April 09, 2024

Behind The Collection: Anime (アニメ) II

One of my favourite collections of all time that I've designed: I'm so excited to finally bring you our Anime (アニメ) II Collection. Let's deep dive into the meaning behind each piece of this special, limited-edition collection!

Avatar: The Last Airbender

I didn't grow up watching Avatar. But like any adult who's a kid at heart, the series captured my heart as I rewatched it again and again. When I put together a poll last year after our first Anime collection was released, Avatar was on top of the list - it was the catalyst for volume II of our anime-inspired jewellery series.

Leaves From The Vine Necklace

Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Little soldier boy
Come marching home

Inspired by the ever so beloved character, General (Uncle) Iroh, and his deeply moving backstory. In season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Iroh sings in memory of his son, Lu Ten, who was killed during the Siege of Ba Sing Se. This song is also a tribute to Mako Iwamatsu, the voice actor for Iroh, who died having nearly completed recording his lines for season two.

Elements Earrings

The four elements of Water, Air, Fire, Earth are joined in harmony in this mis-matched tribute to the four nations. I wanted to use the doorknocker hinges style in a jewellery piece, and this captured the perfectly imperfect 'old' imperial style that embodies the four elements. They're also mismatched, a detail that makes the piece interesting.

Airbender Necklace

Whether or not you’re new to the fandom thanks to the rise of the recent Netflix remake, or you’re an OG, this is a necklace that touches all of our innocent hearts. Inspired by the one and only - Aang, the Last Airbender. I also added a pearl detail to the necklace to symbolise innocent Aang.

Sailor Moon

Hands down, the most loved piece from our first Anime collection in 2023 was our Sailor Moon heart shaped necklace. As it sold out so quick, I wanted to recreate the nostalgia and dedicate two pieces to the all time favourite anime.

Ribbon Heart Necklace

Inspired by our childhood favourite series, Sailor Moon, this pendant is a tribute to her ribbon-style transformation from Usagi to Sailor Moon. The ribbon detail is seen expanding from a centre ruby stone, representing her heart brooch. I wanted to create the next piece in the progression of our heart-shaped Sailor Moon pieces, and this turned out perfectly. This year, we also have a few more for the release, as well as a silver version for the silver lovers!

In The Name Of The Moon Pearl Wand Necklace

Inspired by Sailor Moon’s wand, this pendant is a dainty (teeny) version of the magical staff. The perfect pairing with our Ribbon Heart Necklace. This will also be one of the designs that is available in both gold filled and silver to match our Ribbon Heart Necklaces. May you harness the moon’s power (represented by the pearl) to its fullest!

Ghibli Movies

I grew up watching Ghibli movies, but never understood them. I feel like Ghibli in itself should be a category of animation - a lot of Ghibli lovers would agree with me! I had the opportunity to go to the coveted Ghibli Park last year for our 2023 launch and fell even more in love, so I couldn't help but design quite a few pieces after my favourite works of Hayao Miyazaki.

Howl’s House Necklace (Inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle)

Inspired by Howl’s magical house, William Norland's House. It contains a single doorway opening up to a great many directions. I wanted to replicate the magic from the original doorbell, and create a movable wheel design with four enamel shapes mimic the destinations in the original film.

Calcifer Windchime Necklace (Inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle)

Inspired by the fire demon, Calcifer, that is equally charismatic as he is cheeky. A character that is crucial to Howl and Sophie’s storyline, and a well-beloved hero in many ways. Fun fact, the windchime detail on the bottom of the pendant took quite a few iterations to get it right! There is also an engraved sparkle detail, paying tribute to Calcifer’s origin of a fallen star.

No Face Bridge Ring (Inspired by Spirited Away)

Inspired by the bridge to the ryokan (bathhouse) featured in Spirited Away, and the No Face spirit. No Face is such a recognizable character (one of my favourite Ghibli characters!), and I wanted to create the effect of the ring being the bridge between the spiritual and human world. Look to the side and you'll see the extreme detail that went into this design!

Haku & Chihiro Necklace (Inspired by Spirited Away)

The ever so confumbling story of Spirited Away centres around Chihiro and Haku. Some may say it’s love, or destiny, and this piece is inspired by the strong bond that the two develop over the course of the film. If you look closely, you'll see Chihiro on top of Haku in dragon form, right before she releases him from his curse.

Ponyo Ice Cream Necklace (Inspired by Ponyo)

I absolutely loved taiyaki ice cream growing up, so when I saw Ponyo, it clicked that I needed to create a piece that was inspired by my favourite childhood snack. With a little puffer wrapper background, the Ponyo ice cream was born, mimicking the original Samanco taiyaki ice cream and topped with my hand-drawn fish design that reads ‘Ponyo ice cream’. She's truly a playful and nostalgic piece that can be passed down or gifted to a special Ponyo lover in your life!

Black Heart Necklace (Inspired by Death Note)

One of the anime's that I've watched in my life time that left such a strong impression, Death Note is a story about a high school boy who picked up a 'death note' that allows him to kill people by writing their names on the notebook. I wanted to dedicate the necklace to two of my favourite characters, Misa and Ryuk. The intricate detailing and black enamel heart resembles Misa's gothic fashion, and the bitemark represents Ryuk's love for apples. A versatile piece even if you have never watched the series - and good news, it comes in silver too!

Solid Gold ‘Scouts Regiment’ Pendant (Inspired by Attack on Titans)

Anime lovers would know Attack on Titans as one of the biggest fandoms - and for good reason, as the storyline is so complex, yet heart-wrenching and thought provoking. It was only fitting to make the most rare piece, one of its kind, in solid yellow gold, with the ultimate meaning behind the art piece.

To be honest, I spent the longest time designing and perfecting this piece out of all the pieces in this collection. Every time I came up with a design, it would not be 'good enough' or not representative enough... until I saw a book-style locket that ultimately inspired the final piece.

But what to put inside? I debated between so many ideas, like the nape of a titan, to a colossus titan, to an anatomical heart - but at the end, I knew I had to make it about our main character Eren that is the ultimate protagonist-turned-antagonist in the history of anime series. I also decided to make it in solid yellow gold, and only make one of its kind (yes ONE!). It's the ultimate heirloom, and only one person will be the collector of this ultra-rare piece.

Packaging

For this collection, I knew I wanted to create illustrations that would bring the designs to life and breathe magic into the unboxing process. I partnered with amazing artist Daisy Wang (@lerennis), to create a limited edition thank you card with every purchase, and the final artwork is beyond anything I imagined. It will serve as your 'authenticator' when purchasing the pieces, as all of them will be numbered and signed!

On top of this I collaborated with Daisy to create a limited edition design tote inspired by Sailor Moon. I wanted to create a super special unboxing process for our VIPs - each of our first 30 orders over $150 will be gifted this specially designed tote! If you haven't already, sign up to the waitlist below to be the first to access the collection!

Final words

If you have read this far, gosh thank you! I really, truly loved designing and creating this collection and these are some of my proudest works yet. Like last year, we've kept it super limited, with only fifteen pieces of each style ever made. That's it. We won't restock, because it makes the magic disappear. Like artworks, these are meant to be treasured and collected, and I hope you love them as much as I do.

Lots of love always,

Chi Mai
Creative Director & Founder