About
Launching her namesake line upon graduation from Concordia Fine Arts in 2007, Arielle de Pinto introduced chain crochet to the worlds of contemporary art and fashion. Combining vintage elegance with modern sensibility and intuitive, self-taught jewelry techniques, de Pinto’s signature aesthetic and unmistakable visual identity was quickly recognized and has garnered her a dedicated international following.
Alongside her jewelry—which ranges from crocheted chain and metal necklaces to brutalist carved figurines and imaginative hair accessories—stand de Pinto’s art pieces, including expressionistic metal masks and painterly chain tapestries. Transparent in process and marked with the designer's authorship, this core showpiece practice fuels the creativity for her accessory lines.
De Pinto’s sense of hand-worked intimacy crosses into all aspects of her projects, including a personally trained team of artisans in Montreal, where she has developed a studio anchored in the tradition of fine jewelry ateliers. With intense attention to detail and employing old world, Italian-sourced silver and gold vermeil, every handmade piece is produced in limited numbered editions. De Pinto infuses her sense of fun and exploration into every piece; the designer recently called on an MIT-trained physicist to develop a digital-age colour palette, and has also launched a line of colourful crochet-top sandals with the European art collective LVMM.
Now approaching her 9th year of professional practice, de Pinto's work has appeared in such publications as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, i-D, and Dazed & Confused, among many others. De Pinto has also been featured in contemporary jewelry books and industry publications, exhibited at international museums and galleries, and produced commissioned work for fashion houses and numerous public figures.
Photo credit: Alexi Hobbs