February 24, 2022

DRESSCODE: BILL SCHIFFER


Fashion is art, art is fashion. Fashion is a form of expression. Choosing what to put on one's body each day is a form of communication. It lets others know how we feel, what we want to project, or influence our emotions. It distinguishes us from the next person and displays our preferences and passions. It gives us character. Fashion is also a snapshot in time that showcases trends -or anti-trends- in society, culture, and politics.

BILL SCHIFFER, HeadShot Recess Dresscode
Bill Schiffer Artwork Self Portrait Recess Los Angeles
BILL SCHIFFER | SELF PORTRAIT, 1988

Jewelry designer Bill Schiffer joined the fashion/art conversation with an artist's eye. An artist, muralist, and sculptor, the New York native's approach to creating wearable art jewelry was his desire to bring art to product. Schiffer attended The High School of Music & Art in Harlem, known as "The Castle on the Hill," a magnet school that later merged into the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & the Arts.

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Earrings Bracelets LA Designer Vintage

Bill Schiffer Form Art Recess Dresscode
Bill Schiffer King Of The Jungle 1988 Recess Dresscode
BILL SCHIFFER | KING OF THE JUNGLE, 1988

Surrounded by creativity from an early age, Schiffer was not limited by his materials or surroundings and experimented in paints, paper collage cutouts, and sculpture. He expressed himself through large-scale abstract street art and murals full of vibrant color.

LoveHouse Bill Schiffer Midtown 1145am 1984 Recess Dresscode

LOVE HOUSE | BILL SCHIFFER, "MIDTOWN 11:45 AM", 1984

Bill Schiffer Abstract Art Painting Recess Dresscode

BILL SCHIFFER, 1990

 

Bill Schiffer Abstract Sculpture Art Recess Dresscode

BILL SCHIFFER | FLOWER

Bill Schiffer Collage 3-D art Recess Dresscode

He began designing wearable art as jewelry in 1973, and got his first counter placement at Bloomingdales, soon followed by Saks Fifth Avenue. His jewelry counters became permanent fixtures in the departments lasting 10 and 12 years, respectively. All pieces are hand made and either limited or one-of-a-kind.

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Earrings Bracelets LA Designer Vintage

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Necklace LA Designer Vintage

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Earrings Bracelets LA Designer Vintage

"I wanted to bring art to product. I felt like people who ran department stores were fairly unconscious about what art could bring them, so I started creating pieces for visual effect. At first I didn't want to put value into the materials, so I made everything out of a polyester resin and then I'd hand-paint. Eventually I started using crystals, and then I got into silver and gold."
-BILL SCHIFFER, EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Bracelets LA Designer Vintage

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Earrings LA Designer Vintage

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Earrings LA Designer Vintage

In 1980 Bill Schiffer opened an art gallery with his wife Sally Hawkins on West Broadway in New York's Soho district. There, he placed an iconic mural on the side of the building that came to represent Soho as a sign of the times.

Bill Schiffer Sally Hawkins Gallery NY Soho 1980s Mural
SALLY HAWKINS GALLERY | MURAL, BILL SCHIFFER, 1980s

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Necklace LA Designer Vintage

Though Schiffer is most well-known for his hand-crafted jewelry, he stopped crafting new wearable pieces in 2006, following the passing of his wife. 

Bill Schiffer 2010 Recess Dresscode

BILL SCHIFFER, 2010

Bill Schiffer 2010 Recess Dresscode

BILL SCHIFFER, 2010

Bill Schiffer Recess Dresscode

Schiffer continues to create multi-dimensional works of fine art, and in 2017 completed another wall mural on the side of New York's Bistro Les Amis, once again leaving his mark on Soho.

Bill Schiffer Concept Mural Art Recess Dresscode

BISTRO LES AMIS | BILL SCHIFFER CONCEPT ART, 2017
Bill Schiffer Bistro Les Amis Mural Art 2017 Recess Dresscode
Bill Schiffer Bistro Les Amis Mural Art 2017 Recess Dresscode
BISTRO LES AMIS | BILL SCHIFFER MURAL, 2017

Bill Schiffer finally fulfilled his lifelong dream of moving to Spain's Costa Del Sol after liquidating his personal jewelry and art collections. We're happy to have acquired a number of pieces to share with you, and love bringing a bit of art to the every day outfit.

Bill Schiffer EBTH Recess Dresscode

EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE | BILL SCHIFFER, 2017

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Earrings Bracelets LA Designer Vintage

Recess Dresscode Bill Schiffer Mod Abstract Jewelry Art Artist Shop Button LA Designer Vintage

Sources:

Bill Schiffer
Facebook / Instagram
Etsy- Bill Schiffer
Everything But The House
Lot-Art

 

Photography by William Thaggard
Copy & Art Direction by Erica Sanae

 

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