Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons

Style.com -- Half a Person

2011-08-17T17:42:00.002-04:00

On Our Radar: Black Sheep &Amp; Prodigal Sons “Half A Person” Candle
August 17, 2011 2:01 pm

I have—and in this I’m not too unusual—an affinity bordering on reverence for Morrissey. (I know, I know—call me morbid, call me pale.) The quiffed Smiths front man (and current solo act) serenaded me through the moodiest years of adolescence and beyond, and as misery’s troubadours go, I think few have a better way with a turn of phrase and a sneer. But as I said, I’m not unusual in that. The man inspires, maybe even demands, a kind of idolatry. So of all the Moz memorabilia out there, the new bust candle from New York’s Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, who specialize in jewelry and straight razors, feels to me among the most apropos. It’d make a fine centerpiece for a Smiths-centric religious rite, the kind of secular service still enacted in dorm rooms around the world—if you dared to burn it, of course. (If you do, there surely can’t be a better soundtrack suggestion than Morrissey’s “Hairdresser on Fire.”) It’d look just as good, though, displayed entire, far from the lick of flame. I’m not much of a candle guy, myself, but I have a weakness for a good bust in wax. This one deserves mantel-space alongside the wax heads of Napoleon and Marie Antoinette offered at the centuries-old French candlemakers Cire Trudon. Although at 9.1″, Morrissey towers over the 20-odd centimeter tall royals and world-beaters. You have to think he’d like that.  

Half a Person Morrissey wax bust by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, $185, available for preorder now at www.occulter.org.

Clear Magazine -- Half a Person

2011-08-15T17:40:00.000-04:00

Rolling Stone Magazine -- Half a Person

2011-08-04T17:36:00.001-04:00

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/thread-count/morrissey-candle-creator-reveals-inspiration-process-20110816

New York Times T Style Blog -- Tuan Bui

2011-08-03T17:33:00.000-04:00

Tuan Bui from An Choi wearing Monolith Necklace by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons

Inked Magazine -- Megan Massacre

2011-08-01T17:30:00.001-04:00

Wearing The Splinter Ring by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons

Wearing the Aikea Guinea Ring by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons

French GQ

2011-03-31T17:27:00.004-04:00

METAL MAGAZINE

2011-03-13T14:52:00.000-04:00

Horsehair necklace by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, coat and pants Yohji Yamamoto

BLACK AND RED
Photographer Takahiro Ogawa
Art direction Kazuya Goan
Stylist Aki Maesato
Make-up Asami Taguchi @ L’Atelier NYC
Hair Masa Honda
Model Evelina @ New York Model Management

ArtForum February 2011 -- Occulter in Top 10

2011-02-02T20:06:00.001-05:00

OCCULTER (NEW YORK)

Honeycomb necklaces made of gold, scrimshaw pendants fashioned from salvaged piano keys, a rare book collection installed to seemingly defy gravity—the things that Derrick Cruz creates look like they come from some magical old-world place. But in discussing his newly opened store at 83 1/2 Orchard Street, the artist and jewelry designer explained thatocculter is in fact the term for “an instrument used to block the view of a bright celestial object, allowing the careful observation of a fainter one.” Such a description could just as easily describe Cruz himself, his vision always clearing space for others to expand theirs.

Schön February 2011 -- Witchcraft

2011-02-01T20:38:00.001-05:00

Forbes Life December 2010 -- The Mammoth Razor

2010-12-31T20:09:00.000-05:00

JC Report December 2010 -- Occulter Fashion Feature

2010-12-10T20:12:00.001-05:00

In the days before before online sample sales and big box retailers, shopping was an event—a way to discover new things and to forge a sense of community. But with skyrocketing square-footage costs and compulsory markdowns on excess inventory, the independent brick-and-mortar store has become somewhat of an endangered species. Fortunately, fashion’s cutting edge contingent is reviving the lost art of big city shopping in entirely new ways.

With a fraction of the square footage and a temporary, devil-may-care air that’s otherwise missing in organized, premeditated retailing, these recession-minded shops are the anti-department stores. In line with the raved-about Monocle pop-up shops in New York, London and LA, fashion’s curatorial retailers—”curetailers,” if we may—are trailblazing a new retail experience with tiny shops that pack a big punch. “The idea is one of behemoth commercialism versus artful independent design,” Black Sheep & Prodigal Son’s Derrick R. Cruz explains of this new retail attitude.

At Cruz’s brainchild shop Occulter, for instance, shoppers will find record albums, used books and black honey right alongside avant-garde fashion labels. This Lower East Side goth jewelbox of a shop is a way to show off the designer’s darkly romantic jewelry with the added interest and credibility of a lifestyle’s worth of goodies—all showcased in a space the size of a punk rock shoebox studio. “For brands with a strong message, curated boutiques are imperative,” explains Cruz. “Creating a small world where individuals can be enveloped by your ideas and ideals is priceless for branding…You’ll make more profit online, [but] they go hand-in-hand.”

In the Meatpacking District, meanwhile, BLACK Commes Des Garçons is a guerilla pop-up shop that showcases the label’s limited-edition, mid-priced BLACK collection. Think of it as a one-stop shop for cool kids on a bartender’s budget. Besides, who needs a bougie boutique when you can pass the savings right along to your core contingent in a bare bones setting? Fashion’s true fanatics will not miss velvet-upholstered dressing rooms in this to-the-point setting.

Cruz analogizes the current shopping model to the music business: “The big music monsters fell and supposedly the music business died,” he observes. “Funny thing happened though: a thousand little independent bands came out of nowhere and made a thousand little movements and new genres. We can thank their use of the internet for that. So, one could argue that, creatively, music is more successful than ever, regardless of whether or not Capitol Records is making a profit. With some good curatorial skills and some internet, I think small independent retailers and designers can do the same for fashion and design.”

Tags: Commes des Garçons, Derrick R. Cruz, Monocle, Occulter,Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons

New York Magazine Gift Guide

2010-11-26T17:43:00.003-05:00

50 Stores You've Never Shopped

View Details

Coolhunting Gift Guide 2010

2010-11-26T17:40:00.000-05:00

View Details

BSPS @ Eastern Market

2010-09-02T12:06:00.000-04:00

We are excited to announce the arrival of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons at the Eastern Market chapel in Melbourne, Australia. Thank you for the incredible display.

