Kanye West is once again showing the world that he’s a Renaissance man—in more ways than one. The rapper-mogul-fashion-designer is adding jewelry designer to his already multi-hyphenated title, and he’s turned to the early days of the Italian Renaissance for inspiration.
West, a.k.a. Yeezy, has teamed up with Jacob & Company’s Jacob “the Jeweler” Arabo to create a “timeless” collection of gold baubles inspired by Florentine art from the 14th century, the age of the Medici. The 12-piece collection includes a selection of 18-karat gold rings and pendant necklaces featuring profile portraits set in a bas-relief style that evoke religious icons of the Quattrocento as well as artworks by such masters as Ghiberti and Donatello. Priced from around $1,500 to $13,000, the pieces are available on both Yeezy Supply website and Jacob & Co.
Photograph via Instagram.
In an interview with Vogue, West said the jewelry line is “a letter to my wife from a past life that can live past our lives.”
Of course, this isn’t the rapper’s first foray into the art world. His longtime collaboration with the Italian contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft has become a fixture of the Yeezy fashion line, sparking both conversation and controversy at Fashion Week.