Review: The David Yurman Anvil Collection for Men

Image Credit: David Yurman

I don't want to write this review. I didn't think I would have to, truth be told. I thought Anvil would enjoy fairly quiet release as did the Amulets Collection earlier this year, would flounder in sales, and be routed to the outlets, and that would be that. Instead, earlier this week, David Yurman launched considerable advertising devoted to the collection. Ay. So here we are.

Anvil is for 2017 what Griffin was for 2013. (You remember Griffin, right? I bemoaned it extensively right here on this blog, and then it went away, and life was good.) It is hyper-masculine. It is cool and "edgy." It lacks refinement.

Review: The David Yurman Bubblegum Pinky Ring

Released to the public on September 2 but teased for weeks previous, the David Yurman Bubblegum Pinky Ring has been called many things. "Limited edition." "Scratch and sniff." "Entry level." "Brilliant." "Bizarre." Allow me now to add another voice--albeit this one very loud--to the cacophony of media buzz. Here is my full review, objective, unbiased, and (in a spirit of full disclosure) written after five days of wear.

Background

The David Yurman Bubblegum Pinky Ring is available in five varieties, each of a different color and fragrance. Yes, that's right. Fragrance. The rings feature inlays of scented resin set in 18K gold. The five flavors are cotton candy (blue set in yellow gold), grape (violet in yellow gold), bubblegum (pink in rose gold), licorice (black in yellow gold), and peppermint (white in rose gold, shown throughout this post). The rings are produced in sizes 3 to 5, are part of a "limited edition" collection (whatever that means), and retail for $875 apiece. They are being sold as Evan Yurman designs. (Remember, dear reader, that David Yurman's son, Evan, was named the company's Chief Design Director in 2013.)

The Aesthetic

No buried lead here: The rings are simple and stunning. A critique commonly lodged against David Yurman is that the company's designs are overwrought, over-designed, if you will. There is too much going on. Not so with the Bubblegum Pinky. It is sleek and straightforward, which is, in this case, a very much winning combination. Do not confuse sleek, simple, and straightforward with "safe," however. There is a definite boldness here--I mean, check out that chevron shank. It is just presented subtly.

The Wearability

The DY Bubblegum Pinky wears rather weightlessly, which is good news because, really, who wants the humble pinky finger pressed under the yoke of some unwieldy behemoth? No, the ring is incredibly light and, per usual with DY, boasts a "comfort-fit" interior, ensuring a snug but low-catch embrace of the digit. The care instructions that come with the ring warn against exposing it to acetone, hair spray, perfume, soap, hand washing, swimming pools, direct sunlight, and intense heat.

David Yurman, the Man, Sits Down with Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus

Published this week to the official blog of Neiman Marcus was a conversation (think interview but more casual) between NM fashion director Ken Downing and the one and only Mr. David Yurman. Here are some highlights and images from:

Image Credit: Neiman Marcus 

On bringing Cable to the public at a 1982 trade show:
"The first moment was frightening."



On bracelets and bracelet stacking:
"I don't trust people who don't have good appetites or who wear only one bracelet. I don't care if it's my bracelet. It's bracelets--there's an 's' at the end."



On being preoccupied at school:
"I was ADD and dyslexic, but wasn't diagnosed with ADD until '75. I would daydream and find my language in drawing and lines."

Evan Yurman Made Chief Design Director at David Yurman

David Yurman (left) with son Evan (right) at the David Yurman 

Meteorite Launch Event on October 3, 2013 in New York City. 

(Image Credit: BFA NYC)

WWD reported this morning that Evan Yurman, the thirty-one-year-old son of parents David (72) and Sybil, will now oversee all design at the high-end jewelry company, signaling a promotion for Evan from "heir apparent" to "heir actual." This post will be updated should details, which are scant at this time, emerge.

Alex in Chains: Evan Yurman on Adornment

Evan Yurman. Image courtesy of Jeffrey Prehn.

Late last year, GQ writer Ren McKnight interviewed Evan Yurman, son of David Yurman, and asked him about his "ten essentials"--that is, the products, places, experiences, and general miscellany he cannot live without. Yurman, who now oversees development of the David Yurman men's line, had this to say about men, jewelry, and the anthropology of adornment:

A lot of men want more from their jewelry. They might not be okay with a standard band ring—they want to relate to it in some way. The history of adornment started with man—man killed animal, took a tooth, strung it on his neck. That was the first piece. And then you fast-forward to the Middle Ages when the men adorned themselves with incredible amounts of jewelry—rings on each finger, 100 inches of gold chain around their necks. King Henry was definitely the first Mr. T. I just encourage adornment, you know? Even just a little thread, whether it's mine or somebody else's, I encourage it.

Oh, and in case you are wondering about EY's ten essentials, they include a digital camera, a souped-up motorcycle, spring water, traveling, and a classic car. (Yeah, I know; the list is unremarkable, but hey, I love the quotation.)