Learn more about Eastern Market:

http://www.easternmarket.com.au/

http://scoute.org/retail/easternmarket

NETWORK T2402 (top above form)
rubberized leather and cording with bronze infinity clasp

CHOGAN (on form)
vintage ebony and leather harness w/ dustbag

O'HA
horsehair bracelets

PAH
horsehair and sterling cross necklace

CHOGAN
ebony and leather harness w/ dustbag

Paper Magazine: Occulter Opening

2010-08-16T17:56:00.000-04:00

Read Article

OCCULTER on TIMEOUT NEW YORK

2010-07-27T17:34:00.000-04:00

Occulter Talk about a head trip: Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons jewelry designer Derrick R. Cruz’s pint-size shop of curiosities is divided into two areas that symbolize each hemisphere of the brain. To the left, you’ll find his sources of inspiration for sale, including rubber-dipped moleskin notebooks ($11) and vinyl records by experimental Spanish punk bands ($9–$70). On the right lie his creations, such as asymmetrical wooden earrings cast in silver ($140) and a key-charm necklace ($90). While you may not be able to afford quirky gems like a Navajo-inspired breastplate fashioned from piano-ivory veneers and leather harnesses ($3,200) or a medallion necklace made from miniature magnifying lenses and bee parts found on a Brooklyn rooftop ($3,027), they’re certainly worth gawking over. 83 1/2 Orchard St at Broome St (917-769-2220, blacksheepandprodigalsons.com). Daily noon–8pm.

Read more: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/shopping/87557/new-stores-in-nyc-july-29-august-4#ixzz0uv8aQ7k0

Nick from Bblessing wearing Saturn Pin from The 7 Sacred Planets

2010-07-26T17:46:00.000-04:00

OCCULTER on WWD

2010-07-26T16:35:00.002-04:00

Vintage piano ivory and black harness.

Photo By Courtesy Photo

A Novel Needle
by SHARON EDELSON
Posted MONDAY JULY 26, 2010
From WWD ISSUE 07/26/2010

NEW YORK — Walk along Orchard Street in Manhattan too quickly and one could miss Occulter, a sliver of a store at No. 83 1/2.

That would be a shame because the 100-square-foot shop, which bowed this month on the Lower East Side, features highly unusual jewelry and objects.

Derrick Cruz, who has a degree in painting from East Carolina University, shapes rare natural or repurposed materials such as vintage ivory piano keys, mammoth fossil ivory and horse hair into necklaces and bracelets for the company he founded, Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons. Occulter sells Black Sheep merchandise and items specially designed for the store.

Cruz, who uses endangered technologies and traditions to craft his work, won the 2007 Gen Art Styles Design Vision Award for Accessories and was a semifinalist for the 2009 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award.

As for the name Occulter, Cruz said its a bit misleading. “Occulter sounds like the occult,” he said. "An occulter is an instrument used to block the view of a bright celestial object allowing the careful observation of a fainter one."

The store holds plenty of mystery, nonetheless. Cruz is obsessed with the potential beauty found in darkness and also finds inspiration in funerary crafts, alchemical studies and Native American mythology.

“One thing that led me to take the route I did was the idea of making very personal objects and things that are hard to replicate by a machine,” he said. “We want to make things that prove that the human hand is more capable than a machine. We find materials that are scarce and salvaged and would make no sense for mass production because the irregularity of everything. When you create things with unusual materials there’s this childlike moment that occurs. When you present someone with something like this, the recipient has a sense of wonder.”

Among the most novel objects are an 18-karat gold honeycomb pendant on a fine gold chain at $2,000 is both a conversation piece and political statement inspired by the alarming disappearance of honeybees, a horse hair bangle bracelet with leather at $385 and a golden jaw that is a replica of a large human jaw that’s made of 24-karat gold over solid brass with a natural black diamond at $2,400 and can be used as an ashtray or to hold small objects. Cruz also creates scrimshaw on vintage piano ivory for pendants that start at $685, and commissions in the same format starting at $1,000.

Cruz plans to introduce new collections and collaborations with other eclectic New York talents, starting with Bryan Collins, who created the album cover design for School of Seven Bells.

New York Magazine: The Cut "Shopping"

2010-07-18T17:46:00.003-04:00

Read Article

83.5//ORCHARD//NYC

2010-07-17T00:37:00.000-04:00

Opening July 14th: OCCULTER by Black Sheep & Prodial Sons

2010-07-08T06:00:00.005-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

DATE: July 8, 2010

CITY: New York, NY

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons opens retail shop on Orchard St., NYC

Accessories and object makers Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons proudly announce the opening of OCCULTER, their first street-side retail destination. Inspired by a pantheon of fringe thinkers and risk-takers under the influence of the celestial spheres, designers Derrick R. Cruz and newcomer Christine Samar aim to create a material experience that will fan the spark of one basic human necessity: a personal sense of wonder.

OCCULTER opens to the public on July 14, 2010, and is located at the center of New York’s burgeoning Lower East Side shopping and restaurant neighborhood (83 Orchard Street, 10002). Literally attached to the popular Vietnamese eatery An Choi, it's minimalist interior was designed in collaboration with architect and restaurant co-owner Huy Bui.

OCCULTER will house selected works from the Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons archive as well as pieces designed exclusively for the shop. The location will also host the unveiling of new collections and debut collaborations with other eclectic New York talents, starting with Bryan Collins (album cover designer for School of Seven Bells). Further enhancing the experience, patrons will have an opportunity to take part in the designers’ inspiration via a curated selection of esoteric books (exclusive NYC retailer of Ouroboros Press)and music from labels the likes of Type, Taiga, Important and Sibling Sex Records (all for sale).

OCCULTER by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons

83 Orchard Street

New York, NY 10002

Tel: 917-769-2220

Email: info@occulter.org

Websites: www.Occulter.org / www.BlackSheepAndProdigalSons.com

The Dark Miracle Box II, No. 3 of 3

2010-05-25T18:27:00.003-04:00

Exclusively available at The List by Revolve

Keep your secrets safe. Handcrafted in New York, the limited-edition piece is the last in a set of three and is available exclusively to REVOLVE. The book-inspired box is made from ebonized American maple and features vintage piano ivory detail, a solid brass Spanish lock with custom "sun" key pendant, and a secret compartment finished with 22k gold gilding. The cover art depicts the origins of light and darkness, as inspired by the title of the book: Every Moment of Light is a Dark Miracle.

1 of 3 limited edition boxes
Measures approximately 12.5" x 9" x 3.5"
Ebonized American Maple with hand-oiled finish
Spine engraving filled with Weathered brass powder
Brass inlay on cover, as well as vintage piano ivory inlay and triangle keyhole
Interior tray comes with linen bags for each of the 6 compartments
Secret drawer underneath tray slides out. Drawer is 1" deep with a hinged top and 22k gold gilding
Comes with key pendant on waxed cord
Handcrafted in New York City

Photos courtesy of Revolve Clothing.

