These delicate, dangly precious things came as a result of a bowl cut leaving Tamara Bavdek feeling a little on the boyish side. Back in the big 08′, after having cut off her long locks, she was on the search for something feminine and girly. Looking to muses such as Edie Sedgewick, Bavdek abruptedly decided that “big-sculpture-like earrings” were exactly what she needed. Warhol’s favorite lady wore this one pair, which appeared to be made of fabric. This aesthetic appealed to Bavdek, who admits jokingly, that beforehand she ”never liked lace”.  She went on to explain that she is a “modernist at heart who doesn’t like things when they are too ornamental”. The discovery occured when she began taking the lace apart. Because of how lightweight lace is, she could make earrings of any size, without having the problem of earlobes hanging down to her shoulders. Tamara adds that lace is ”to textiles what gold is to metals and diamonds to rocks in terms of value and aesthetics”. When I asked the pretty girl behind THIS ILK how she goes about creating new pieces, she answered: “I use the way of thinking I learned in school (Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design). I like to create pieces that are beautiful but also functional and as “outside the box” as possible. I see my pieces as an object to be worn much more than jewelry, clothing or accessories which helps me create more extravagant things”. She also hinted at more multifunctional pieces to come, which happen to be my favorite (as seen in photo #2). CONTEST- When paying this designer a visit in her quaint apartment (and also greeted by her cuddly cat), she showed me most of her pieces she had prepared for a sale later that day.  Then came the GOLDZMINE and THIS ILK collaboration, and together we chose pieces for a shoot.   Lucky for you, Tamara is giving readers a chance to win a pair of Seagrass earrings from the Octopussy collection. Enter to goldzmine@hotmail.com, with your name and address. You have till February 28, 2010.