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Wendy Gell
who’s jewelry designs were seen on the wrists of the who’s who
during the wild style of the eighties has had an extraordinary career that
most in the fashion industry can only dream of.
Her pieces graced the covers of Vogue,
famous movie stars, and her technique were copied by many who
wished to emulate her creative style. In 1976 as a taxi driver while trying to think of a birthday gift for a friend, Wendy came up with the concept of her now famous “Wristie.” It was at that moment that her future career as a respected jewelry designer was born. A need to come up with an economical expression of a gift, would later turn into a multi-million dollar contemporary jewelry company.
Her jewelry has a very
distinctive style. It is bold,
whimsical, and glitzy. As a
jewelry designer, Wendy leaves no surface unadorned; each piece is a
complete encrustation of jewels and other materials.
The covering of all surfaces is analogous to creating a painting
with jewels and she successfully achieves through her medium. The
materials she uses help form not only textual depth, but visual delight.
As a contemporary designer, Wendy not only uses present-day
material such as rhinestones, pearls, beads etc., she
incorporates old findings into the work.
It is not unlikely to find Indian carvings, netsuke’s and
Eisenberg pins from the 30’s and 40’s as a center focal point in the
designs. Her designs are
greatly sought after in the collector’s market and her clients include
Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Isabella Rossilini,
and
Wendy’s first true
exposure came after writing Vogue magazine 1982.
The magazine featured a several page article of the upcoming
designer’s creations. By
1986 Wendy Gell had 40 employees and her company was tripling each year.
Her collection had more than 1,000 different earrings made in her
workroom off of
Early
on in her career Wendy began designing for such fashion notables as Oscar
de la Renta and Bill Blass. In
1987 she designed shoe clips for the couture designer Charles Jordan as
well as have the honor that year in August, of the Disney line debuting at
Sak’s Wendy’s
success in the corporate world for licensee rights included the 1989
Wizard of Oz characters in celebration of the Oz’s 50th
anniversary. The line included
brooches done in gold plate and sterling as well as embroidered gloves and
other collectibles. In addition to the
first Disney contract for her famous Mickey Mouse and other characters
designs, the company later contacted Wendy to design the accessories for
Roger Rabbit in the movie, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”
Ironically, in
1999 Wendy herself was searching for the collectible Jessica Rabbit brooch
for her personal collection.
In the spring of 2000
Wendy received a call for the costume designer of
Today Wendy enjoys the
more tranquil life of an artist, making a name for herself in paintings as
she captures the spirit of the beloved canine.
Her paintings are less structured, yet magically they project the
inner soul of the animal that seem to speak a message of deep connection
between the artist and subject. For additional
information you can go to: http://www.wendygell.com
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