Technical drawings by Augustus Moore

Now available at Farfetch.com

2010-05-24T01:21:00.002-04:00

"O'ha" braided horsehair bracelet now available at Farfetch.com

Sleeping Leviathon

2010-05-19T01:52:00.003-04:00

Sleeping Leviathon (front), one-of-a-kind scrimshaw on carved fossilized woolly mammoth horn.

Sleeping Leviathon (back)

Exclusively available at S.O.S. FP Japan

"The Seven Sacred Planets" Now Available

2010-04-23T15:54:00.002-04:00

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons is proud to present it’s most recent collaboration with Bblessing of New York — The Seven Sacred Planets.

This Ptolemaic model of the “planets” [which includes the Sun and the Moon] is represented symbolically via seven handcrafted multipurpose pins. Namely, they are: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon.

Individual Pin Dimensions: +- ten centimeters

Material Choice: bronze or sterling silver

Limited Edition Packaging: A handcrafted and engraved leather-lined wood case is available.

Purchase at our online store or at Bblessing

"Just as the sun shines through a glass, the sun and the moon and all planets, as well as all the stars and the whole chaos, are in man." Paracelsus, Alchemist and Visionary (1493-1541)

via LadyLavona

Happy Spring!

2010-03-23T18:22:00.001-04:00

Inked Magazine April 2010: The Lost Boy

2010-03-22T12:32:00.018-04:00

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons"Nascha" Bib

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons"Chogan" Harness

The Vine: Equine Influence

2010-03-18T09:49:00.003-04:00

Continue reading at TheVine.com.au

Available at Gold Bug Gallery

Sang Bleu 5 Interview

2010-03-16T18:02:00.004-04:00

Shipment arrives at Gold Bug of Pasadena

2010-03-16T09:58:00.004-04:00

A shipment of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons "Theft of Light" work has arrived at the mesmerizing Gold Bug Gallery of Pasadena, California.

Spread | ArtCulture

2010-02-20T12:47:00.003-05:00

By Michelle Cheung
“Like paradoxical black sheep and prodigal sons” wrote Anatole Broyard in his autobiographical tale, “Kafka Was the Rage,” as he described the outcasts and rejects, who lived in Greenwich village after the Second World War. When Derrick Cruz read these words more than five years ago, he knew right away that it would help name and shape the story for his accessories brand. Broyard’s words captured Cruz’s repatriation to New York as an adult. “Like paradoxical black sheep and prodigal sons,” he said, “we all come here [to New York] kind of outcasts, being rejected, seeking something new, seeking redemption of some sort. When I saw that line, I knew that was going to be the name and, aesthetically, it became more about archetypes that, in my head, were both wise and stubborn at the same time.”

Sugar-Glass Accessories for Susan Cianciolo Fall 2010

2010-02-17T01:11:00.002-05:00

"Red Wave" sugar necklace by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons

www.SusanCianciolo.com

"Network Theories" Preview at Odyn Vovk FW 2010 Runway

2010-02-13T20:09:00.017-05:00

Fig 1: "Venus Inverted" Pin / BSPS x Bblessing

Fig 2: "Occulter" Ring

Fig 3: "The Sun" Necklace

Fig 4: "Network T2402" neck piece

Fig 5: "Network T2289" wrist piece

Fig 6: "Network T2403" neck piece

Fig 7: "Mercury" Pin / BSPS x Bblessing

Fig 8: "Network T2289" wrist piece

Fig 9: "Jupiter" Pin / BSPS x Bblessing

Fig 10: "Venus Inverted" Pin / BSPS x Bblessing

Fig 11: "Network T2403" neck piece

Fig 12: "Network T2402" neck piece

Fig 13: "The Sun" necklace

Fashion Market: New York, February / Paris, March

2010-02-05T02:04:00.014-05:00

* NOW ACCEPTING SALES AND PRESS APPOINTMENTS *

CONTACT: rsvp@occulter.org

NEW YORK
Feb 13th - 26th, 2010

DESIGNERS
• Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons
• Odyn Vovk

VENUE
131 Essex Street
4th Floor
New York, NY 10002
See Map

PARIS
March 5th - 11th, 2010

DESIGNERS
• Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons
• Marvielab

VENUE
To be determined.

KEMPT.com

2010-02-04T19:47:00.001-05:00

Need an outfit for lying naked in the woods? These harnesses come courtesy of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, a Manhattan trinket house that seems to have moved beyond scrimshaw into equestrian gear. Our favorite part: The ebony and ivory centerpieces are made from vintage piano keys. Pants are optional.

—R.B.

GetKempt.com

Refinery29.com: Mammoth Ivory Trend

2010-02-03T10:37:00.004-05:00

By Laura Yacoe

Read full story on Refinery29.com

The mammoth has been around since fur vests were a necessity and not exactly a fashion statement, but since dying out at the hands of our bloodlusty ancestors, we haven't really given them much of a passing thought. Enter, mammoth ivory jewelry—the strangest jewelry material that's quickly becoming a trend...

Read full story on Refinery29.com

Style.com Spring 2010 Buyer's Guide

2010-02-01T17:41:00.003-05:00

Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons Cottonmouth Scarf
"Don't be fooled—Southern women are tough as nails, but our tenacity is not always obvious. I prefer the subtlety of this scarf to the spikes and chains of last season."

Buy It Online

View the full Spring 2010 Buyer's Guide on Style.com

W Magazine Feb 2010: Pah Horsehair Cross

2010-01-20T11:44:00.008-05:00

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons"Pah" Horsehair and Sterling Cross

Learn more about the "Pah" Horsehair Cross.

Capsule NYC: January 18 - 19, 2010

2010-01-16T14:30:00.004-05:00

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons will be available for sales appointments at Capsule New York on January 18 and 19, 2010.

Location:
The Puck Building
295 Lafayette St.
New York, NY 10002
Show hours: 10am-7pm

Book Appointments:
rsvp@occulter.org

The Fader Online

2010-01-13T00:32:00.003-05:00

Read full article at TheFADER.com

Vision Magazine Interview: January/February 2010

2010-01-01T19:38:00.001-05:00

Vision Magazine Online

Occulter Group: Men's Market New York/Paris

2009-12-11T22:54:00.008-05:00

Antler Magazine Vol.2 Wunderkammer

2009-11-24T22:54:00.001-05:00

Excerpt:

What's one of the most influential books you've read? why?
It has to be Demian by Herman Hesse, which I read in High School and read again and again. I’ve never seen the world in the same light since. It really made superficiality something to eschew and overcome. It defined that period in my life when I knew I needed to grow up and personally redefine the role of everything society presented to me as good, evil and sacred. Funny, I just realized that most of my favorite characters are named Max.

