Personal Code Cuff
Industrial designer Giorgio Bonaguro explores personal barcodes in his first foray into jewelry
Milan-based engineer-turned-designer Giorgio Bonaguro has worked in a variety of different fields—from furniture to packaging to lighting, with subsequent experience in the prototype department at the acclaimed Studio De Lucchi (lead by Michele De Lucchi, founding member of the influential Post Modern-minded Memphis Group). Bonaguro, who cites great Italian designers like Bruno Munari and Achille Castiglioni as inspirations, is now making his first foray into the fashion sphere with his “Personal Code” bracelet.
“I was invited by Alba Cappellieri and Marco Romanelli to develop a piece for the “Italian Design Meets Jewelry” exhibition,” Bonaguro tells CH. “First I decided what kind of jewelry was more interesting to me, so [the idea of the] ‘slave cuff’ came to me. I found this piece interesting because it is more sculptural and impressive than others; it has such a great impact that it can be used alone, without any other kind of jewelry.”
“Then I tried to think about a particular cuff. I was thinking that everyone would like to have a unique piece, something that no one else has—but for an industrial production it’s better to have something easy to reproduce. So I thought about the ‘barcode,’ something typically industrial, which can discriminate an object from another only by a different sequence of lines. By putting different silver circles on a simple silver structure, each client could create his own jewel.”
The user chooses the number and frequency of bracelet bars—and thus, in a sense, creating his or her very own “code.” In an age of automated machines and instant data collection, the individualized bracelets become a little more meaningful, even if enigmatic.
The bracelet was designed specifically for the exhibition (first shown at Vicenza, then moved to Milan and soon traveling to Seoul) in collaboration with the Italian company DML Jewels. Once costs are determined in the near future the bracelet will be available for purchase in Italy, and with the help of other retailers, around the world.
Images courtesy of Andrea Basile
