Whiteflash-Diamond Playground

From CourJour: New life for old jewelry By Amy Scattergood
Los Angeles Times

Imagine the contents of your grandmother’s jewelry box restrung in playful combinations — and resurfacing in runway shows and exclusive boutiques, and on the necks and arms of Cate Blanchett and Ashley Judd, environmentalist Majora Carter, even the Seattle punk band Blood Brothers. That pretty much traces the career of Lisa Salzer, 24, the New York designer who founded the Lulu Frost jewelry line after graduating from Dartmouth three years ago. Salzer, who studied art history and studio art, takes vintage pieces and resurrects them, using charms, stones and pieces of chain from older jewelry. Her pieces can include watches without hands, the metal tags from crystal bar sets, vintage keys and — most famously — the room numbers from old hotels. “I bought all the room numbers,” says Salzer of the Plaza Hotel’s 1907 bronze fixtures. She used them as pendants, hanging from whimsical vintage chains, in her spring 2006 collection. They caused a sensation and sold out quickly. She went on to collaborate with designers, such as Alexander Wang, creating earrings made of fluorescent plastic discs and vintage brass chains for his fall ‘07 collection, and Chris Benz, boosting his spring ‘08 show with necklaces made of Rwandan beads and vintage bits. Her inspirations include Alber Elbaz of Lanvin and Consuelo Castiglione of Marni; and her grandmother, Elizabeth Frost, who was an estate jewelry buyer and is the company’s namesake. “I like to combine decades,” says Salzer of her designs. “It’s like collage.”