Models dressed in black lingerie and balaclavas added an unexpected touch of drama to the opening party for the JASN ALTN Diamond Boutique at Bondi this month. Jason Alton, the owner of the new store and designer of all the jewellery and accessories within it as well as the store itself, said the party, which was attended by “a few celebrities, lots of press people and a few industry people”, was a huge success.
“The idea behind the balaclavas was simply to play on the jewellery heist theme,” he said. Instead of wielding a shot gun the models served French champagne to the guests.”
The store’s launch range includes the Amor Fati and Amor Noir collections featuring ‘inverted diamonds’.
“I like the idea of seeing beauty in the unexpected and by turning the diamonds upside down it’s looking at something from a different perspective,” he said. “This concept really inspires me not only in design but also in life.”
Alton said the public’s most common response to his jewellery designs was simply ‘wow, I love it’.
“People then go on to compliment on the simplicity, elegance and the rebelliousness of the design.”
He said the target customers for his unisex designs, which also include 18ct gold and black diamond-tipped shoe laces and gold and diamond grills, are probably “risk takers”.
“I would like to think they are people who are creative risk takers that see the innate beauty in the unexpected.”
Alton designed the store to reflect the jewellery’s unique positioning in the fine jewellery world.
“Inversion and disruption is really the essence, the attitude of this brand. From the beginning, my vision has always been to showcase the jewellery in a non-traditional sense in a gallery-type space.”
The store’s interior thus includes gold padlocks hanging from handmade wall-mounted glass boxes and neon signs on the back wall.