displayed at the London City Hall; and inspirational fiction works by Verne, Wells, Twain and Shelley. The Steampunk influence has it’s own genre in music, such as my favorite Abney Park. This is where I found the perfect source to explain Steampunk!

Abney Park has an interesting short video decoding the culture. As you watch this, look in the background and notice the accessories, altered musical instruments, scene decor and messages of fantasy like the flying machine. That’s Steampunk!

Here are some of Natasha’s very own Steampunk jewellery creations:

How to find her:

• Swank
• Capricious Adornments
• Blog
• Facebook