……………….On a resort collection I had an idea to use a large RING as a detail….but not just any ring……a LEATHER COVER RING……Who was going to make such a thing for me? I called the young man, Matt, who was now developing the Anne Klein Couture Jewelry line, and we discussed over the phone what I was thinking of….We came to the conclusion that to keep the ring strong it should be a METAL RING covered in leather. It was stitched all the way around like a hand bag and had a raw edge like a belt. The jewelry company was SWANK, and they made men’s accessories too including a wide range of belts…..so it wasn’t difficult for Matt to get this done with all of the resources that were available to him.. The leather ring came out perfectly, and from that we developed a range of leather covered jewelry…..Hanging hoops with gold metal stud tops came in two sizes…..COIL metal cuffs covered in leather….that wrapped around the arm, and wide CUFFS were made in brown and black leather……The sketches from left to right….A striped knit top in chocolate brown and ivory had hot pint knit trims and a wrap around tie in the same knit…..The brown leather ring held the bra top together….I sketched it with a maxi ivory rayon crepe skirt……The next sketch is the same top in ivory knit. Again, with the brown leather ring, but this time the tie at the neck and the ties around the body were narrow flat brown leather strips. The pant is brown matte jersey…….The short dress was in ivory rayon crepe with self straps attached to a large center back brown leather large ring…….I don’t remember what the front looked like!!!!. She is sketched with the leather large hoop earring and the coil leather bracelet. I was very lucky to have Matt who made anything I asked for…..and more. He is still making jewelry, with another company and is in charge of the many divisions of jewelry they have. I am very proud of his success. He started with me at a very young age, and had a baby son and another on the way….Now they are college graduates!……. He proved to me over and over that he was an incredible talent! We still keep in touch!