KC Sukamto
KC Sukamto Culha’s work with vegetable ivory emphasizes color, brilliance, and lightness in her Southeast Asian-inspired chandelier earrings.
Her world is a map dotted with the vibrant colors of Colombian emeralds, Thai sapphires and rubies, and the shimmering gleam of Australian opals and Tahitian pearls. It is a map that she travels in search of materials, precious gems, and inspiration to form her aesthetic imagery of classic, timeless lines – and a concept which KC Sukamto Culha, a Los Angeles designer who trained at Central Saint Martins, now interprets through the tagua nut, a botanical alternative to ivory. For Vogue Italia, she creates a pair of chandelier earrings that frame the face, creating a look that is at once opulent and intimate – a rigid dichotomy broken by the material’s characteristic lightness. The craftsmanship – the work of skilled artisans with whom the designer collaborates on a one-on-one basis – highlights the perfect symmetry of the earrings’ lines, as well as the uniformity of the brilliant white nut. These are jewels which nod in the direction of Southeast Asia – the largest consumer of ivory goods – and also prompt reflection on how the use of certain materials has an effect that is not only environmental, but also social and political. “The fashion world is consciously making a shift towards materials and processes that do not damage our Earth,” she states. “The signature of my brand has always been a strong personal perspective and intricate craftsmanship. There is no reason to forgo these elements while staying true to our message of sustainability. More so, what makes jewelry so special is its ability to transcend time, turning away from this modern notion of ‘fast fashion’. What is more luxurious and environmental than that?”