The House of BUN jewellery line: Multi strand pearl necklaces
Even in a crowded coffee shop it does not take long to spot the creative genius behind the House of BUN jewellery line, Miss Carola Alder. With an effortless golden blonde “bun” perched atop her head, and adorned in her signature Lady Godiva pearl necklace, Alder is the walking, talking, breathing fairytale behind “House of BUN”. Appropriately titled “The Tutu Collection”, her line consists of 12 necklaces all meticulously made by hand. Perfection is paramount as she delicately assembles high quality glass beads and Swarovski crystals creating the most magical necklaces any princess deserves. This 23-year-old sensation has even caught the attention of pop culture powerhouse Lady Gaga and Lady Starlight.
So how did this all come to be? Alder’s whirlwind success parallels her fairytale title. “It came to me all at once. It came so quickly it was an all day all night extravaganza and it still is [today],” she sheepishly smiles in disbelief. The first necklace was created as recently as August 2010. Inspired by her years in ballet and the delicacy of the dance, along with the classic vision of her style icon Coco Avant Chanel, “The Tutu Fairytale” was born. Alder even named one of her necklaces (a long string of glass pearls with a small pair of scissors at the bottom) “Coco” in honour of her idol. She goes on to say “One of my mottos is I am going to finish what Chanel started. Chanel’s vision is modest and practical, yet simple and classic.” The Tutu Fairytale encompasses this timelessness.
It quickly became evident each necklace has a story. “The design process comes from a character or person in history and then I think what would that person wear? Then in some cases it is more like I start creating strands of pearls and it forms into its own character. That is really how the whole design process comes about.” Alder says it can take hours and sometimes days to physically create the initial piece, “…stringing the pearls and then re-stringing the pearls to make sure it is all perfectly symmetrical and layered to the way I want”. Along with The House of BUN jewellery line, she has also created a signature parfum – Lady Godiva.
Alder recently showcased her collection at Vancouver’s club 560 “aluvingraceaffair” event where Lady Starlight (Lady Gaga’s tour DJ) was presented with a personalized necklace before she took stage. The practical aspect of her entire line is whether you are 20 or 80, you can wear her pieces with the same gusto and still make a statement. What has Alder taken from this whirlwind experience? With a sparkle in her eye she replies “To make your dreams come true and create those visions. For me it is a fairytale that I want to share with everyone and I want people to see the fairytale behind BUN and to see all of that because that is the part that I love. It is just the magical world of BUN”.
For a 23-year-old, her work is beyond her years in sophistication, yet she cleverly pairs this in her necklaces with a young girl’s dream of fairytale perfection. We can look forward to great things under the House of BUN umbrella. And just like a classic Chanel suit, Carola Alder’s jewellery line transcends the test of time.
For more information on the House of BUN, visit the website at www.houseofbun.com.
Written by: NATASHA BHATNAGAR
