Taanka X Roods - The Pin Collection
I had the pleasure of meeting the creations of Anita Gábor at Makers' Market last summer, where I was immediately struck by the charm of her brass jewellery and accessories. I loved their form and authentic character, the natural and antiqued shades of brass, the overall effect of her creations, the uniqueness and value of handmade work. I also bought a tulip pin from her, which I have worn ever since, pinned to one of my own Taanka jackets.
When Zsófi Kálmán graphic designer, was working on the redesign of Taanka's visual identity, I thought how beautiful the illustrative graphic elements Zsófi had designed would look in the form of handcrafted brass pins. So I chose two flower ornaments and approached Anita with the idea of a collaboration and to my great delight she said yes and created beautiful badges for us in three different versions: natural brass, hammered texturised and with patina. On the occasion of this collaboration, I would like to introduce Anita to you.
Anita Gábor grew up in a small village in Transylvania and studied fashion design at the West University of Timisoara. She didn't really like designing, she much more preferred sewing, making handmade pieces and experimenting with different fabrics. Besides creating, her other great passion became travelling. The young jewellery maker has wanted to see the world since she was a child, and as a student she went to Turkey for the first time for six months on an Erasmus programme. She then moved on to the Canary Islands, Ireland and then volunteered in Greece for a year. In Africa, she taught young women to sew and ran craft classes for children in a private school.
Her own brand was inspired by her travel experiences. The idea of Roods was born during the volunteer project in Greece. The jewellery draws inspiration from travel, different cultures and nature. The warm shades of brass transport the wearer to the sunny Mediterranean, magical Africa or even the colourful Orient, while the turquoise and greenish shades of patina evoke endless seas. Each piece is handmade with great care and attention, evoking a story, a memory, a feeling.
"I know how hard it can be to decide where to settle down. I'm a big lover of travel and for a few years now it's become a bit of a habit to always be on the move. So, when I was choosing a brand name, I thought it would be cool to symbolise this duality by going with Roods. It's a lovely way to combine the best of both worlds, travelling and staying put," - says Anita.
When she's not busy making jewellery, she loves nothing more than working with her favourite material, which just so happens to be brass. She absolutely loves how the material changes in her hands – it's just so magical to see!
"I don't often draw the design. I like to think through the steps, start cutting out the shape, then do a lot of sanding, polishing, then soldering, and comes a final polish. I tend to work with waste material a lot, which is great as it's sustainable and really cost-effective. I receive the material mostly from a factory that manufactures brass sheets" - explains Anita.
I'm absolutely delighted to be working with Anita, whose first pieces are now launching in our webshop. I really hope you're going to love them, and we will have many exciting collaborations in the future!