Read full interview at Antlermag.com

WWD Accessories Supplement October 2009

2009-10-20T11:12:00.005-04:00

WILD THINGS
Photos by Thomas Iannacone
Accessories are going on a fantastical journey for spring, as organic materials and animal prints, walking a fine line between wild fantasy and natural reality.

"O'Ha" horse hair and leather cuffs in Ghost White and Flax. Purchase online or at In God We Trust boutiques.

The Selby / Vogue Daily Fashion / Cole, Rood & Haan

2009-10-19T11:41:00.003-04:00

Photos from the Cole, Rood & Haan shoot available at TheSelby.com
For more information, coleroodhaan.com.

All those incredibly vertiginous shoes you’ve been teetering about in, willing yourself to be able to take another step, praying you don’t go down to the ground quicker than you can say ankle fracture? Please. Take them off. The flat, sensible shoe is here to the rescue—an update on the classic men’s wingtip, and a step on from the jazz flats of the past summer. The latest company to go down to earth? Cole Haan, who this past week threw a party in a SoHo loft for new line Cole, Rood & Haan, which launches this fall. (It’s what the company was called before Mr. Rood passed away, and his partners decided to just use their own surnames.) There was a distinct look of relief on the faces of Jessica Joffe and the like who were trying on styles like this, a high-shine aubergine lace-up; $350. (There are also utilitarian ankle boots and beaten-up deck shoes.) Of course, that relief could have been down to the fact that on exiting the party, they weren’t going to have to navigate the steep wooden staircase to get to the street.

—Mark Holgate

Read Full Article on Style.com

Love the Black Sheep

2009-10-03T13:12:00.003-04:00

Dazed and Confused digital coverage of Theft of Light by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons and Pamela Love at Milk Studios. Read More...

Spring 2010 Presentation at Milk Studios

2009-09-20T13:17:00.025-04:00

On September 16th of New York Fashion Week, Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons presented at Milk Studios alongside Pamela Love to debut their respective Spring 2010 collections. Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons unveiled it's "Theft of Light" collection as well as a limited edition collaboration with Love. The collaboration, aptly named "The Mammoth Talon Cuff", is a take on Love's signature sterling Talon Cuff, now elevated with hand-carved fossilized Mammoth ivory claws, scrimshaw edition numbering, diamonds, and engravings.

The video below highlights selections from "Theft of Light" and " The Mammoth Talon Cuff".

To read descriptive annotations on this video, please view as full screen or on youtube.com

Special thanks to Pamela and her team, Nico, Christine, Ryder Robison and the amazing Spoke Visuals team for making such an incredible installation -- Genga, you rule.

Odyn Vovk & Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons Spring 2010 Runway

2009-09-10T12:38:00.024-04:00

9/9/9 @ St. Mark's Church, East Village, New York City. Photos provided by Scoute.org

"Hexagonal Animal Viewer": Sterlings silver, seven 160x quartz Stanhope lenses with dissected honeybees. One of a kind.

"Una": Twisted Horsehair, leather and leather cuff.

"Havataneo": Braided horsehair, leather and sterling sliding necklace.

"Havataneo": Braided horsehair, leather and sterling sliding necklace.

"YIKSA": Leather and vintage ivory harness • Limited Edition of 7.

"YIKSA": Leather and vintage ivory harness • Limited Edition of 7.

"Tasunke": American horse hair tassel and sterling necklace with "wolf mother" charm.

"Tasunke": American horse hair tassel and sterling necklace with "wolf mother" charm.

"Chogan": Leather and vintage ebony harness. Limited Edition of 7.

"Chogan": Leather and vintage ebony harness. Limited Edition of 7.

"Chogan": Leather and vintage ebony harness. Limited Edition of 7.

"O' Ha Double Rope" Braided horsehair, leather with brass hooks.

"Tasunke": American horse hair tassel and sterling necklace with "wolf mother" charm.

"Tasunke": American horse hair tassel and sterling necklace with "wolf mother" charm.
"O'Ha": Braided American horse hair cuff with leather.
"Doba" Double leather cuff with snaps.

"Tasunke": American horse hair tassel and sterling necklace with "wolf mother" charm.
"O'Ha": Braided American horse hair cuff with leather.

"Tasunke": American horse hair tassel and sterling necklace with "wolf mother" charm.
"O'Ha": Braided American horse hair cuff with leather.

"Nascha": Distressed leather and painted vintage ivory. Limited Edition of 7.
"Una": Twisted Horsehair, leather and leather cuff.

"Nascha": Distressed leather and painted vintage ivory. Limited Edition of 7.
"Una": Twisted Horsehair, leather and leather cuff.

Odyn Vovk / Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons SS10 Video

2009-09-10T10:08:00.000-04:00

Refinery29: Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons Channels Tribal Spirits for New Collection

2009-09-02T09:11:00.006-04:00

Dark and ingenious, local accessories shaman Derrick Cruz of Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons always manages to throw a couple of devilish curveballs. Just like past collections, Cruz's new "Theft of Light" line uses the same formula of brooding, outré designs and unlikely materials to create a parade of new, daring works. This time, though, Cruz's catalog of horsehair bracelets, ebony and ivory keys plucked from vintage pianos, and Navajo-influenced leather strapping has a poignant edge. "Theft of Light" is a tribute to Cruz's father, Jose, who died this year at 57. A bit of a cross-cultural creative himself, the senior Cruz had moved from Puerto Rico to Colorado, created a traditional Native American craft studio, and eventually earned membership in a local tribe. To Derrick Cruz, the collection and its lookbook are, "illustrations for a chapter in my personal book of myths." For us—as emotional as that all is—the Navajo ivory breastplates are just damned cool.

LURVE Magazine Fall/Winter 2010

2009-09-01T23:32:00.000-04:00

Fang Pin (in hair) and Aikea Guinea Ring(on bare hand)

Black Bighorn and Key Necklace

The Silver Jaw (on head)

More at Lurvemag.com

WWD 2009 Accessories Issue

2009-08-15T18:47:00.005-04:00

The Bone Collectors

It’s a slightly macabre moment for several emerging jewelry designers who prefer anatomical elements to glitzy gems. True, the skull-and bone trend has been around and continues to thrive—see Luis Morais’ glammed-up wares. But Pamela Love and Lady Grey’s Sabine Le Guyader and Jill Martinelli take the motif a step further by casting actual remains—human teeth—in gold, silver and bronze. Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons’ Derrick Cruz, meanwhile, offers an ashtray from human jaw cast in bronze and plated in gold. Love works with claws, bird skulls and teeth, all of which she finds “spiritual,” while Martinelli and Le Guyader, both of whom worked in dental offices as teenagers, bonded over their fascination with teeth as students at the Massachusetts College of Art. Still, they’ve branched out: Their most recent work includes a bib necklace of cast mink bones. “In some of Prague’s old ossuaries from the 1800s, they built huge chandeliers out of human skeletons. The arrangements of bones…and casting them in metal can become very beautiful,” says Martinelli of their inspiration. Love acknowledges the edge of it all: “Obviously, aesthetically it’s kind of tough and cool, and people like that. But I also feel like it’s bringing you back to nature, in a way.”

