gala adj. festive, celebratory
curio n. a rare or unusual object
GALA Curios are the jewellery creations of Sydney-based designer, Jasmine O’Loughlin. Each curio in GALA’s collections is an expression of an idea, traversing themes of nature, mortality and the human connection to objects and memories.
With a background in jewellery, textile & footwear design, as well as a passion for art history, Jasmine brings a highly experimental, multi-disciplinary approach to her jewellery designs. The use of unexpected materials in her work – combining elements as diverse as leather, lace, hand weaving, acrylic, metals and real flowers – blurs the lines between fashion, jewellery & sculpture.
Inspired in name by the wife and muse of cult Surrealist artist, Salvador Dali, as well as the historical ‘cabinet of curiosities’, GALA Curios are objects that embody a sense of whimsy and other-worldliness. The label’s signature innovation – coating found materials such as recycled textile, paper & natural flora in fine layers of metal – imbues each piece with the sense of a former ‘life’ and an illusory quality that straddles the divide between real and imagined. Despite Jasmine’s experimental and at times sculptural approach to her designs, the balance struck between artistry & wearable appeal remains key to the label's success.
In addition to directing the GALA Curios studio, Jasmine is a lecturer in the design faculty of The College of Fine Arts (University of New South Wales).
