创意碰撞 | 时尚与艺术的 TS 世界

Project Name: TS World

Posted in: Painting , Sculpture , Fashion , Jewelry Design , Womenswear

Brand: Tiziana Serretta

From the magnificent palazzi of Palermo to her ancestral futuristic apartment in Milan, and the exquisite diversity of the Kenyan landscape to her skyscraper office overlooking Panama City - that somehow in turn led to the roots of a mysterious “desire tree” in New York City. “It was destiny,” Tiziana Serretta says, “a rare tango, a spontaneous coupling between what is happening around you and who you are, in the ever-changing moment”.    Highly-recognized as a museum and gallery curator, as well as an avid collector of art and fashion, Tiziana never loses her enthusiasm for new experiences and all that life has to offer. Like a modern renaissance woman, she never tires of experimentation and engaging with the new and the unknown, as she believes that “ the only way to truly understand who you really are and unlock your full potential is to face as many challenges as possible. ” We first met her back in 2012, when she was still the director and curator of Diana Vreeland Ltd, a London-based gallery dedicated to vintage fashion and fine art jewellery. She opened the doors to what has been described as her “ oneiric grotto of the future ”: a 230 sq.m. apartment in Milan , decorated with carved monoliths, natural materials and mirrors. Eclectic, bold and uncompromising, this abode was a perfect reflection of her personal taste, talents and experiences.  

Biomuseo,  Amador Causeway, Panama City, Panama. Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Photo © Fernando Alda.

Mola silk buster inspired by the Biomuseo in Panama, designed by Frank Gehry, depicting the ceiling of the museum which is supposedly a symbol of Panama also strongly referencing recycling materials. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Biomuseo,  Amador Causeway, Panama City, Panama. Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Photo © Fernando Alda. Born and raised in Palermo, a Sicilian city noted for its history, culture and architecture, Tiziana’s family is known as one of the city's most historical families. Her mother, a woman described by Tiziana herself as a free spirit and an intellectual who only speaks Greek and Latin proved to be an influence, one which urged her to always pursue her passions. Also acquainted with Duke Fulco di Verdura , a fascinating jewellery designer and friend of Coco Chanel , this acquaintance would lead Tiziana to acquire a revolutionary perspective for jewellery and a holistic perception of aesthetics from a young age. 

Tiziana Seretta in the CAVE HOUSE , photo © Massimo Listri. From Academic Professor to Globetrotting Aesthete Over the years, Tiziana has developed an infallible eye for great taste and beauty reflecting her worldly demeanour and vast knowledge on art and culture. More than just an art enthusiast, she originally taught law for eight years at the University of Palermo, after which she decided to change course and follow her passion for vintage collectibles. Although leaving the world of academia was a difficult choice, the risk has since proved to have been worthwhile: since then, Tiziana has travelled extensively to Asia, with lengthy spells spent in Kenya - as well as founding her first gallery in her hometown of Palermo and collaborating, as a consultant, for many fashion oriented and art media projects in Italy for years.   Yet despite all the changes in her life, there is one thing she has been dedicated to single-mindedly since the 1980s: “ Collecting is like a fever. I collect many things: jewellery, objects, furniture ,” she says. She has patiently built an impressive collection of “unique pieces with a modern, timeless spirit” where “nothing is repeated.” Her collection includes fine art jewellery from the ‘60s and the ‘70s, created by eminent artists such as Saverio Cavalli and Salvatore Fiume ; vintage and designer dresses created between the ‘60s and ‘80s, rare handbags, accessories and handcrafted artefacts (even the aforementioned futuristic monoliths) are also part of her collection. Apart from Cavalli and Fiume, her collection proudly showcases pieces by Salvador Dali , Pablo Picasso , Jean Cocteau , Armando Tanzin i and Paolo Spalla among others, some created especially for her. Tiziana sees jewellery as a form of art and believes that a jewel is a product of beauty and harmony, mirroring a wider scheme of things where the whole world is a sum of jewels, elements and spiritual energy.   Her passion for jewellery sparked another passion for vintage fashion, which led to her becoming a dedicated vintage fashion collector in the mid-‘80s, as she felt that the commercial fashion of the time had become boring and predictable. After all, what would a beautiful jewel be without a spectacular garment? Tiziana turned to older collections by Vionnet, Yves Saint Laurent, Courrèges, Balenciaga, Christian Dior and Madame Grès, to name just a few, and soon enough, a casual habit grew into a very serious engagement that involved meticulous research, which turned her into a true vintage connoisseur. For Tiziana, the worlds of fine art and fashion are not at all separated as some present-day critics and collectors like to believe: “ Art and fashion are a way of life. They are an integral part of everyday life, and certainly not detached from us ,” says Tiziana, thus underlining how jewellery and fashion items can be seen as works of art in their own right.

