Home Base: Los Angeles
The Man: Tom Binns, originally from Belfast, Ireland, has been designing, manufacturing and distributing jewellery for more than 25 years. One of his first projects of note was the Punk Couture collection, created in collaboration with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. A more recent collaboration was with Swarovski Fashion Rocks, in association with the Prince's Trust, to produce a limited-edition crystal-encrusted leather cuff.
The Company: Founded in 2004, Tom Binns Design LLC offers pieces that reflect an original interpretation of modern luxury. In 2006, Binns received the prestigious Accessory Designer of the Year award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
Defining Style: Feminine, nonconformist, irreverent, witty, elegant. Tough chic.
Inspirations: The early 20th-century Dada movement, especially its themes of irrationality, anarchy and the rejection of standard beauty and social organization.
Quotables: "You are not dealing with reason, you are dealing with attitude."
Recurrent themes: Binns likes to incorporate his surroundings into his designs, such as coloured sea glass he found on the beach.
By Robin Payne