ELLE News

2009-08-15T18:39:00.004-04:00

A Night Out with Pamela Love

CHIC WEEK

A couple Thursdays ago I took the L train to Brooklyn (a place I don’t venture to all that often) to attend a trunk show featuring collections from a handful of ELLE favorites: Anna Sheffield, Chris Habanna, Pamela Liou’s Langoliers, and Pamela Love. I’m quite the Brooklyn novice, but I knew HopStop had successfully guided me to Oak’s Williamsburg outpost when I ran into a group of look-alike Alexander Wang catwalkers outside the store. Once inside the sweltering space (I had originally thought that Oak was “going green” and had decided to forgo the AC, but later learned it had just broken down that morning), I caught up with cult-followed jewelry genius Love, where she proclaimed Derrick Cruz (of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons) her hero, divulged that there is a new lower-priced line in the works (one that we won’t have to give up lattes or lunch for, perhaps?), and confessed (though tight-lipped) that collaborations at September’s Fashion Week are a go!..

Read full story on Elle.com

—Natasha Clark, Associate Fashion Credits Editor

Interview Magazine July 2009

2009-07-21T10:09:00.003-04:00

Silver Splinter Necklace: Sterling.

Maxim: Iggy Pop Wears O'ha Double Rope

2009-07-01T00:32:00.004-04:00

Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons "O'HA" Horsehair Double Rope with brass hooks.

Learn more about the "O'HA" Horsehair Double Rope

Tokion July 2009

2009-06-21T13:53:00.003-04:00

Abandoned Comb Amulet: 18k gold honeycomb cast from abandoned Brooklyn comb, cast sugar, Brooklyn honey, glass, rubber.

Lost & Found @ Spring Gallery

2009-05-25T03:42:00.005-04:00

LOST & FOUND
Dates: MAY/JUNE/JULY

SPRING GALLERY
126a Front Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 718-222-1054

Wasted and gained; missed and discovered; failed and experienced - searching for clues in design and art. We keep time; get organized; make lists and draw maps; we reclaim our place; protect our identity and show our feelings; we fill in the empty spaces and hold on to memories.

Curated by Anna Cosentino
Featuring selected works and designs by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, 5.5 designers, Gregoire Abrial, Ralph Ball & Maxine Naylor, Deborah Bowness, Steve Butcher, Angel Chang, Peter Cole, Manreet Deol, Leah Evans, Paul Loebach, Stijn Ossevoort, Kathy and Rob Price, Random International, Justin Richel, Suck UK and Tokyoflash!

Scoute.org Interview

2009-05-25T03:30:00.006-04:00

Excerpt:
Do you have anything in particular that influences you?
Ideas or objects that can be described as “ethereal” seem to appeal to me. Any degree of intangibility, whether aesthetic, spiritual or scientific reminds me that I know very little about the world around me, and that inspires me to make things.

Read the full interview at Scoute.org

Zink May 2009: 7th Anniversary Issue

2009-05-01T13:26:00.002-04:00

Golden Cottonmouth Scarf and Bolo: 24k 2micron Gold Plated Bronze and Banner Cut Gauze Scarf with Silk Screened Logo.

VMan Spring 2009: Abandoned Comb Amulet

2009-03-01T00:56:00.005-05:00

SWEETER THAN HONEY

The honeybees have been disappearing, and scientists can't figure out why. But as a result, honeybees have been making more frequent appearances in art and design. In recent years, Mary Boone Gallery exhibited Pennsylvania artist Hilary Berseth's massive mounted honeybee hives, and design critics hailed Tomas Gabzdil Libertiny's beeswax vases for Droog. This year, this honeycomb pendant by Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons is the latest manifestation of bee mania. Cast from local Brooklyn honeycomb, it comes packaged floating in a honey-filled sugar-crystal casing; when the casing is cracked, golden honey oozes out, carrying with it the 18-carat pendant. Yum.
JACOB BROWN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY GISEL FLOREZ.

Antenna Spring 2009: Mammoth Razor

2009-02-28T11:25:00.001-05:00

NOTCOT: Abandoned Comb Amulet

2009-02-02T23:51:00.002-05:00

Read Full Article at NOTCOT.com

Learn more about the Abandoned Comb Amulet.

Mammoth Razor: Time Magazine

2009-01-08T15:58:00.003-05:00

At New York City's F.S.C. barber, an offshoot of the Freemans Sporting Club men's fashion brand, shaving is fetishized by hipster barbers with gorgeously trimmed beards and retro tattoos. Under lighting from the Depression era, clients sit in 1930s barber chairs to look into handsome wooden mirrors flanked by ornately carved back bars. And the services are as old-school as the surroundings. F.S.C. (freemanssportingclub. com/nyc_barber.htm) offers a range of straight-razor shaves, all using products that reach back to the late 1800s: rosewater astringent, shaving oil from Portugal and heated shaving cream from chrome machines that have long since gone out of production.

But the razors are the most striking part of the process. Made by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons (Purveyors of Dark and Uncommon Goods) in New York City, they have handles carved from 10,000-30,000-year-old Alaskan woolly mammoth tusks.

The handle of every Mammoth Razor (blacksheepandprodigalsons.com) can be personalized with an engraved scrimshaw monogram, and has a small quartz lens in it. Hold the lens to the light and you see a tiny photograph inside — turn-of-the-century erotica comes as standard, but you can choose any photo you like. Each blade is vintage and restored to be shave-ready. You'll have to supply the steady hand.

Read Article at Time.com

Clear Magazine 30

2009-01-07T16:06:00.000-05:00

New York Times T Magazine: Holiday 2008 Gift Guide

2008-12-09T20:23:00.008-05:00

Visit the New York Times 2008 Gift Guide

Mammoth Straight Razor: Fossilized Woolly Mammoth Ivory (10-30 thousand years old), Sterling, Restored and Shave-Ready Vintage Blade, 160x Quartz Stanhope Lens with Vintage Erotica Microphotography, Engraved Wood Box. Handcrafted in New York City. Limited Production of 50.