Panama City, 2015. Making of the TS World new artworks. Photographs by Javier Alejandro . Art and fashion is a way of life. It is an integral part of everyday life, and certainly not detached from us. Tiziana Serretta

Mola coat representing Ustupu tradition Kuna Iala (music, medical herbs, legends, art and craft). Tiziana Serretta comments on the piece and its creator: “I love Vicky Kantule’s work. She is an amazing artist who is incredible with her hands. These dresses are a symbol of the island’s history and are a vivid representation and commemoration of nature, music, love, harmony and spirituality. In the Kuna culture, the hammock is a symbol for the heart and mermaids are symbols of the spirits”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Tornillo hand-painted silk dress by Oswaldo Kantule. As Tiziana Serretta explains, “this dress represents a tower with a bird on the top. For the Kunas, the bird is a symbol of Freedom. The symbolism here is in regard to not destroying the forest. There is so much construction going on in Panama that you can’t even see the ocean anymore”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

On this canal dress, Tiziana Serretta comments on how “it was made for the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal. The only Mola technique on the dress is the Bridge of the Americas. As you can see there are two panels with two boats drawn on them and a woman in the middle crossing the canal”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Silk hand painted Mola skirt and bustier. Tiziana Serretta further explains that “this dress symbolizes the Las American Bridge. There are palm trees and forests, a symbol of Panama since it is close to the tropics. While the dress is a symbol of Panamanian nature, at the same time, it is a reference to the construction and development that is going on in Panama. Although the technological infrastructure in Panama is as advanced as in Singapore, it is not fully utilized by the people”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Silk skirt representing the contrast between technology and primordiality, by Oswaldo de Leon Kantule. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Tiziana Serretta explains that “this bustier is not completely white. It symbolizes the meaning of the Kuna wedding. When two young people come together and are about to get married they are positioned in a hammock and people around them push that hammock wishing them eternal love and happiness, prosperity and children”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Tiziana Serretta: “I like this dress because of the meaning of the book and the fact that I am always attracted to the white pages in my life. The white organza symbolizes the white pages of a book”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Poncho representing the friendship between the tribes by Oswaldo de Leon Kantule. According to Tiziana Serretta, “the inspiration behind this piece is a painting in the Contemporary museum in Panama. It symbolizes the most profound values of the island and the Kuna culture (it represents two fishermen boats that meet and share). The Kuna people are a collective community where there is a strong sense of belonging. They always share”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Tribal mola bustier with feathers. For Tiziana Serretta, “this bustier symbolizes the link between the Maasai of Africa, where I spent 20 years, and the Kuna people. The bird is a symbol of freedom in the Kuna culture depicted in a totemic Maasai way”. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Hand-painted Ferragamo, with a sketch by Gildo Medina . Crocodile skin handbag 2009, Tiziana Serretta by Gildo Medina 1/1, 2015. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

A sketch inspired by The Tree Of Desire by Gildo Medina.  A Platform for Creativity and Discovery  To kick-start the TS World and its series of collaborations, Tiziana invited three artists to create unique artworks inspired by her art and fashion collection, her own artistic vision and the local Panama culture;  the resulting works were developed in close collaboration between the artists and Tiziana herself. To begin with, Mexican painter and illustrator Gildo Medina co-created an elaborate sculptural installation titled The Tree OF Desire , where the branches of a tree were painted, by the artist, with images and patterns that refer to quintessential human desires and passions. Medina also customised a collectible crocodile leather Salvatore Ferragamo bag (2009), by painting directly on the leather, thus permanently transforming the bag into a unique work of art. Meanwhile, Panamanian Kuna painter Oswaldo Kantule painted some of his signature colourful figures and traditional Kuna patterns on several dresses from Tiziana’s collection; he also painted one of Tiziana’s monoliths with images inspired by the local rainforest and the harmful impact of man on nature. The idea for this ‘rainforest monolith’ was born during a visit at the Açaí rainforest in Panama: Tiziana was so captivated by the forest’s untainted beauty that she decided to commission a work that somehow passed the message that “ without the forests, we can’t live. ” Last but not least, a custom-designed black dress was created for Tiziana by French fashion designer Patrick Stephan that is now part of the TS World collection .

