There's Mania in the Desert
Photography by Simon Lekias
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Gallery / 7 images
"Real Life Awaits Us" is the debut collection of new jewellery label ManiaMania, designed by stylist Tamila Purvis and art director Melanie Kamsler. In an opposite effect to the name though, the pieces are dreamily born out of their mutual love of the 1973 cult film The Holy Mountain by Alejandro Jodorowsky, which inspired the pieces running with molten metal and encrusted with calcite crystal. Like the experimental film treatments of Jodorowsky's era and genre, ManiaMania's first collection is made for sitting under crystal filtered light. We speak to Purvis about hitting gold with her debut collection.

Dazed Digital:  What made you decide to go into jewellery?
ManiaMania: We have a really similar aesthetic and have both always been obsessive collectors. We go through phases of wearing signature vintage pieces that we don't take off for long periods of time. Jewellery is such a defining and personal thing for people and we like the idea of creating pieces that define a style.

DD: Do you think there's currently a new wave of jewellery designers that are reinvigorating the craft?
ManiaMania: Yes, there seems to be a resurgence, particularly in the costume jewellery genre. We love it that all the big luxury house are re-introducing their more accessible jewellery, like it was in the 70s. We've always been into this so it's great that it is more of a focus at the moment.

DD: What made you decide to take inspiration from The Holy Mountain?
ManiaMania: Holy Mountain is a an incredibly richly symbolic film, and Alejandro Jodorowsky (director) is a very interesting character to us. He's a bit of an oddball. It's one of the most visually stimulating films we've seen and had a real impact on us as it communicates on so many levels. We love the genre of 60s and 70s experimental film and the era in general, both stylistically and what it stood for. We love both the art direction and the metaphors and theories in the film, and this has filtered through into our range - from the use of crystals, motifs, colour palette and names of each piece.