For Taffin’s James de Givenchy, a sapphire acquisition—an incredible pair of carved wings—inspired a 9/11 tribute piece. His epic brooch, likewise dubbed Phoenix, is worked up in blue, orange (a fire opal) and white (a South Sea pearl), the colors of the New York flag, and is meant to symbolize Manhattan rising from the ashes of the terrorist attacks. Although he already had the wings in his possession, after 9/11, Givenchy settled on the notion of a memorial item. While he has no idea for what the wings were originally created, “they’re very pretty,” he says. “I could have done something else with them—they’re perfect for earrings.” In the end, though, Givenchy found himself drawn to the idea of honoring his adopted city. “I’ve lived half of my life here now, so New York is my town,” he says. “I’m French, but America is my home.”
Solange Azagury-Partridge’s winged headpiece sprang from a far less serious place: a jaunty trophy she designed in 2006 for London’s Fashion Fringe awards. “He had a helmet and fringing, and I put these wings on him,” she says, describing the figurine. “The wings were so fabulous, I thought, I can’t bear to only ever do them once.” Named Mercury, after the messenger of the gods, the piece, which Azagury-Partridge likes to call a headband, features wings of blackened gold that nestle right above the ears. “It turns everyone who wears it into a bit of an angel,” she says. Well, actually, she corrects, “they look devilish and angelic at the same time because of the positioning of the wings.”
The winged variety of headbands, tiaras—whatever one chooses to call them—has been making the scene in high society for eons, says Lee Siegelson, president and owner of Siegelson, a New York jewelry house that specializes in fine collectibles. He cites a lengthy list of jewelry superstars who dabbled in them, including Giuliano, Cartier, Fouquet and Boucheron. “It all started in the second half of the 19th century,” Siegelson explains, pointing out the immense influence of the winged Valkyries in Wagner’s Ring Cycle operas. “It was at that time that Wagner’s operas went from just theater to fancy-dress balls,” he says. “And then the winged tiara became more fashionable.”
Although history has inspired countless winged items, Fred Leighton owner Ralph Esmerian, a renowned purveyor of estate jewels, believes blockbuster popcorn movies are driving a renewed interest in feathered adornments. “A great pair of wings in jewelry can denote so many things, whether it’s peace, tranquility or flight into dreams,” says Esmerian. “And then you have the other side of life, the wings of dragons, which in recent times may have been inspired by movies like Jurassic Park, The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. And suddenly we’re seeing a lot of tattoos with wings in them.” (Pharrell Williams, Balthazar Getty and Nicole Richie are just a few of the celebs sporting wings on one body part or another.)