This dress created by Patrick Stephan, in collaboration with Tiziana Serretta, is as Tiziana points out “a dress inspired by a number of paradoxical elements. For example the first idea was to re-cut a 'Man's coat' into a 'Couture Dress' thereby playing with opposing elements such as masculinity and femininity. We see minimalism in the men's classic tailoring details such as black wool and cashmere combined with delicate details such as touches of skin colour, the corset bondage Obi belt, embroidery, black chiffon, and shiny silk charcoal coloured taffeta. Ultimately, the piece is based on the concept of the word 'co-existence' also exemplified in the mixing of mat and shinning textures”. The fabrics were sourced from Patrick Stephan’s archives in Paris and Tokyo. Sketch by Patrick Stephan .

Hand painted silk dress representing the mystical San Blas Mermaids, by Oswaldo de Leon Kantule. Tiziana Serretta: “A captivating piece by Oswaldo De León Kantule. The Kuna wash themselves in the river before they paint. They believe in the spirit of music and art. They adhere to their traditions and although they are often viewed as “primitive” people, everybody has their own mobile phone, so at the same time they are very much connected to the modern world; symbols of a Kuna face with a Wi-Fi signal are the meaning portrayed in this dress”.  Photo by Javier Alejandro .

(detail). Hand-painted monolith by Oswaldo Kantule. Tiziana Serretta by Oswaldo Kantule 1/1, 2015. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Hand-painted monolith by Oswaldo Kantule. Tiziana Serretta by Oswaldo Kantule 1/1, 2015. Photo by Javier Alejandro . As certain patterns of desire do, roots and leaves evolve like smoke, from a central point to a peripheral filigree or to fan-vaulting branches - or like in the human body: from the heart to the tip of the fingers… A stream of energy that flows towards the void and the unknown. Juan José Herrera de la Muela (Consul of Spain for Cultural Affairs in New York)

Gold and silver bracelet with white perspex on wood by Saverio Cavalli, Italy, 1968. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Cufflinks representing horses, baboons ,elephants , elephant /Africa, gazelles, woman heads, claws, rapacious heads, turtles, in different kinds of woods, diamonds, green gold by Armando Tanzini Kenya/ NY, 1977. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Rings in gold, white and gray pearls, by Paolo Spalla, Italy, 1960. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

Captions from left to right, top to bottom: > Cufflinks representing elephant /Africa in wood & diamonds, by Armando Tanzini Kenya/ NY, 1977. > Yellow gold bracelet with red enamel by Saverio Cavalli, Italy, 1962. > Gold and ivory ring by Paolo Spalla / Gold and ebony ring by Paolo Spalla / Gold and turtle ring by Paolo Spalla, (1960) > Gold and silver bracelet with red perspex on wood by Saverio Cavalli, Italy, 1968. > Pendant in gold and polychrome enamel representing Adam and Eve, by Salvatore Fiume, Italy, 1970. > White gold,coral and diamonds necklace representing 5 woman faces,by Armando Tanzini, Kenya,New york, 1977. > Gold and fossil brooch, by Paolo Spalla, Italy, 1960. > Gold and stone ring by Paolo Spalla, Italy, 1960. Tiziana Serretta, private collection, photographs by Javier Alejandro.

Installation view of the art jewelry pieces at the TS pop-up gallery in Waldrof Astoria, 10th September 2015. Photo by Javier Alejandro. A young universe in motion, ready to burst with ideas and inspiration, the TS World brand was officially unveiled to collectors and members of the press during an exclusive event in early September 2015 at the Waldorf Towers in New York City. Conceived as the first of a series of pop-up gallery spaces that will appear around the world in the coming months, the event featured all the newly created TS artworks and customised items, together with a selection of fine art jewellery and 14 limited edition handbags from Tiziana’s private collection. The event was organised in collaboration with  Heritage Auctions , the world’s third biggest auction house that is also famous for its expertise in collectible luxury fashion accessories. As the event’s centrepiece, the Tree Desire installation set the tone and theme for the exhibition, surrounded by artefacts from different time periods that were displayed together for the first time. {YatzerTip}  The entire collection from the TS pop-up event is currently on display at Heritage Auction’s Park Avenue store, where it will remain until September 27th, 2015. There, Tiziana is showcasing more items from her collection and the TS World brand, while Heritage Auctions will sell her 14 limited edition handbags on September 29th in Beverly Hills.   2015 September 29 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature Auction - Beverly Hills #5233

Tiziana Serretta in front of the window of HERITAGE AUCTIONS on Park Avenue, New York. Photographs by Javier Alejandro.

Mola silk shawl which is a tribute to Hermès hand bags. Inspired by the Heritage auctions AUTUMN LUXURY 2015 catalogue's cover, 2015. Photo by Javier Alejandro .

The cover creative of Heritage auctions AUTUMN LUXURY 2015 catalogue. Courtsesy of Tiziana Serreetta.