A golden camel-bone bracelet with dark etchings, reminiscent of Arabia. A necklace of hammered brass featuring antique Ethiopian amber and a horn-and-crystal pendant. Knuckle-duster rings with Somali coins from the 1970s. A trio of skinny bangles, combining spiky studs, rivets and rustic horn. Cuff bracelets with East African gemstones and organic crystals.
Mixing vintage tribal with modern mystique, fashionista Penny Winter brings further panache to her clothing line with a stylish and stunning selection of exotic jewelry, handmade in artisan workshops throughout Kenya. Designed to complement both day and evening wear, Penny’s collection goes beyond accessorizing to dazzle the eye with an eclectic mix of texture, color and artistry. Designs which dress up as easily on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue as they do on the savannahs of the Maasai Mara.
“The energy from the people we empower and employ in the ghetto and in rural workshops supply a constant chain of inspiration,” says Penny. “How a medallion that has been cast for me as a sample can ricochet into a bestseller on the floors of a Fifth Avenue department store still takes my breath away. Seeing my designs come full circle from a paper pattern through the various workshops, then to Mombasa to be set with a precious Kenyan gem, and, finally, onto the boutique floor and into the pages of a glossy magazine — it’s all so rewarding.”
Endorsed by Helena Christensen and Max Mara’s Flavio Moggi, Penny’s current client list includes Sylvia Fendi, the creative force behind Fendi; Princess Caroline of Monaco; CEO Mimma Viglezio of LVMH; filmmaker Trudi Styler; Carmen Busquets, co-founder of Net a Porter, the fashion website sensation; and actresses Uma Thurman, Jane Seymour and Anna Friel; and Academy Award-winner Rachel Weisz.
Penny also co-designs and creates a special jewelry line using horn, brass and gemstone for Ashley Pittman’s collections, sold in high-end American department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, as well in Browns in London.