Betony Vernon
Encyclopedia
Betony Vernon is a jewellery designer who lives and works in Milan
and in Paris
. She is most well known for her jewellery
based on eroticism
and sexual ceremony.
with a degree in Art History and a double minor in Religious Studies and Goldsmithing.
After graduation, Betony moved to Florence
, Italy
, to direct the metalsmithing program at Fuji Studio Art Workshop and open her atelier where she created one-of-a-kind objects for the concept store Luisa Via Roma. She also worked as an actor
and a fashion
model but abandoned these potential careers in order to refine her jewelry-making skills with the Florentine masters of repoussé, mosaic, and engraving and jewelry fabrication.
In 1995 Betony moved to Milan
, where she obtained a master’s degree in Industrial Design
from Domus Academy. At the same time she founded “Atelier B.V.”, her present-day studio. Betony’s skill caught the eye of many prestigious brands and, in addition to developing her numerous proprietary collections, she began to consult externally. In 1995 and 1998 she designed for Pampaloni, the renowned Florentine silversmith. During that time, she was also appointed as design director for the Italian interior design
firm Fornasetti. She continues to develop a jewelry line that respects the artistic matrix of the whimsical style of Piero Fornasetti.
Betony’s Eco-Coral collection adorned Missoni’s 2001 summer fashion collection. In 2001 she also collaborated with Alain Tondowski on a collection of limited-edition jeweled shoes called “Venus.” In 2002 she served as principal designer for Gianfranco Ferré
’s premier fine jewelry collection that launched in fall 2003. In 2006 she designed a couture neckpiece for Swarovski
’s Runway Rocks project that was later used by Lady Gaga
for her “Paparazzi
” video. Betony has held design seminars at both the European Institute of Design and Domus Academy in Milan, Italy. Her work has also been featured in a number of international exhibitions, from the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London
to the Triennale
in Milan and the Museum of Sex
in New York City.
Starting in the early 1990s, Betony’s research into sex and sensuality led her to explore entirely new dimensions in her work. During fashion week
in Paris
in 2001, she presented her Paradise Found http://www.betonyvernon.com/ Fine Erotic Jewelry collection. Handcrafted in gold and silver, it is her most powerful and directional collection. It is designed to encourage and celebrate sexual vitality, as well as a different sexual aesthetic. Paradise Found embodies Betony’s goals to heighten body confidence, glorify the human instinct to attract, and to emphasize the innate beauty, harmony and sensuality of the human body through her designs.
She coined the terms “Sado-Chic” and “Jewel-Tools” to define some of these objects. Their functional capacity to provide sensations is often masked by their sleek, highly polished forms. Betony uses her infamously mysterious Boudoir Box, a custom-made limited-edition luxury travel case containing 21 or more objects from the Paradise Found collection, to present her Jewel-Tools to private collectors around the world. Betony is considered a pioneer of the emerging niche of upscale erotica.
In 2006 she collaborated with Los Angeles
based photographer Jeff Burton to document the Boudoir Box in the historical context of the museum house of Carlo Mollino
, in Turin
, Italy
. In 2008 she made “L’Envol”, a short video
for SHOWstudio and her first collaboration with Nick Knight. At the request of MTV
Italy, Betony wrote, starred in, and co-produced “The Boudoir”. These seven episodes aired on Love Line, a show that delivered sexual information to young people. In March 2009 Jean-Paul Gaultier
represented Betony as an erotic icon in his fall-winter fashion show
. Shortly thereafter her works were exhibited in the Furniture Fair in Milan
in the context of the RedLight Design exposition. Betony is one of 20 women interviewed by Virginie Despentes for her a pro-sex documentary
“Mutantes”, released in 2010. The culmination of Betony’s research will take the form of a book
called “TheBoudoir”, due to be published in 2012.
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. She is most well known for her jewellery
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
based on eroticism
Eroticism
Eroticism is generally understood to refer to a state of sexual arousal or anticipation of such – an insistent sexual impulse, desire, or pattern of thoughts, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality and romantic love...
and sexual ceremony.
Biography
She was the third of four daughters. Her mother, a British civil rights activist/art historian and her father, an American pilot/inventor bestowed on her at an early age a love for nature and a passion for the arts. Her youth was spent practicing classical piano, wandering in the woods and whiling away the hours with in-home studies. In 1990 she graduated Cum Laude from Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
with a degree in Art History and a double minor in Religious Studies and Goldsmithing.
After graduation, Betony moved to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, to direct the metalsmithing program at Fuji Studio Art Workshop and open her atelier where she created one-of-a-kind objects for the concept store Luisa Via Roma. She also worked as an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and a fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
model but abandoned these potential careers in order to refine her jewelry-making skills with the Florentine masters of repoussé, mosaic, and engraving and jewelry fabrication.
In 1995 Betony moved to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, where she obtained a master’s degree in Industrial Design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
from Domus Academy. At the same time she founded “Atelier B.V.”, her present-day studio. Betony’s skill caught the eye of many prestigious brands and, in addition to developing her numerous proprietary collections, she began to consult externally. In 1995 and 1998 she designed for Pampaloni, the renowned Florentine silversmith. During that time, she was also appointed as design director for the Italian interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
firm Fornasetti. She continues to develop a jewelry line that respects the artistic matrix of the whimsical style of Piero Fornasetti.
