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May 15, 2008

jewelry bracelets accessories

Object Lesson

Friends 4 Ever

A designer's luxurious spin on a schoolyard keepsake. By Jason Wilson

The ties that bind—those old-school friendship bracelets we exchanged back in the day bound us not only to our inner circle, but to the bracelet itself (they came off when they fell off). You probably don't run around with the same gang anymore, but the memory of swapping those charming little tokens still remains. Thankfully, designer Scosha Woolridge offers a more appropriately grownup version of this woven keepsake with her newly released Caravan collection. "I'm interested in how life itself is recycled and how we can choose to avoid being emotionally and physically trapped," she says of resurrecting the idea in her new craft-chic bracelet.

While the old versions might have been machine-made with cheap nylon twine and funky plastic beads, Woolridge's take is hand-woven with linen and vintage 1940s flax fly-fish line, and the actual weaving, she says, "is emblematic of everlasting ties." A mix of glimmering precious stones—pink rubies, "moon light" diamonds—and 14- and 22-karat hardware elevate this bygone accessory to a place far beyond the playground, while a clever button-clasp offers the new and improved option of taking it off…or passing it on.

Scosha Caravan bracelet, from $260, available at www.scoshanyc.com.

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