By Åse Anderson in London
With a name that stands for Creativity, Arts, Designs and Anarchy, could the jewellery from German brand CADA be anything but impressive?
Husband and wife team Annette and Herbert Kopp set up CADA jewellery after meeting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in the 1980s. She was training to be a silversmith while he was studying painting and CADA is very much an amalgamation of both their skill sets. The brand has been synonymous with trend-setting jewellery design for more than 20 years now and its impressive list of stockists includes Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market in London and Maxfield in Los Angeles.
Their first shop opened in Munich in 1986 and quickly became a hot spot for collectors, architects and avant-gardists. "When following the art scene, you automatically feel what people want," says the couple. "Apart from that, art is quite naturally a part of our everyday life."
The secret behind their success boils down to the teamwork, which they have perfected over the years. While Herbert is in charge of the design, Annette is the one propelling the business forwards. She says: "My husband is driven by the desire to find the perfect form. I get a kick out of helping people on a daily basis to find their perfect piece of jewellery."
From the Munich store's flamboyant window installations - themselves works of art - to the minimalist display cases made from chrome and rosewood, CADA jewellery creates its own glamorous universe. And at the centre of it are, of course, the jewels, which include huge cocktail rings, diamond-set skulls and dramatic hoop earrings. Motifs such as angels, demons, Buddhas, flowers, pearls and snakes come together in edgy, luxurious pieces that appeal to both women and men.
In the early years, the oversized rings were the best-sellers and, more recently, the Love and Peace designs have been elevated to iconic status. The Love and Peace collection spells out a universal message in diamond pavé on white, yellow, or rose gold, while the colourful cocktail rings are among my personal favourites.