Betony’s Eco-Coral collection adorned Missoni’s 2001 summer fashion collection. In 2001 she also collaborated with Alain Tondowski on a collection of limited-edition jeweled shoes called “Venus.” In 2002 she served as principal designer for Gianfranco Ferré
Gianfranco Ferrè
Gianfranco Ferré was a fashion designer also known as "the architect of fashion" for his background and his original attitude toward creating fashion design....
’s premier fine jewelry collection that launched in fall 2003. In 2006 she designed a couture neckpiece for Swarovski
Swarovski
Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...
’s Runway Rocks project that was later used by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
for her “Paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
” video. Betony has held design seminars at both the European Institute of Design and Domus Academy in Milan, Italy. Her work has also been featured in a number of international exhibitions, from the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the Triennale
Triennale
La Triennale di Milano is a design museum and events venue in Milan, Italy, located inside the Palace of Art building, part of Parco Sempione, the park grounds adjacent to Castello Sforzesco. It hosts exhibitions and events which highlight contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture,...
in Milan and the Museum of Sex
Museum of Sex
The Museum of Sex, also known as MoSex, is a sex museum located at 233 Fifth Avenue near 27th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It opened on October 5, 2002.-History:...
in New York City.
Starting in the early 1990s, Betony’s research into sex and sensuality led her to explore entirely new dimensions in her work. During fashion week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 2001, she presented her Paradise Found http://www.betonyvernon.com/ Fine Erotic Jewelry collection. Handcrafted in gold and silver, it is her most powerful and directional collection. It is designed to encourage and celebrate sexual vitality, as well as a different sexual aesthetic. Paradise Found embodies Betony’s goals to heighten body confidence, glorify the human instinct to attract, and to emphasize the innate beauty, harmony and sensuality of the human body through her designs.
She coined the terms “Sado-Chic” and “Jewel-Tools” to define some of these objects. Their functional capacity to provide sensations is often masked by their sleek, highly polished forms. Betony uses her infamously mysterious Boudoir Box, a custom-made limited-edition luxury travel case containing 21 or more objects from the Paradise Found collection, to present her Jewel-Tools to private collectors around the world. Betony is considered a pioneer of the emerging niche of upscale erotica.
In 2006 she collaborated with Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
based photographer Jeff Burton to document the Boudoir Box in the historical context of the museum house of Carlo Mollino
Carlo Mollino
- Biography :Born in Turin, Piedmont, Carlo Mollino was the son of Eugenio Mollino, an engineer. As he grew up, Carlo Mollino became interested in a variety of topics that were as outrageous as his art, such as design, architecture, the occult, and race cars....
, in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In 2008 she made “L’Envol”, a short video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
for SHOWstudio and her first collaboration with Nick Knight. At the request of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Italy, Betony wrote, starred in, and co-produced “The Boudoir”. These seven episodes aired on Love Line, a show that delivered sexual information to young people. In March 2009 Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean-Paul Gaultier
Jean Paul Gaultier , born 24 April 1952 in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French haute couture fashion designer. Gaultier was the creative director of Hermès from 2003 to 2010. In the past, he has hosted the television series Eurotrash....
represented Betony as an erotic icon in his fall-winter fashion show
Fashion show
A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing during Fashion Week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. This is where the latest fashion trends are made...
. Shortly thereafter her works were exhibited in the Furniture Fair in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in the context of the RedLight Design exposition. Betony is one of 20 women interviewed by Virginie Despentes for her a pro-sex documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
“Mutantes”, released in 2010. The culmination of Betony’s research will take the form of a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
called “TheBoudoir”, due to be published in 2012.
