'The Opening Ceremony', let's call it...
ONE DAY EXCLUSIVE ⇀ The Wolf, by Dionne Ong.
Sold For 24 Hours Only.
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The Design Comp kicks off again on April 1st and Dionne Ong is igniting the flame with a One Day Exclusive release the day before, on MARCH 31st, of her 2022 Design Comp entry, The Wolf;
I am not sure if I can think of a more potent design focal point than, a wolf.
We are constantly commissioned to have a wolf design within the collection ranks - however the pitch, is always a little odd...
It's as simple as, 'Make a wolf design, I will buy it'.
With very little regard for the design aesthetic. Just purely concerned with the feature being a wolf, and that is all.
I'm going to put this down to such a broad swath of depictions, spanning the most aspirational and desirable associations someone could have about a 'thing'.
"I see myself as a...
I want to me more like the..."
When asked, "what is your spirit animal?", 94% of people have at one time said, 'oh yeh I'm wolf, for sure'. When maybe the reality is, you're a continental bulldog at best. You know the ones that need vaseline applied to their dry noses? Yeah, those ones. That's as close as we all get to, the wolf. But good god, it can't hurt to dream.
These characteristics are firstly determined by the one making the analogy, and secondly, things to strive for.
The first point here is important; 'determined by the one making the analogy'... Even though I am punching this out on a 36 degree day, stuck to shitty leather computer chair with the ol' carpal tunnel flaring up - I think I've stumbled across a solid point here...
Being that, although there is an acceptance of the wolf being a strong motif - there isn't universal clarity on what it specifically represents. And, as it characterises so many powerful traits, it becomes (in this instance) the wearer that determines the true meaning of the wolf.
Strip back all the poetic juices and I guess all we are saying is, wolves are fucking sick.
Now, before I roll my ankle on any other analogies, let's hear it from Dionne;
"Maybe this is why we connect so deeply to the howling of the wolf. She is mournful, completely wild, whole, as she bellows out in to the night. Not out of fear, but in a great exhale. Her voice is joined by the cacophony of her community and soon the forest is alive in rapture.
A ring that represents the wild, turning, and often contradictory sensation of being alive. A reminder of our beautiful temporariness. A reminder of our layers. A reminder of our grief. A reminder of our loyalty. The Wolf."
Sold for 24 Hours Only, then Never Again.
Why 'One Day Exclusive'?
It has become a true staple of Howlet.
What started as short period release of one month, or a limited number of pieces, soon intensified.
We knew that if the concept held true - that in order to have legacy or true purpose, these pieces need to be defined by exclusive periods or attached to a broader significance. Therefore the natural progression led us here, The One Day Release.
We always make reference to the fact that we are very aware that our designs are often just purchased as a great addition to style or a little 'pick em' gift. Which is more than more fine. We just want to put your piece in the best possible position to be able to hold that legacy.
Some heirlooms have an unceremonious beginning. Picked up a last minute Gift Cert, bought something on the fly, liked it but didn't love it... Then after the years go by, the ring pick ups some memories and that attachment brews.
The exclusivity of these designs is to build a further intrinsic value into your piece - beyond the surface aesthetic. The idea of your particular ring design being cranked out and sold for years to come, dilutes the significance of that little piece of metal perched on your knuckles.
• • •
What's the good worth of an heirloom if the piece is in constant rotation in the market? Something with legacy needs to have a generational purpose or experience associated to it. And that can't be so, if the ring design is produced year in year out with no specific relevance. The intrinsic value of that design isn't allowed to age.
Think about it this way... Think about the dilution of money, as more is printed. Make sense?
There's still something to be said about the stories that you build into the ring yourself, however we want this to be shared by the select, dedicated few.
We also love the idea of worlds aligning and you bumping into a stray person on a night out that managed to slot into that 24 hour purchase opportunity, somewhere else on the planet and they also share the same heirloom. At least for us, that's something kind of special.
We want to allow the piece to age, or build legacy alongside a purposeful release through shared experience. That shared experience can be between partners, friends or the broader Howlet community. The experience is on you to write. We just want to provide the best possible canvas and context to be able to do so...