Reyèz launches a bold new men’s jewelry and accessories line inspired by 16th century fashion & colonialism
Designed exclusively in New York, their debut collection features rings, pendants, bracelets and a must-have micro-bag that is hitting all the seasonal style notes for men. The silver and gold fusion jewelry is a direct descendant of traditional artisan metal crafts of the Philippine Islands. Natural imperfections, reflect nature, offer charm and guarantee no two pieces are ever identical.
Founder and head designer Glenn V. Tojoy took inspiration from the collision of cultures when the 16th century Europeans arrived in the Pacific Ocean. As the European imperialists encountered Pacific islanders both cultures were changed forever. Designing for Reyèz, Tojoy considered this historical encounter and recognises the beauty and brutality at that historic moment. As was often the case with imperialism, a cultural curiosity in paradise gave way to the darker impulse. Reyèz’s first collection captures that light and dark, the brutality and beauty, the masculine and feminine.
For Tojoy, this sublime storytelling is in the details. The presence of a sword of indigenous tribal warriors and the subtle detail of the rifle sights of the European soldier’s weapons evoke the brutality of battle. These details infuse the jewelry with brutish but entrancing masculinity. Elsewhere, a repeating rose evokes romance and softness, recognising the natural beauty of the islands. A traditionally feminine detail, the rose also signifies the love, sacrifice and nobility in death.
One stunning signet style ring features three roses growing from its mirror-like silver surface. Three roses traditionally mean, ‘I love you’, and these gold roses with inset semi-precious stones are a contemporary expression of the sentiment.
Elsewhere, a chunky silver chain bracelet also features sights inspired by modern weaponry, along with weighty detailing and an oversize clasp. Here, the scale and illusion of extreme weight evoke the brutal might of warfare, yet the polished hand-casted design recalls the artisans creative metalwork of the islanders.
Tojoy’s inspirations aren’t all exclusively pulled from history. The letters “C.R.E.A.M.” (an acronym of “Cash Rules Everything Around Me”) are featured on the cash clip of the micro-bag. Taken from a song by the Wu-Tang Clan, they introduce American hip-hop culture showing another outcome of cultural fusions.
The micro-bag, one of this season’s biggest trends for menswear, was inspired by 16th-century men’s fashions’ when all men carried a small bag. A trend that only declined with the wide adoption of pockets, but is returning in 2022 with men’s desire to maintain a clean silhouette without having to leave iPhones, keys, AirPods and wallets at home.
Featuring a jewelry-quality silver chain and silver hardware the micro-bag features a magnetic closure, durable leather design and topstitching that reveals artisan craftsmanship.
The man behind Reyèz, Tojoy trained as a bespoke tailor in London’s famous Savile Row before moving to New York to be an assistant tailor for a prestigious in-house atelier. Since then, he has opened his custom Tailoring shop, and is now focusing on a original men’s jewelry and accessory line. With plans of extending his line into ready-to-wear. For Tojoy, the finely tailored suit with exquisite artful Reyèz jewelry is the ultimate style statement for a modern man.