Selected exhibitions/events
- 2011 - AltaRomAltaModa - the “Soul-less” shoes were exhibited in the Limited/Unlimited group show of one-of-a-kind objects in the Casanatese Library, Rome
- 2010 - Exclusive Paradise Found event for Chambre Boutique, Kiev
- 2009 - Minerva video for SHOWstudio at Somerset House, London - The Fashion Body
- 2009 - RedLight design event - Salone del Mobile, Milan
- 2008 - Sex in Design, Design in Sex - Museum of Sex, New York
- 2005 - Touch Me - Victoria & Albert Museum - Contemporary Gallery, London
- 2004 - Life Ball - Elton John’s Aids Foundation - Vienna
- 2003 - Collaboration on Sir Elton John’s Life Ball for HIV/AIDS research - Vienna
- 2003 - Body Craze – Selfridges, London
- 2002 - Fukui Prefecture Museum of Design - acquisition of “Science of Love” ring for the Permanent Collection - Japan
- 1999 - Il Classico, Norma e Variazione - Abitare il Tempo - Verona
- 1996 - Finarte “Convivio”, auction for the Italian National Association in the fight against AIDS Milan
- 1995 - Anni 90 Arte a Milano – Triennale, Milan
- 1994 - Primordi International design – Triennale, Milan
- 1994 - Evasioni - Pampaloni Misaglia, Milan
Selected media appearances
- 2011 - Le Figaro, art critic Valérie Duponchelle cites BV as one of the most influential artists in Paris – “LE PARIS DU POUVOIR” - March 23/2011
- 2011 - Canal+, France, interview for documentary on female pleasure by Frédérique Barraja, airs in July
- 2011 - Amor e Sexo - Brazilian TV Globo
- 2010 – “Mutantes”- a pro-sex feminist documentary by Virginie Despentes
- 2010 - Karl Lagerfeld chooses head ornaments from BV Archives for Pirelli Calendar -2011
- 2010 - Focus on Betony Vernon - Vogue.it
- 2009 - En Attendant Minuit (Waiting for Midnight) - 909 Producions France
- 2008 - El Pais - Interview in documentary film series Contemporary Sex Workers
- 2008 - MTV Italy - Writes and performs in Le Boudoir, seven Sexual Well-Being shorts
- 2007 - SEX TV- Canadian public broadcasting
- 2006 - Pink TV- Public Sex interview with Mathieu Lacerf
- 2005 - Paris Dernier with Frederic Taddei
- 2004 - SHOWstudio: The Banquet, Nick Knight
Selected publications
- 2008 - Style file - The World ́s Most Elegantly Dressed by Iké Udé - Collins Design
- 2006 - Bordello by Vee Spears, Earbooks, Germany
- 2005 - Dizionario del Gioiello Italiano del XIX e XX Secolo, Umberto Allemandi & Co.
- 2005 - David Bailey’s Democracy, Steidil Gottingen, Germany
- 2004 - Dizionario del Gioiello Italiano, Allemandi
- 2001 - Hanatsubaki Shiseido - Japan
- 1998 - Dictionaire International du Bijoux, Edition du Regard
Selected collaborations
- 2011 - Designs jewels for Alexander Wang
- 2010 - Designs LIP stick for Fusion Beauty Inc - product will be available spring 2011
- 2009 - Catwalk for Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2009/2010
- 2008 – L’Envol video for SHOWstudio - Political Fashion
- 2007 - Elegant Bondage for Sam Taylor Wood, New York Times Style Magazine 03-11-07
- 2007 - Elegant Bondage for Blu Marine Fall/Winter campaign by Craig McDean
- 2006-2008 - Collaborates with photographer Jeff Burton in the Museum House of Carlo Mollino, Turin, for upcoming book and exposition “Awakening the Warrior”
- 2006 - Creates “Minerva” for Swarovski haute couture collections Runway Rocks
- 2005 - Elton John AIDS Foundation, designs bejeweled boots in connection with film “The Kinky
- Boots Factory” directed by Jillian Jerrold
- 2003-2004 - Vienna, Life Ball, Elton John’s AIDS Foundation
- 2002-2003 - Gianfranco Ferré, designs gold and diamond collections for collectors only - Milan
- 2002 - Missoni, designs accessories for summer collection - Milan
- 2001 - Alain Tondowski, collaborates to create “Venus” bejeweled shoes – Paris 2000-2009 - Fornasetti, designs exclusive jewelry line – Milan
- 1999 - Pampaloni, designs The Eternal Candle and a Silver Triple Vase for “Evasioni” - Florence
- 1994-2009-Today - Fornasetti Immaginazione s.r.l. creative consultant - Milan
Selected conferences/public speaking
- 2010- Bettering Your Sexual Skills salons for Coco de Mer and SOHO House - NYC
- 2010 - private salon for sex worker Cindy Gallop and friends, NYC
- 2010- Full Body Stimulation salon for COCO de Mer , LA
- 2009 - The Path to Eden - In Collaboration with Marianne Costa – women-only group salon - Paris
- 2006-2009 - Enhance Your Sexual Skills salon - Soho House – London
- 2006 - Reading of “Silicone Flowers”, a chapter in her upcoming book - Nogood Window Gallery Paris
- 2005 - Presentation of the Boudoir Box - Metropol Hotel, Moscow
- 2005 - Enhance Your Sexual Skills salon - Frederick’s, NY
- 2004 - Enhance Your Sexual Skills salon - Soho House, London
- 2004 - Domus Academy - conducts design seminar, Milan
- 2005 - European Institute of Design – conducts jewelry design seminar, Milan
- 2003 - Enhance Your Sexual Skills salon – Coco de Mer – London
External links
- Official home page Betony Vernon Online Boutique
- The New York Times Magazine - Hawgood, Alex (Spring 2008)
- Telegraph UK - Patalay, Ajesh (2006)
- La-Couture - Beaulieu, Denyse (February 2007)
- Fashion Week Daily - Uhovski, Valentine (March 2009)
- Allemandi - Umberto Allemandi & Co. (2005)
- Ike Udé, Stile File - Harpers and Collins (2008)
- Films L’envole (Take Flight) - Nick knight’s SHOWstudio (2008)
- MTV profile - MTV Italy (2009)
- Fall winter fashion show - Jean-Paul Gaultier (2009)