Bibi van der Velden explained

Bibi van der Velden is a Dutch jewellery designer and sculptor who uses unexpected materials and shapes in her creations. She is also the founder and creative director of Auverture, a contemporary jewellery platform.[1]

Early life

Born in New York, Van Der Velden grew up between The Netherlands[2] [3] and the English countryside.[4] She is the daughter of Dutch sculptor Michèle Deiters.

Education

Between 1998 and 2005 she trained in sculpture, first at the Florence Academy of Art (1998), the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam (1999) and finally at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (2000-2005).[5]

Career

In 2006 she launched her namesake brand Bibi van der Velden, Wearable Works of Art. Her designs feature materials such as prehistoric mammoth tusk,[6] baroque pearls, and real scarab beetle wings. She works these elements together with sustainable gold,[7] [8] diamonds and precious stones, to create her designs inspired by animals and the natural world.[9] [10] [11]

Shown at luxury exhibitions in London,[12] Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles and during fashion shows at Amsterdam International Fashion Week, Van Der Velden's jewellery can be found at stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Dover Street Market, and Net-a-Porter.[13]

In 2020, during the pandemic, Van Der Velden is noted in the New York Times for having enhanced sales of her jewellery through the use of technology and A.R. filters.[14]

Collaborations and exhibitions

In 2008 Van Der Velden presented the show 'Bedazzling Jewel' at the Museum of Antiquity in Leiden, and later that year also exhibited together with Dutch fashion designer Jan Taminiau.[15] In 2010 she presented, together with mother Michèle Deiters, the exhibition 'Confronting Time'.[16] In 2011 Van Der Velden became ambassador of the Solidaridad project ‘Op Weg naar Goed Goud’, for which she traveled through Colombia to collaborate with mineworkers to mine gold in a sustainable way.[17] In 2019, Van Der Velden was part of the exhibition at the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam, “Jewels! The Glitter of the Russian Court.” Inspired by the rich history of Russian jewellery and artifacts that were part of the exhibition, she created a unique one-off piece: The Memento Mori Ring.[18]

Publications

Van Der Velden's work has been featured in ‘Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewelry’ written by Melanie Grant and published by Phaidon.[19]

Philanthropy

In 2018 Van Der Velden founded Charlie Braveheart Foundation, following her daughter's diagnosis and recovery from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The foundation's goal is to make treatments for children in hospitals as pain and stress-free as possible, by sponsoring courses on ‘’comfort’’ care for medical and nursing professionals.[20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bibi van der Velden and Auverture, the New Online Shop That Will Curate Fine Jewelry For You. 2021-08-27. W Magazine. en. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105915/https://www.wmagazine.com/story/bibi-van-der-velden-and-auverture-the-new-online-shop-that-will-curate-fine-jewelry-for-you. live.
  2. Web site: Simons. Baya. 2021-07-16. How To Spend It in... Amsterdam. 2021-08-30. www.ft.com. en-GB. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094709/https://www.ft.com/content/24090259-d4fa-48ea-a0a5-51a97d4c7073. live.
  3. Web site: 2018-08-21. Jeweler Bibi van der Velden Converted a Church Gymnasium Into an Elegant Family Home. 2021-08-30. Vogue. en-US. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094710/https://www.vogue.com/article/bibi-van-der-velden-amsterdam-home. live.
  4. Web site: 2016-06-21. Bibi van der Velden and Thomas de Haas's Wedding in the English Countryside. 2021-08-30. Vogue. en-US. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094710/https://www.vogue.com/article/weddings-bibi-van-der-velden-thomas-de-haas-england. live.
  5. News: 2014-05-08. 20 Odd Questions for Bibi van der Velden. en-US. Wall Street Journal. 2021-08-27. 0099-9660. 2021-11-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126012625/https://segment-data.zqtk.net/dowjones-d8s23j?url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303663604579501603255180772.html. live.
  6. Web site: Bone Up on Siberian Mammoth Jewelry. 2021-08-30. WSJ. en-US. 2013-06-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20130601203743/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323550604578412613872651302.html. live.
  7. Web site: 2014-07-03. Along the Ugly Path to Beautiful Jewellery. 2021-08-30. The Business of Fashion. en-GB. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094710/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/ethical-jewellery-monique-pean-pippa-small-bibi-van-der-velden. live.
  8. Web site: 2021-04-24. Is It Even Possible To Buy A Sustainable Engagement Ring?. 2021-08-30. British Vogue. en-GB. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094710/https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/how-to-buy-a-sustainable-engagement-ring. live.
  9. Web site: BIBI VAN DER VELDEN: Holland's jewellery innovator « A Lot of Inspiration. 2021-08-27. en. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105916/http://alotofinspiration.com/2014/03/bibi-van-der-velden-hollands-jewelry-innovator/. live.
  10. Web site: Woolton. Carol. 2020-11-23. Fantastic beasts: the eternal allure of animal jewellery. 2021-08-30. www.ft.com. en-GB. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094711/https://www.ft.com/content/dd34caa2-a6f6-441b-8815-7983dd2e94d9. live.
  11. Web site: 2019-12-22. 10 Celestial Jewels That Will Have You Reaching For The Stars This Festive Season (And All-Year-Round). 2021-08-30. British Vogue. en-GB. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094709/https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/gallery/celestial-cosmic-jewellery. live.
  12. Web site: 2018-10-04. Beyond Picasso: Jewellers Set Up Shop at London's Art Fairs. 2021-08-30. The Business of Fashion. en-GB. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094709/https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/beyond-picasso-jewellers-set-up-shop-at-londons-art-fairs. live.
  13. Web site: Lamont-Djite. Tara. 2014-04-17. Bibi van der Velden's Whimsical Fine Jewelry Collection. 2021-08-30. T Magazine. en-US. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830094710/https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/bibi-van-der-velden-jewelry/. live.
  14. News: Gomelsky. Victoria. 2021-04-23. Technology Could Turn You Into a Tiffany. en-US. The New York Times. 2021-08-30. 0362-4331. 2021-08-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830100211/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/23/fashion/jewelry-technology-augmented-reality.html. live.
  15. Web site: Bibi van der Velden: Forbidden Fruit. 2021-08-27. Trendalert.nl. nl. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105914/https://www.trendalert.nl/artikel/160291-bibi-van-der-velden-forbidden-fruit. live.
  16. Web site: Confronting Time. 2021-08-27. frameweb.com. en. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105916/https://frameweb.com/article/confronting-time. live.
  17. Web site: Goed Goud: Steun Solidaridad en Ontvang het Goed Goud Armbandje by Bibi van der Velden. 2021-08-27. nl. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105915/https://www.stichtingmilieunet.nl/andersbekekenblog/duurzaam/op-weg-naar-goed-goud-steun-solidaridad-en-ontvang-het-goed-goud-armbandje-by-bibi-van-der-velden.html. live.
  18. Web site: Bibi van der Velden Memento Mori Ring on Display at Hermitage Museum. 2021-08-27. www.asifmag.com. en. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105914/https://www.asifmag.com/seo/rewrite/story/bibi-van-der-velden-memento-mori. live.
  19. Web site: 2020-10-06. Author Melanie Grant on her new book 'Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewelry by Phaidon'. 2021-08-27. LOVE. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105918/https://www.thelovemagazine.co.uk/article/author-melanie-grant-on-her-new-book-coveted-art-and-innovation-in-high-jewelry-by-phaidon. live.
  20. Web site: Charlie Braveheart – Stress-free hospitals for children. 2021-08-27. en-US. 2021-08-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827105915/https://charliebraveheart.com/. live.