Part of a new generation of independent designers blowing the dust off haute jewelry, Wifredo Rosado creates heirloom-worthy pieces with a twist. Handcrafted in Paris and Italy, his whimsical designs wed couture-level workmanship with a subversive spin on the fine jewelry tradition. No surprise from a man who was mentored by both Giorgio Armani and Andy Warhol. Débuting his collection exclusively in Riyadh at D’NA, we spoke to Rosado about his journey from the New York art scene to the Paris ateliers.
Rosado’s story begins when he first met Armani while a student at New York University pursuing a degree in medicine. "I wanted to be a pediatrician, as I've always been good with children," he confided. To make extra money he landed a job designing the window displays for the legendary Parachute store in SoHo. Recognizing his talent, Armani immediately installed him at his first U.S. Armani store on Madison Avenue.
It was there, while arranging a window display, that he caught the eye of Andy Warhol walking down the street. Not long after, Warhol snapped him up and gave him a position at Interview Magazine as its fashion director. It was in this unlikely setting that Rosado got his first crash course in fine jewelry, while shopping for gems along 47th Street with Andy Warhol. “He collected everything from diamonds, to South Sea pearls, Deco jewelry, and even Navajo pieces,” recalled Rosado. “He used to carry a big diamond or pearl in his pocket every day. When he died, they found a chair in his apartment stuffed with jewels.”
Today Rosado is considered a master at creating jewelry that is both playful and decadent, with a sly nod to street culture; an aesthetic he credits to Warhol. "I picked up the sense of street culture from him," said the designer. "He was able to bring the vastly different worlds of art, fashion and high society together in a playful manner and still make them cool. I apply that same approach to my own designs today."
When he wasn’t shooting fashion stories with the likes of Herb Ritts, Bruce Weber and David LaChapelle, Rosado immersed himself in the heady art world of New York in the 1980’s; a scene dominated by the street-inspired work of artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. For Rosado it would be the best kind of school; providing a valuable foundation for his future as a designer.
He put that education to good use when he returned to Armani in 1989, joining the label’s design team in Italy, where he remained for five years. Armani trusted Rosado with his image, and when he returned to New York City in 1994, Rosado became Mr. Armani’s virtual eyes and ears in the U.S. “When I got back to the States, I wanted to reach out to a younger generation,” he explained. “I wanted to bring that urban voice to the brand, add a little street to the sophistication and elegance.”
After 23 years in the fashion business at Giorgio Armani, he decided to strike out on his own in 2008, designing a limited edition line of fine jewelry for Versace, created in collaboration with artists such as Marc Quinn and Julian Schnabel. The pieces were then sold to benefit the Whitney Museum. That experience led him to pursue his dream of launching his own line of fine jewelry. "It was a secret ambition for a long time. I've been intrigued by the idea of taking something precious, like diamonds, and creating something totally different in spirit," said Rosado.
Today the self-taught jewelry designer, who is based in New York and Europe, takes an irreverent approach to treating precious stones and metals. “Most jewelers find a stone and build around it,” he said. “I put a lot of thought into creating versatile designs that can be transformed with interchangeable pieces. For me that is the ultimate investment,” explained the designer. He applies this philosophy to a yellow gold and pavé diamond “cage” pendant, with a heart-shaped pavé ruby charm floating inside like a disco ball. The heart can be changed out for other charms.
Yet although the designer confides that he treats his diamonds “in a way that's not so precious," this belies the fact that he tapped a legendary Place Vendôme atelier to produce his couture pieces, while other designs are handmade in small studios in Italy. His witty cameos are hand-carved in a workshop in Torre del Greco, while his Venetian Blackamoor rings and pedants are a "playfully reinterpretation that pays homage to the African princes of today."
Rosado admits that he’s had a long obsession with the craftsmanship of Paris’ legendary couture workrooms. “I was fortunate to have visited the House of Lesage during their busiest time, one week before the Fall 2010 couture shows! Monsieur Francois Lesage was kind enough to give me a tour of the hectic atelier and a lesson in fashion history. As Paris’ oldest embroiderer, it has worked with all the legendary couturiers from Chanel to Saint Laurent and Dior,” recalled Rosado. “The walls of Monsieur Lesage’s office are plastered with photographs and “Thank You” notes from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier. The number of artisans that can work at this level of quality are fewer and fewer by the year, so it was an amazing experience to visit these workshops.”
When it came time to launch his own line, Rosado was adamant on using the savoir-fair of the couture ateliers. But breaking into the exclusive world of the Paris workrooms would prove to be a challenge. "I knew I would not get an appointment because they are so busy, so I simply walked in one day with my designs,” explained the designer, referring to the respected jewelry atelier on the Place Vendôme that produces his line. “As luck would have it, I met the head who took pity on me and leafed through my designs," said Rosado, who also managed to convince Maison Lemarié to work with him.
During his initial meeting at Lemarié (which supplies feathers to the Chanel, Dior and Balenciaga) Rosado was concerned that they might not be willing to accept him as a new client, until he spied Stefano Pilatti (with whom he used to share an office with during his years at Armani) in the next room. “I thought, ‘This is it! This is going to legitimize me!’ So I ran across the room and gave him a big hug and thought, ‘I'm in.’ It was like all of the stars were aligned.”
The result is a series of whimsical pieces fusing precious jewels with exuberant plumes that are customizable. Amongst his offerings are a pair of stunning 18k white gold diamond and tourmaline earrings that come with shocking pink feather drops. The feathers are ingeniously attached by magnets and can easily be unclipped to be worn without or switched for a different color. Rosado’s large cuff encrusted in pavé diamonds also features exuberant plumes, which can be unscrewed or swapped with white, black, and pale pink feathers, (Maison Lemarié can also custom dye any hue for customers).
