You'd think that an emerging accessories designer who grew up in Kyoto, surrounded by tea houses, geisha girls and temples—not to mention piles of silk patterns courtesy of her family's generations old kimono business—would create pieces that were very clearly influenced by traditional Asian culture. Not so with Saya Hibino, a finalist in our Styles 2008 competition whose one-of-a-kind work, made using wax molds of antique lace, is anything but predictable.

Want to turn heads with a luxe statement piece that's totally original? Go regal, and grab one of her 18-karat gold rings that's shaped in the manner of an ornate crown. Feeling more delicate flower than warrior woman? The intricate lines of her ethereal peacock ring will wrap your finger in an exquisite gilded cocoon. Looking for an investment piece that will take your look straight from day to evening? The more solid cuff bracelet is equal parts Jane Austen heroine and Wonder Woman— which sounds rather ideal, doesn't it?

A jewelry collection that hints at the elegance of days of yore—perhaps we can see the evidence of Hibino's rarefied childhood in these pretty pieces after all!

Saya Hibino is available at Riley James, 3027 Fillmore Street, (415) 775-7956.

- Caroline Stanley

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Similar Topics:accessories, Emerging Designer, fashion, Styles 2008

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