NIWAKA, a Kyoto-based jeweler whose work has been worn by international celebrities in recent years, held a press event on September 26th at the Tokyo National Museum's Gallery of Horyuji Treasures, titled "The Unveiling of NIWAKA Fine Jewelry: Inheriting Aesthetic Sense." NIWAKA opened an office in Los Angeles in 2013 and has since gained a reputation for its jewelry through local stylists. At the Academy Awards ceremony held on February 28, 2016, Brie Larson, winner of Best Actress for her role in the film "Room," wore a "Kyoshoji" diamond ring, and presenter Emily Blunt wore "Ume-en" earrings, drawing media coverage around the world. The brand has earned high praise in Hollywood. The exhibition featured approximately 70 pieces of high jewelry, including those previously unveiled in Los Angeles but never before available in Japan, as well as the brand's signature pieces. Actress Miki Nakatani appeared as a guest at the talk show. Regarding this collection, Nakatani commented, "The details are so intricate, delicate and beautiful. The creations are a condensed expression of Japanese aesthetics, using historical motifs such as Kyoto's Gion Festival, seasonal landscapes and traditional patterns, yet what impressed me was how they also appear sophisticated and urban. I was so captivated by the dazzling light that I almost felt like a demon was living there!" Nakatani herself says that she has felt her attitude towards jewelry change as she has gotten older.
"When I was younger, I presumptuously thought that I didn't need jewelry because I was radiant (laughs). But as you get older, blemishes and wrinkles inevitably appear. I saw a black and white photo book of the French actress Jeanne Moreau, whom I had always admired, wearing beautiful jewelry on her wrinkled face and hands, and I thought that jewelry only suits you as you get older, and that I wanted to borrow the shine of jewelry and help me shine along with it. I feel that I have finally become someone who suits jewelry."
She also mentioned that traditional techniques are not in demand in the current market, and said that she buys kimonos in the hope of supporting them in some way, and that she supports NIWAKA's philosophy of striving to pass on traditional techniques for thousands of years to come.
The party also featured a traditional dance performance by Fukunae, a maiko, and Kofuku, a geisha from Shigemori Tea House in Miyagawacho, Kyoto, on the stage in front of the Horyuji Treasure Museum, conveying one aspect of Kyoto's traditional culture to the guests.
