Gala Curios

Exploring the beauty of decay, DECADENCE conjures a vision of a ruinous world usurped by nature.

Pitting polished, uniform geometry against the chaos of organic forms, designer Jasmine O’Loughlin has drawn inspiration from the modern ruins of Pripyat (site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster) and Detroit (the now dilapidated former manufacturing powerhouse). These abandoned cities possess the dark, complex beauty succeeding a fall from grace...and remind us of the pitfalls of human excess.

A rich palette of acidic mustard, rusted orange, ebony, bone
and lapis blue, brings an earthy vibrancy to the range, in stark contrast to industrial tones of concrete, blackened silvers, and lustrous golds. GALA’s signature technique – surreally coating found objects in fine layers of metal – this time finds an outlet in the direct electroplating of real concrete. Mirroring this effect is a selection of gold-glazed ceramic beads, sourced in Kenya from certified Fair Trade manufacturers; while natural lava rock and silk temper the collection with an organic materiality.

The result is a diverse collection of curios, full of opposing forms and textures, reflecting the enchanting sense of time, memory and monumentality inherent in the cities ‘lost’ to nature.