Flaunt 98: Precious Young Things

2008-12-08T22:29:00.000-05:00

Derrick R. Cruz wearing one-of-a-kind “Abandoned Comb” sculpture in 18k gold cast from wax honeycomb made by New York City honeybees.

Don’t call him a jewelry designer. For Derrick R. Cruz, the bookish chronic smoker and death-obsessed bee worshiper behind the NYC-based cult fave Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, a career in conceptual accessories was a bit of an accident. “I don’t know anything about fashion,” says Cruz, who was born in Brooklyn and raised in Puerto Rico, before returning to the U.S. to study painting. Later, after drawing international attention for his detailed mixed-media works, he taught communication arts at Wesleyan College and worked as an art director prior to the conception of his label, in 2006.

“I couldn’t paint because of lack of space, so I started sculpting little things in my apartment, making tiny pins that I would wear on my tie at parties,” he says. “People started to notice and soon I had a business.”

Cruz’s work is at once intellectual and ironic, engaged in exploring the meaning of objects and the aesthetic of Otherness. “I’m always influenced by people and by the idea that everyone in New York is always the black sheep back home,” he says. Ever eclectic, his pieces range from Moby-Dick-inspired pins to human-jaw-shaped ashtrays in gold vermeil, and, most recently, pins, rings, and necklaces made from honeycombs sculpted by New York City honeybees and cast in 18k gold.

These spectacular pieces were made for A New Hive, Cruz’s nonprofit cooperative that raises awareness about the rapid disappearance of the beloved bugs throughout the world, and to raise money for research and education for the development of sustainable beekeeping practices (Cruz is also a part-time beekeeper).

All of the jewelry in this series is individually encased in a translucent, honey-lemon sugar pyramid that is filled with honey. To wear the free-floating jewelry, the person in possession of the honey statue must first destroy the mold by breaking it open, then lick off the honey before wearing the jewelry, a process that Cruz says is integral to understanding the relationship between object and owner, birth and destruction.

“I want to make things that you can pull out in your secret time and ponder, and show your friends and put away,” says Cruz. “Things that people may want to pass on.”

x—Bunny Kinney

Men.Style.com Holiday Gift Guide 2008

2008-11-22T17:49:00.011-05:00

Dark Miracle Box: Engraved and Ebonized Maple, Glass, Brass, Linen Sleeves, 24k Gold Gilded Compartment, Lock. Limited Production of 50. Handcrafted in NYC. Available for special order online and at S.O.S. FP in Japan.

New York Times T Magazine 11/9/08

2008-11-11T20:11:00.010-05:00

"T" artwork by Derrick R. Cruz, Photography by Stephen Lewis. Page 83. Special thanks to Susan Goetz and Elizabeth Spiridakis.

Contributors Page

ELLE October 2008: A New Hive

2008-09-22T12:31:00.007-04:00

For more information on A NEW HIVE visit www.ANEWHIVE.org

Men's Health October 2008

2008-09-22T12:11:00.012-04:00

"Lovers" scrimshaw necklace: vintage ivory piano key, gold rivets, sterling backing and adjustable chain with "praying hands" charm. Click Here to Purchase Online. Also available at Barneys New York/LA and Bblessing New York.

"Three Keys" necklace: sterling silver with "praying hands" charm. Click Here to Purchase Online. Also available at In God We Trust New York.

Tokion Fall 2008

2008-09-10T19:01:00.005-04:00

For more information on A NEW HIVE visit www.ANEWHIVE.org

GQ Magazine September 2008: The Timeless Style of JFK Jr.

2008-08-19T17:26:00.011-04:00

From zip-up cardigans to Ray-Ban aviators, these reimagined classics celebrate JFK Jr.'s enduring style. PLUS: Iconic archival photographs of the man himself
Photographs by Carter Smith

Ready for our country to change direction and return to a more optimistic era? Our fashion industry already has. The classic American clothing that JFK Jr. wore in his Cape Cod youth (corduroys, duffel coats, aviator shades) has been brilliantly reborn. Plus, iconic archival photographs of the man himself.

FEATURED:
"Mammoth Horn" carved fossilized woolly mammoth ivory on sterling chain. Buy it now at our official online shop.

"Mammoth Horn" carved fossilized woolly mammoth ivory on sterling chain. Buy it now at our official online shop.

W Magazine September 2008: The Name Game

2008-08-19T17:21:00.005-04:00

Read full text at WMagazine.com

"...Though the cutesy factor looms large, for some of these labels there’s a genuine connection between name and creator. For artist–turned–objet designer Derrick R. Cruz, the circuitous path he took to return to his birthplace of Manhattan resulted in Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, a cache of meticulously crafted wares with an old-world feel. Kicking off with animal-head stickpins and scrimshaw necklaces made from vintage ivory piano keys, Cruz has since conjured 24-karat gold-plate “jaws” that double as ashtrays and trinket holders, and straight-edge razors with handles carved from woolly mammoth tusks. Currently he’s curating “A New Hive,” a multimedia exhibit he hopes will draw attention to the plight of endangered honeybees.

With so much going on between the ears, it makes sense that Cruz would deep-six the notion of a run-of-the-mill moniker. Instead, he drew inspiration from Kafka Was the Rage: A Greenwich Village Memoir by Anatole Broyard. In the book, says Cruz, Broyard describes meeting people “who had either shunned family to come to New York City, or they had been shunned by family and fled to the city. He said that these are paradoxical black sheep or prodigal sons. And I thought, Well, this hasn’t changed.”Continue Reading...

GIANT Magazine September 2008

2008-08-19T17:14:00.004-04:00

"Lapel Locket" Sterling silver locket pin, linden wood "book box". Available at our Online Shop and at Oak NYC.

Marie Claire September 2008

2008-08-13T13:35:00.004-04:00

"Bighorn & Keys to the Gate" Carved and painted cold-cast porcelain, oxidized sterling hammered keys and chain, linden wood "book box". Available in our Online Shop and at Oak NYC.

Urban Daddy: FSC Barber & Mammoth Straight Razor

2008-08-04T10:23:00.005-04:00

There's a lot to be said for an old-school barbershop, where a shave was a shave, a trim was a trim, and no one dared offer you aromatherapy.

Welcome to F.S.C. Barber, a '20s-era barbershop from the Freemans folks and barbershop mastermind Sam Buffa, opening Thursday in the West Village.

Just leave your coat and man-purse in the wooden lockers at the back and find your way to one of the antique barber's chairs. The décor is more Art Deco than Colonial, but between the subway-tile walls and the slate hair sink, you won't feel too inappropriately modern. All the employees are trained in both barbering and hairstyling, so they're equally adept with scissors, clippers and a straight razor, but your options are refreshingly straightforward: a shave or a haircut or…both.

