Laura Cardillo has always exuded a strong sense of personal style and a vibrant creativity that comes through in her jewelry design. Her own sense of style is individual and unique, and she brings to her design a desire that each piece accentuate the individual.
Born in Palermo, Italy, Laura began to show her sensibilities early, enhancing one-of-a-kind vintage clothing with her own beadwork and lace. “I was never the jeans and t-shirt type,” Laura says, “dressing feminine and chic always gave me pleasure.”
At the age 13, Laura built a loom with her mom's wooden kitchen board and started weaving her own jewelry with a needle, thread and seed beads. The striking patterns and color combinations that she created caught on quickly, bringing her attention to her work. Within a year her purple, turquoise and fuchsia designs were sold on consignment by stores and were being worn by many. She had created her own jewelry collection, which served both as a creative outlet and a good way to support her travels and interests in music, theatre and the arts.
In 1982, Laura left Italy for Amsterdam. There she discovered a huge lot of jewelry from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, which allowed her to study and learn how to construct the very intricate designs of those times. With this, the Laura Cardillo signature was born. In 1983 she opened her own store featuring vintage beaded purses, brocade gowns, cocktail dresses and her elegant, one-of-a-kind jewelry. After one year it was clear that jewelry was the standout draw for the boutique, and this became the sole focus.
In 1990 Laura took her work to another level by moving to New York. The top department stores and boutiques quickly took notice, and Laura Cardillo designs became the best selling line at Neiman Marcus in 1994.
In that year Laura also created a lace like, see through shoe called " Diamond's are girl's best friend" for "Cinderella's Revenge", a traveling art exhibition curated by Samuele Mazza (catalogue Chronicle Books). The exhibit originated at Cristinerose Gallery in New York City, traveled around the world and was hosted by galleries such as Lane Crawford, Hong Kong, Lane Crawford, Singapore, and Passage de retz Marais, Paris, to name few.
While in New York, she displayed endless creativity, not just with her signature lines, such as the "Black Lace Line" and the Fringe Line, but she also responsible for designing handbags and gloves. The most notoriety went to the acclaimed purse "Cuore", the heart shaped standing featured in another collective art exhibition named "Il Contenitorio", also curated by Samuele Mazza.
In 2001 Laura started a collaboration with Fred Leighton wich resulted in magnificent diamond studded jewelry that adorned, amongst others, Uma Thurman at the 2002 Oscars.
Laura still continues to be admired and worn around the world by sophisticated elegant women that appreciate her workmanship, artistry and uniqueness. Her latest work with the Shawl, the Paisley and the Filigree, embraces her multi cultural influences, especially Middle Eastern, which evoke magical, bygone eras.
Films: Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet - Opera: Tosca - Tv: Sex in the City
