Fit for a Princess

Lots of pink and a fairytale flair for the fantastic characterize Emily P. Wheeler’s colorful new Dress Up collection.

It’s a fine line to tread, but Los Angeles-based designer Emily P. Wheeler has managed to create the sweetest jewelry collection of the season without a touch of saccharine. Dress Up, her latest range of one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces, conjures up childhood memories, Disney princesses, and costume jewelry — except that her fairytale characters inhabit a pop-art universe, pay homage to acrylic artists Betsy Enzensberger and Stephanie Roberts, and would not be out of place amid the theatrical colors of Japanese street style. Deliciously exuberant, Dress Up is an invitation to go out and have fun while being unabashedly girly.

Fluffy, however, it is not. Wheeler plays with unusual materials such as petrified wood, ebony, howlite, amazonite, and tiger’s iron, confidently combining them with heart-shaped sapphires, playful unicorn spinels, and an array of other fiery gemstones. The designer also incorporates her signature X motif alongside colorful enamel, while expanding the offerings of her Tiered and Ombre collections. With Dress Up, Wheeler proffers effortless glamour to jewelry lovers who are waving goodbye to social distancing and reentering the party circuit.

Here, Wheeler discusses her inspiration for Dress Up, as well as what jewelry she plans to wear at her wedding, which she had to postpone because of the pandemic.

What was your most cherished item of jewelry as a child?
When I was maybe 12, I fell in love with a Native American fetish necklace that I saw while on a road trip to Arizona with my dad. I have always been obsessed with animals and jewelry, so naturally, it was love at first sight. He had been buying jewelry for my mom during the whole trip, and I complained that he hadn’t gotten me anything. I was whining like a little brat about it, and then he surprised me with it while we were standing next to the Grand Canyon. I still cherish it, and I have it laid out on a tray in my studio as a reminder of my early love of jewelry.

Would this collection have taken such a lighthearted theme if Covid-19 hadn’t happened?
I think I was headed that direction anyway. I wanted to make a really bright, colorful collection, and I wanted to incorporate more hearts. The last collection, La Selva, was very earthy, natural-toned for me, and I wanted to do something different this time around. Once Covid-19 happened, the concept was built out further to really celebrate dressing up.

How and where did you source your gems for this collection?
I used the same sources and simply chose different colors and shapes. I also pull material from my existing inventory for each collection; I always keep a massive collection of stones, as it helps my creativity. They are from all over the world. As part of becoming a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), I thoroughly vet my sources for materials. I like to use people that I trust and build relationships with them over time. Many of them know what I like and will save me special parcels or one-off stones.

How do you feel this collection embodies the new Roaring ’20s?
I hoped that once we had a vaccine, the world would be in a major celebration mode for years to come. The jury is still out on that, but I think we’re starting to see it in the US. If that does happen, then it would be a similar experience to the post-war Roaring ’20s. I thought a lot about that era when developing this collection, and what women today would want to wear. I also created the long Wrap Bead necklaces as a direct reference to the long flapper necklaces of the era.

What was the most technically challenging piece in the collection?
The Dress Up necklace, hands down. The ebony is carved to curve and turn around the neck so that it sits properly. It was a challenge for my lapidary in Los Angeles, and it took several attempts and many months to complete. Luckily, I had sourced an enormous log of ebony from a sculptor who had leftover material from the ’80s. We had lots to work with.

Who is the dream Emily P. Wheeler collector?
Someone who appreciates quality and doesn’t follow trends. Instead, they have a more elevated and timeless style, but they aren’t afraid of color. Timeless doesn’t need to mean boring.

Which pieces from this collection will you wear at your wedding?
I’m making a pair of earrings similar to the Aurora earrings, but in an all-pink palette to wear at some point during the weekend. I still haven’t made the earrings for my wedding day, but they will be a combination of morganite, peridot and pink sapphire. I’m having a custom pink wedding dress made, so I’m working with a swatch of that. I imagine I will pile on lots more from this collection.