If you've been to the shop in the back of Freemans Sporting Club, you know what to expect, but this spot throws in a few curveballs, like custom-made ivory straight razors carved from 10,000-year-old mammoth tusk, courtesy of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons. Another new trick—soon to expand to the sporting club—is the Hangover Remedy, a hot towel followed by enough scented washes to clear away every trace of last night's excesses.

Just don't call it a facial.

F.S.C. Barber, 5 Horatio St (at W. 4th and 8th Ave), 212-929-3917

Best Gear Magazine (Japan): July 2008

2008-07-31T20:03:00.003-04:00

"Black Hearted Son" and "Raging Sea" NecklacesScrimshaw on vintage ivory piano keys or woolly mammoth fossil ivory, 18k rose gold rivets, sterling chain, linden wood "book box". Available online, Barneys New York and S.O.S. FP Japan.

Nylon Magazine: August 2008

2008-07-30T12:20:00.006-04:00

Golden Key Necklace: Solid 18k Rose Gold Key, 18 Inch Chain, Handcrafted "S" Hook Closure. Available online and at Barneys New York.

CITY Magazine: July 2008

2008-07-30T12:11:00.007-04:00

Old Soul Stickpin: Solid 18k Gold and Black Diamonds. Available online and at The Earnest Sewn Co..

New York Magazine: A NEW HIVE

2008-07-09T10:17:00.003-04:00

Though he's known as the designer for Black Sheep and Prodigal Son, Derrick Cruz has another line to boast about: Dark Momentos. The accessories brand won a Gen Art award in 2007 and, most recently, landed on the heartthrobs of Gossip Girl. But wait, there's more! See Cruz is a honeybee fanatic. And tonight his curated installation, "A New Hive," opens at Earnest Sewn. We dragged Derrick away from his makeshift hive to talk about the genius of the black T-shirt, TV, and his sticky sweet accessories.

So your installation revolves entirely around the disappearance of honeybees. What’s with the bee fixation?
I was doing some research about bee mythology a few years back for some limited-edition necklaces I was creating for BBlessing. That was when I found out about colony collapse disorder (a recent phenomenon in which honeybees are abandoning their hives en masse) and became obsessed with the little critters. If bees disappear, we won't be able to eat. Every third bite of food we take is something that has been pollinated by bees. Your entire Happy Meal is gone. No more cream soda for you...

Antenna Magazine Summer 2008

2008-06-22T17:33:00.001-04:00

"Woolly Ring" Fossilized mammoth ivory inlay, sterling silver, 18k rose gold rivet, linden wood "book box". Available at our Online Shop and at In God We Trust NYC.

PageSix June 8th: Gavin Rossdale

2008-06-21T14:17:00.004-04:00

Old Soul Stickpin: Solid 18k Gold and Black Diamonds. Available online and at Barneys NYC.

LUSSW Magazine Special Issue (Gold Foil Cover)

2008-06-21T13:50:00.005-04:00

Golden Cottonmouth Scarf and Bolo: 24k 2micron Gold Plated Bronze and Banner Cut Gauze Scarf with Silk Screened Logo.

Nylon Guys Summer 2008: Young Lords

2008-06-21T13:30:00.001-04:00

Lovers Scrimshaw Necklace: Vintage ivory piano key, sterling silver, 18k rose gold. Available online and at Barneys NYC.

SANG BLEU JOURNAL: Spring Summer 2008

2008-04-17T08:09:00.006-04:00

On the cover...

Black Bighorn Solid Sterling Necklace with Rosario Ball Chain and Praying Hands Charm. To purchase Click here for our Online Shop.

Inside...

Photographer - Andrew Tingle
Stylist - Jenessee Utley

For more on Sang Bleu visit http://www.sang-bleu.com

Purple Fashion Magazine: Spring Summer 2008

2008-04-10T14:10:00.004-04:00

|V| PURPLE | BEAUTY | MEN'S NECKLACES

"The artist and jewelry designer Pamela Love styled this shoot of men's necklaces as if these amulets were visible bones laid on the skin. More feminine than the brawny decorations men wear to show their virility, these accessories suggest the fragility of masculinity."

Vava Ribeiro, photographer
Pamela Love, creative director
Keegan Singh, stylist
Allison Yip, styling assistant

"Lovers" scrimshaw necklace: vintage ivory piano key, gold rivets, sterling backing and adjustable chain with "praying hands" charm Click Here to Purchase Online. Also available at Barneys New York/LA and Earnest Sewn New York.

TimeOut: Shopping

2008-03-20T14:52:00.001-04:00

Read the full article at Timeout.com

"Don't Talk To Me" Zine: Interview

2008-03-05T12:51:00.009-05:00

Excerpt:

Q: What is the symbolism in the specific animal imagery you choose for your jewelry?

A: Sheep, rams, whales, squid and children; followers turned fighters, unrelenting struggle at unseen depths and the offspring of such things. That about sums it up.

Read Full Interview at DontTalkToMeZine.com

Antenna Magazine: Spring 2008 Full Feature

2008-02-15T13:51:00.004-05:00

Excerpt:

"[Cruz] understands that men's accessories in particular are far more lucrative and relevant to casual menswear now than they were three or four years ago. But asked whether he'd thought about taking the brand to the mass-market level, he replies, "It would do away with everything this is about. Do I make more accessible jewelry, fine accessories or strictly New York-crafted objects? How do I make the growth match my philosophy? How do I keep my fingerprint on things? I don't know." He adds: "I just feel lucky to know that people connect with my work the way I wanted them to. I don't have a very strict definition of what that is. I just want them to get personal with the objects."

PageSix Fashion Issue: September 2008

2008-02-10T16:15:00.002-05:00

Silver Cottonmouth Bolo and Banner Cut Gauze Scarf in Black at THECAST store on Ludlow.

View Detailed Images

gapPress Men: Spring Summer 2008

2008-02-01T16:02:00.001-05:00

"Covered Woman" Scrimshaw on Oversized Black Ball Chain, Banner Cut Gauze Scarf Natural

DNR (Defining Men's Fashion) January 21, 2008

2008-01-21T16:03:00.000-05:00

Defining Men's Fashion
January 21, 2008
www.DNRNEWS.com

Article Exerpt:

It’s the kind of special product from clients like Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons that impresses visitors. Founded by Derrick Cruz in 2006, the company sells what it calls “Dark Mementos,” or handmade jewelry fashioned from vintage ivory, precious metals, engraved piano keys and woolly mammoth tusk in somewhat unusual forms like praying hands, ram’s skulls and sperm whales.

