In a sector where sparkle has long overshadowed sustainability, Kering’s Generation Award x Jewelry is doing something audacious: it’s asking us to fall in love with imperfection, reclamation, and resonance. Think less flawless diamonds, more satellite scraps, fractured opals, and musical leather — each telling a story not just of beauty, but of meaning.
The four finalists unveiled ahead of their June 7th debut at JCK Las Vegas don’t just represent a new wave of design talent — they represent a philosophical shift in what luxury can mean in a world reckoning with waste. Here’s what they bring, what it signals, and what both they — and the wider industry — need to do next.
1. Ex Oblivione (France)
From Satellite to Solitaire
Who said space junk was only good for sci-fi plots? Ex Oblivione transforms decommissioned aerospace materials into contemporary fine jewelry. This is sustainability as spectacle — romantic, otherworldly, and deeply niche. The brand elegantly merges narrative and narrative materials, creating a powerful emotional hook: “wear the stars.”
Future Play: With the right luxury mentorship (ahem, Boucheron), this brand could evolve into a collector’s darling — limited runs, certified provenance, and perhaps even space tourism couture capsules. The storytelling potential is infinite, but a strong brand identity is crucial to avoid becoming a novelty.
photo @Ianyan Chinese brand
2. Ianyan (China) The Beauty of the Broken
Ianyan reclaims fractured opals and “imperfect” stones long dismissed by traditional jewelers. The result? A poetic challenge to industry bias that says beauty = perfection. Here, inclusivity isn’t just cultural, it’s material. Each gem is a love letter to overlooked value.
Future Play: Ianyan must now refine its visual language and retail strategy. Collaborations with established houses like Pomellato could elevate their craftsmanship while retaining their soulful signature. The brand could also lean into repairability and modularity, tapping into the quiet luxury of lifelong pieces.
3. Lee Min Seo (Korea) Tradition Re-Strung
By transforming discarded jang-gu drum leather into jewelry, Lee Min Seo creates a tactile ode to Korean heritage. “Rhythm Reborn” is less adornment, more wearable preservation — a physical memory of music, performance, and culture.
Future Play: To grow, Lee must balance craft with commercial scalability. A capsule line with DoDo could channel her heritage storytelling into a youth-friendly format. But the true power lies in brand-building — anchoring her pieces as artifacts of time, sound, and place.
photo : @Tony Favorito
4. Tony Favorito (USA) From Marble Floor to Finger
With “Memory Fragment,” Favorito breathes emotional and aesthetic life into construction waste, turning marble shards and tiles into stackable rings. It’s an evocative take on sentimental luxury — not heirlooms of gold, but fragments of the spaces we once called home.
Future Play: Favorito’s design language is quietly profound. To stand out in the sea of minimalist sustainable jewelry, he must embrace bespoke customization — letting clients transform their own architectural remnants into keepsakes. The emotional hook? Unbeatable.
So, What Does This Mean for Luxury?
At a glance, these four finalists seem as varied as their materials. But peel back the layers and a clear thesis emerges: luxury is shifting from permanence to provenance, from polish to personal, from wealth to worth. And younger talent isn’t waiting for the industry to catch up.
Kering deserves credit — not just for platforming this innovation, but for tying it to its own houses. The quiet involvement of Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, and Qeelin is essential. If these Maisons lean in — through mentorship, limited-edition collaborations, or even joint product development — they won’t just support sustainability, they’ll keep themselves relevant to Gen Z luxury consumers who value story, soul, and sustainability more than sparkle alone.
What These Brands Must Do to Succeed:
Design for Desire: Sustainable doesn’t mean aesthetic compromise. These projects must now evolve into covetable objects, not just concepts.
Build Communities: Like-minded followers will be their first evangelists. Social storytelling and transparency will be key.
Find the Right Partnerships: Smart collaborations with Kering brands, concept stores, or even digital platforms like The Yes or Farfetch will drive discovery.
And What the Luxury Industry Must Do: Mentor, Don’t Mold: Let these brands retain their raw creative voice. Over-commercialization is the kiss of death for authentic sustainability.
Invest in Ecosystems: Beyond awards, fund material labs, host residencies, create shared platforms — turn sustainability into a creative playground.
Celebrate Rarity Differently: The new rarity is not found in nature, but in meaning, memory, and material reimagination.
Final Word?
With “Second Chance, First Choice,” Kering isn’t just reframing waste — it’s reframing what we treasure. And these four finalists? They aren’t just promising voices. They’re the prototypes of an industry learning to sparkle differently.
And frankly, it’s about time.
