Jewelry designer Arielle de Pinto built her reputation on a very sexy, slinky technique of intricately threading metals as though they were soft pieces of cotton, making necklaces from oxidized metals that somehow look as precious and delicate as the knit webs of an old Rodarte dress. Lately, she's been experimenting with different ideas, and we stopped by her showroom to check out the spring collection. She's taken a notably tougher tack with her new work—the knotted metals were still around, but functioning as utilitarian hardware, like chains or clasps, and not the main event. Our favorite pieces were rings with sculptures of miniature people and a necklace that doubled as a mid-sized jewelry box, both part of de Pinto's brand new men's collection, available at Barneys.