"I think it’s interesting that even large retailers like Bloomingdale’s and Barneys see the importance of having young designers and truly unique product in their stores to create the right environment,” notes Gingras. “I think this new generation of guys doesn’t want to wear the exact same thing as everyone else. They want to show themselves off as unique individuals in this world.”

Read Full Article at DNRNEWS.com

Page Six Magazine Jewelry Special

2008-01-14T13:31:00.000-05:00

New York Post Page Six Magazine
December 22-30, 2007
http://www.pagesix.com

"Work" Scrimshaw, 18k Gold and Sterling Necklace.
View More Images
Buy Online

Flaunt Magazine December 2007

2007-12-05T21:12:00.000-05:00

Flaunt Magazine
December 2007
by Elliott David

Sometimes blood is bad. Sometimes we squander that which we value most. Sometimes our penitence goes unforgiving and we must escape to cities that sometimes sleep. Artist Derrick R. Cruz expresses these macabre truths through Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, his line of dark, Orphic jewelry and wearable artworks. Born in NYC, raised in Puerto Rico, it was Cruz's return to Gotham that inspired both his jewelry's aesthetic -- black snow, black harbors, beautiful brown-blue rust, tactile entropy -- and namesake: a city of diasporic artists, runaways, and re-starters who come to Manhattan alone, then bond with a band of bastards (see his collaborations with THECAST, John Bartlett, and Death and Company). Cruz personally engraves each pre-ban vintage, ivory piano key for his necklaces, precious metal for his stickpins, and hand-carved porcelain and fossilized mammoth tusks. After being in production for only one year, a Gen Art award in 2007 quickly confirmed him as our greatest contemporary American scrimshander.

Refinery29.com: 12/03/2007

2007-12-05T20:54:00.003-05:00

NOTE: That's me hunched over an engraving in the middle photo. I'll be customizing scrimshaw engravings during the weekends down there.

Read article on Refinery29.com.

THECAST, 119 Ludlow Street, lower level (between Delancey and Rivington streets).

Nylon/Worshipworthy.com Holiday Wishlist

2007-12-05T17:17:00.000-05:00

View the Nylon Magazine Wishlist Slide Show at NylonMag.com

1. Henrik Vibskov scarf!
2. Anna corinna mini city tote
3. Alexandre Herchcovitch multi-colored hoodie w/ metal pyramid studs.
4. Dr. Martens 14 Eye boots
5. Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons Necklace
6. Black Jeremy Scott sunglasses
7. Ksubi overalls
8. Black Wolford Tights
9. Kerastase Daily Oleo Relax Treatment Masque
10. Dior Show Mascara in Blackout

Please visit Worshipworthy.com

New York Times: 11/23/2007

2007-11-23T15:28:00.001-05:00

PIN ME Counterclockwise from left: Feather, fur and sterling silver pin, $430 at Gucci. Mister Mort fishing-lure charm pin, $45 at Jack Spade. Arms and Armory acrylic key pin, $90 at Screaming Mimi’s. Kazuko heart-shaped carnelian pin, $420; similar styles at Barneys New York. Bonbon Oiseau antique-linen flower on a sterling silver pin, $72 from bonbonoiseau.com. Mister Mort vintage-feather flower pin, $45 at Jack Spade. Mister Mort curled feather pin, $45 at Jack Spade. Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons 14-karat-gold Old Soul stickpin, $600 at An Earnest Cut & Sew and Online Here.

By KARIN NELSON
New York Times
Published: Thursday November 22, 2007
Read on www.NewYorktimes.com

APART from the great debate on the significance of sporting an American-flag pin (Barack Obama reportedly finds them phony; Rudolph Giuliani won’t leave home without one), lapel pins don’t get much attention. And unless it’s the Légion d’Honneur, they get even less respect.

On the runways, it’s a different story. This season, men’s wear has been treated to an artful array of lapel adornments, some rather handsome, others a bit ludicrous: Sonia Rykiel showed purple knit roses affixed to gray tweed overcoats; Gucci went sporty with feather boutonnieres; Louis Vuitton offered simple gold bouquet stickpins; and at Lanvin, there was a silk flower that, up close, looked more like an abstract carrot. The message from Europe: it’s time for men to consider pinning one on.

Timothy Elliott, the public relations manager of Barneys New York, has. He wears a small heart-shaped stone pin made by the jewelry designer Kazuko, who died in September. “I like the way it looks with tailored clothing,” he said. “And I’m a conservative straight man.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

“Men’s fashion has so many rules, which means creativity within constraints,” said Mordechai Rubenstein, who designs one-of-a-kind boutonnieres fashioned from fishing lures under the label Mister Mort. “I see the lapel thing as a nice evolution for men who pay a bit of attention to what they’re wearing.”

And, he said, women are hooked. “They keep stealing them off my desk.”

American Express Holiday Gift Lounge '07

2007-11-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

Go to the American Express Gift Lounge

Men.Style.com 2007 Holiday Gift Guide

2007-11-20T19:53:00.000-05:00

Click here to visit the Men.Style.com Holiday Gift Guide

For You: Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons Jawbone Ashtray

See More Images

Even if you smoke, you can probably find something better than cigarette ends to keep in this macabre, yet lavish, ashtray from New York's Derrick Cruz. The heavy metal tray, made from a mold of a woman's lower jaw, is covered in a thick layer of 24K gold with a black diamond inset in the middle. If you must use it as an ashtray, cigars go between the molars and everything else goes up front.

$3,250.00 available now at www.BlackSheepAndProdigalSons.com and on Black Monday at Barneys.com and at Earnest Sewn, NYC, (212) 242-3414.

New York Times: 11/03/2007

2007-11-04T23:58:00.001-05:00

First, Jessica Kagan Cushman inscribed mammoth tusk bangles with flip pop-culture phrases. Now, Derrick Cruz, the designer of Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons, takes scrimshaw a bit more seriously. His unisex necklaces originate in some spectral Edwardian parlor: they’re made from vintage piano keys, salvaged from instruments that preceded the ivory-trade ban (Mr. Cruz prefers 1920s Drachmann player pianos). The keys are set in sterling silver with gold rivets and etched with a needle, in the tradition popularized by 19th-century whalers. Look for the Moby Dick-inspired Lovers necklace (far left) embellished with a squid and a whale, and the Raging Sea necklace, on which a ship flounders in a tiny tempest.

Available at BBlessing in New York, (212) 378-8005.

ELLEN CARPENTER

Photo: Christopher Smith for The New York Times

See New York Times Pulse Slideshow