Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/86796
[EDDIE BORGO] "I went to school for art history and costume theory," recalls the extraordinarily talented jewelry designer Eddie Borgo. "It all comes back to adornment—the special ways we differentiate clan, tribe and family." Borgo, who describes his work as "high end meets street," started making jewelry when he worked as a stylist assistant fresh out of school, beginning with simple pieces of studded leather and then sitting with a metal smith and apprenticing himself to various craftsmen. Borgo had been fascinated with jewelry since his childhood, especially the audacious 1980s costume pieces his mom collected. "They were really gaudy with rhinestones and metallic paint, but I could see there was an individual hand in them." His own hand is evident in everything he creates: the collection for fall 2012 was inspired by the work of the photographer Steve Duncan, who specializes in what Borgo calls "the underground subterranean New York— abandoned sewer system, waterways, the way expansion joints join one pipe to another— feats of engineering that are really beautiful!" He says he would love to expand to fine metals and maybe gemstones, but at the moment his trademark geometrical shapes are still considered "costume"—albeit with a difference. "Each piece is hand made, hand polished and hand crafted. The style can be rock and roll, it can have a subcultural aspect, but at the same time the little details we add— the kind of closure we use, and other touches—are just like the ones you find in fine jewelry." "IT ALL COMES BACK TO ADORNMENT AND THE SPECIAL WAYS WE DIFFERENTIATE CLAN, TRIBE AND FAMILY." 50 BAL HARBOUR PHOTO BY DEREK KETTELA