"He used unorthodox settings, including other materials like coral and fine woods, as if composing a modernist collage. " - The New York Times
In 2004, Museum of Art & Design curator David McFadden worked with Jay Bauer and Anthony Hopenhajm to mount a retrospective exhibition in celebration of the centennial of Seaman Schepps. Drawing on the company's archives as well as private collections, the show drew a record number of visitors to the museum. Schepps vibrant and bold jewels were perfectly offset by the austere, minimalist installation designed by Massimo and Lella Vignelli. On display were historic jewels owned by heiresses and society ladies such as Doris Duke and Marguerite Wenner-Gren, the opera diva and wife of the Swedish steel magnate and industrialist Axel Wenner-Gren who later started the Electrolux Corporation and became one of the wealthiest men in the world in the 1930s. Original renderings, wax models, and vintage magazine covers featuring Schepps jewelry were also showcased.
A monograph of Schepps' work--the exhibition's coffee table-scale catalog--was published for this exhibition and features a biographical essay about Schepps by his granddaughter, the biographer Amanda Vaill. The book continues to inspire designers and style mavens around the world. Fashion plate and style author Amanda Brooks named it as one of her favorite coffee table tomes in her book entitled I Heart Your Style.
Take a tour of the exhibition by clicking on the images below:
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