“I love that jewelry changes how someone feels on the inside and how they are perceived on the outside… I believe that connection has the power to unleash magical qualities in that person. If nothing else, the power to see and appreciate more beauty around them.”
Truth told by the queen of magical jewels herself, Marcy Kentz. I am so lucky my dear friend Lauren connected me and Marcy because her creations are truly transformative pieces of wearable art. The meticulous design and unique details set her work apart in a market saturated with mass production. The combination of gold, silver, bronze and brass is powerful yet energetically stabilizing, something Marcy is very focused on emphasizing.
I teamed up with the incredible photographer and dear friend Daryl Henderson to capture this magical collaboration. We wanted to tell a story about rebirth and peeling the onion of social norms and expectations that inhibit our growth as human beings. Each look in our epic day of shooting was a manifestation of a stage of this evolution. Here, we played with gender and the power of masculinity. This Susan Sontag quote pretty much sums it up: “What is the most beautiful in virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is something masculine.” It is this delicious binary we wanted to explore.
I never believe there are mistakes, only happy accidents and auspicious coincidences (thank you Bob Ross!); so it was no mistake that the symbolic meaning behind Marcy’s pieces fit in beautifully with our photographic story.
Our first look features two layered necklaces, the Moon Phase Necklace with Skull Moth Occult Jewelry and the Egyptian Beetle Occult Necklace With All Seeing Eye and Unicorn Horn. The necklaces both possess opposing elements and a yin and yang of energy, if you will. The Moon Phase Moth necklace represents the phases of the moon (which is connected to femininity) and the symbolically dark and beautiful death’s head hawkmoth widely represents the never-ending cycle of life and death. On the contrary, the Egyptian Beetle Occult necklace depicts the scarab beetle reaching for the sun (connected to the masculine) and interestingly enough, the Egyptians considered scarabs to be sacred symbols of rebirth.
I loved balancing and draping these gorgeous necklaces on my bare chest and playing with their duality. I pretty much live in the Egyptian Beetle Occult necklace; it’s my little reminder to celebrate my masculinity and inner power to renew and evolve like a phoenix.
The whimsical Moon Phase Geometric Earrings with Pyramid Cage Spike Dangle are fit for a bohemian goddess, but in my rendition, we created a character known as the Peruvian Cloud God – another happy accident by styling genius Ashley Lorona.
As always, I feel so honored to work with fellow artists such as Marcy, Daryl and Ashley. It’s beautiful to see what art is created when all our forces are united to tell a story. I hope you check Marcy’s incredible jewelry collection. Your mind will be blown by the quality, mysterious beauty and unique design. ♡☆♡☆♡☆
Arielle
☆ Look Details ☆
All looks styled by Ashley Lorona of Glitter Spies
All Jewelry – Marcy Kentz Jewelry
Dark Crystal Bell Bottoms – Piper Kay Bells
Black Coat – Vintage
Cowboy Hat – Vintage
Blue Poncho – Vintage
☆ Shoot Credits ☆
Photographer – Daryl Henderson
Stylist – Ashley Lorona
Assistant Photographer – Will Mercer
Badass Crew and Good Vibes Creators – Dan Gross and Trevor Coulter
Producer and Graphic Design – Yours Truly