Singapore Chinese fashion magazine Nuyou and jewellery brand Risis both turn 40 this year and they are celebrating together with an exclusive jewellery collection.
The five-piece Fabulous 40 collaborative collection consists of a choker, bangle, brooch, earrings and ring and, true to Risis' aesthetic, the designs feature the orchid, the national flower of Singapore.
Nuyou's editor-in-chief Terence Lee says the magazine approached Risis, known for its gold-plated orchid jewellery, for the collaboration as it is an iconic brand and also because the magazine felt it can push the design boundary of orchid-inspired jewellery further to make them more trendy and statement-making.
Nuyou, a monthly magazine published by SPH Magazines, worked with Risis on the designs to create fashionable pieces that would appeal to women of different styles. The earrings and ring are dainty, while the choker and bangle are bolder.
There is something for the men too - the brooch doubles as a lapel pin on a suit jacket.
Mr Lee says: "We want people to look at orchid-inspired jewellery differently with this collection, that it can be more than just souvenirs or National Day jewellery."
Take, for example, the brooch and bangle with the half-bloom orchid, which was chosen to "give a fresh perspective to the national flower that we know so well", Mr Lee adds. "It is more unpredictable and stylish."
The choker and bangle are plated in 18K gold and rhodium, while the rest of the pieces are plated in rhodium.
A dark red agate - used in the design of the choker, brooch and bangle - was chosen to represent the ruby stone, which is commonly associated with 40-year anniversaries. Prices range from $60 for the ring to $435 for the choker.
As part of its 40th-anniversary celebrations, Risis will also hold a retrospective exhibition titled Rediscovering Risis: 40 Years Of Crafting Asian Stories.
It will be held at the Garden Court in Raffles City Shopping Centre and launched in conjunction with the Fabulous 40 collaborative collection next Thursday.
The collection goes on sale from Aug 9 at the exhibition, which ends on Aug 17. After that, it will be available at Risis boutiques in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Suntec City and Changi Airport Terminal 3.
This is Nuyou's second collaboration with Risis. The first was in 2011 when both brands jointly celebrated their 35th birthdays with Bloom In Chic, which included a fund-raising event for medical charitable organisation Kidz Horizon Appeal, designs for a ring and pendant as well as clothes by Singaporean designers Alfie Leong and Keith Png to complement the jewellery.
The September issue of Nuyou, which will be out at the end of next month, has multiple covers of celebrities from Singapore and around the region. Each copy comes with a pouch (available in two designs) from Amsterdam fashion brand Scotch & Soda.
