The Spotlight | Justin Giunta

NEW YORK, United States — For the month of June 2009, The Spotlight is on Justin Giunta, of Subversive Jewelry.

I first met Justin in the throes of a chaotic New York Fashion Week in February, after he was introduced to me by Mary Gehlhar, author of one of the must-read fashion books for any emerging designer, The Fashion Designer's Survival Guide. Mary raved about Justin's creativity and drive, and my late afternoon tea at the Mercer Hotel with Justin only confirmed this.

Justin's background is in the fine arts, and he previously had an accomplished career as a painter before turning his attention to jewelry. But, he has not left the creative process of his painting behind, incorporating a similar approach to his jewelry.

"I lay out the materials like paint on a palette, and draw together disparate elements of color and texture...morphing them to ensure they land appropriately into the composition, valuing every scrap as the potential ‘ringer’ in another piece," he says. "The way I design comes naturally because it is how I, as an artist, deconstruct coded messages of the past and present and assemble them to create my own visual language."

Indeed, the first thing I noticed during my first meeting with Justin was a beautiful oversized military-inspired brooch which dangled elegantly from his coat. And, I am now the happy owner of one of these brooches, which has been the source of many compliments ever since — a delightful purchase.

Thus, it's only fitting that we have the same brooch, from Subversive Jewelry's Autumn/Winter 2009 collection, in The Spotlight this month.

The Spotlight is BoF’s showcase for emerging talent employing creativity and business acumen to make their mark in the fashion business.