The Story of Marla Aaron in Five Pieces
As her hardware-inspired locks take up residency in Liberty’s iconic Jewellery Hall, the designer shares the five items responsible for her cult success
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The Story of Marla Aaron in Five Pieces
As her hardware-inspired locks take up residency in Liberty’s iconic Jewellery Hall, the designer shares the five items responsible for her cult success
By: Shannon Peter
You might think your micro-obsessions are niche, but for advertising-exec-turned-jewellery-designer, Marla Aaron, it was bridges and hardware that consumed her daily thoughts. Or rather, how she might bring these industrial aesthetic codes – along with a very Victorian and Georgian sentimentality – to the world of jewellery. But in 2012, she cracked it, launching the lock (her precious take on an industrial carabiner) that would change the course of her career forever.
Since then, that one lock has grown into a captivating collection of locks and chains, all made and hand finished in New York City, each designed to be mixed and matched in infinite ways, in combinations unique to the wearer. With a cult following that spans much of the globe, we’re honoured to add Marla Aaron to Liberty’s roster of iconic jewellery designers – but which lock will you make your own? Perhaps the brand’s five most definitive designs of all will help guide your selection…
1.
Original Locks
“The locks were the original concept for the entire collection. It all started as an idea that turned into an obsession that I pursued during my lunch hour while working in marketing and advertising. It kept growing in my mind—this idea of locks and chains that could be combined in various ways, inspired by industrial hardware. The humble, strong carabiner was the initial inspiration, but once I realized that we could morph the shape of the lock itself, it opened up an entire world of possibilities and quickly evolved into mechanisms of all kinds.”
Earring Project
“The Earring Project was born from a desire for earrings that were convertible and light. The inspiration for their function came from a combination of everything from seeing construction workers hanging off skyscrapers with safety harnesses to me experiencing a zipline for the first time. I realized that things could hang, swing, spin, and come on and off in a specific way. There's more to it, but I won’t bore you with the details of how my ‘crazy; ideas become reality. In short, our earrings are light, two-sided, and they are stackable. You can add a Disc to a base or a Working Dot, which really opens the door, like wearing it as a necklace.”
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3.
Di-Me Series
“I wanted to bring back a simple and wearable version of the Gimmel ring, a design that has been around since the 14th century that was often used as a wedding ring and contained a special, secret message. In Spanish, "Di me" means "Tell me" but in the most intimate way. I can't even begin to describe all the things people have asked us to write in DiMe Rings. They are romantic, silly, nonsensical, confessional, dirty (even!), and sometimes simple but always, always, always deeply personal. We deliver DiMe pieces in special packaging so that you see the message first, because that is what really matters.”
Rolling Spheres
“Rolling Spheres – stones that are not exactly set but suspended in a metal cup – was an idea that only made sense to everyone, including myself, when I rolled a tennis ball around in a small cardboard box. It wasn’t like, “BOOM. Let’s do it.” It was the tiny germ of an idea that we played around with, and then realized, YES, it looks fantastic, it feels fantastic... we need to make things with stones that roll. But with these things, it’s never just the design. Honestly, that is the easiest part. The hardest part is convincing everyone we should do it, and then actually doing it. All of the Rolling Spheres – the rings, the bracelets, the charms – feel equally delicious to roll around your finger whether the balls are diamonds or metal balls.”
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5.
Trundle Series
“Trundle is a 16th-century Old English word descended from the word 'trendel' which means ‘revolve'. So we’re talking really old. I wanted to make a ring that had movement, one that begged to be played with by the wearer. The Trundle Lock Ring and Trundle Lock Bracelets come in a zillion combinations of gold colors and materials – diamonds, Fordite, stone carved to look like pillows…the mechanism of these pieces opens with a push (we liken the motion to that of a toilet paper dispenser) so that they can be worn as a lock with a chain. The wheels are remarkably comfortable – you can feel the difference – because they are shaped with flat sides, like one’s actual finger or wrist.”
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