💎NOLAN MILLER : The Man, The Legend, The Emmy-Award-Winning Fashion, & The Jewelry 💎
For those familiar with the most legendary names in iconic designer fashion jewelry, NOLAN MILLER would certainly be near the top of the list. However, Nolan was much more than a jewelry designer over the course of his interesting, star-studded, and colorful life.
One might say that Nolan's biography exemplifies the classic rags-to-riches story that is often the source of inspiration for countless vision-driven dreamers around the world.
Growing up as one of five children born to a cotton picker and a carpenter, Nolan's childhood was the opposite of the luxurious life he would one day have access to. His weekly escape from a life of struggle and impoverishment was going to the movies on Saturday. While there, Nolan entered the silver screen fantasy world of such legendary Hollywood film stars as Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck.
Later, Nolan would recreate Crawford's iconic style for the actress Joan Collins' unforgettable character of Alexis Carrington on the popular TV series, "Dynasty."
After going to art college, Nolan had dreams of becoming a studio designer. However, the studios were closing by the time Nolan graduated. So, Nolan took a job in a florist shop. And, as luck would have it, he had the good fortune to not only meet his childhood "idol," Joan Crawford, but also, he crossed paths with a studio player by the name of Carolyn Jones, whose husband was television scriptwriter Aaron Spelling.
For Nolan, the meeting with Carolyn Jones was a turning point in the trajectory of his career. After having a chance to impress Carolyn and her husband, Aaron Spelling, with clothes she asked him to design for a PR campaign, Aaron Spelling hired Nolan to design costumes for the Zane Grey Theater series, once Spelling had turned to television production.
By 1957, Nolan opened his own atelier for private clients and for television work. The latter would become a key component of Nolan's legacy as a fashion designer and the famous looks he created for a multitude of television shows remain one of the things he is best remembered for.
Along the way, Nolan had the opportunity to dress many of the silver screen "goddesses" he had watched on screen and had fallen in love with in his childhood and youth, including Joan Crawford, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner, and Elizabeth Taylor. In addition to dressing these stars in costumes for the roles they played in television work, Nolan also had the opportunity to dress them for important red carpet events such as the Academy Awards.
Nolan's outstanding work as a costume designer brought him six Emmy Award nominations, as well as an Emmy win in 1984 for his work on Dynasty. Nolan's creations for Dynasty became so popular that the series spawned its own line of apparel called "The Dynasty Collection."
During this time, Nolan also had a career as a private courtier with a clientele base that included such illustrious names as Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, and Sophia Loren.
Nolan Miller's ability to bring old Hollywood glamour to his designs is one of the things that makes his jewelry so unique, beautiful, and timeless. For over two decades, he designed jewelry for QVC, a shopping channel that has offered jewelry by such well-known designers of fashion jewelry as Kenneth Jay Lane and Joan Rivers.
Many of the pieces of jewelry that Nolan Miller designed are replicas of pieces that were owned and worn by famous Hollywood stars including Ann-Margret, Claudette Colbert, Lana Turner, Sophia Loren, and Barbara Stanwyck. The "originals" often had price tags of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars from posh jewelry stores such as Tiffany's & Co., Cartier, and Van Cleef and Arpels.
Sadly, after a lengthy battle with lung cancer, Nolan Miller passed away in 2011. However, his legend lives on through his one-of-a-kind jewelry and the clothes, costumes, and glamorous memories he left behind.
🦜 BIRDS : History, Symbolism, Cultural and Spiritual Significance 🦜
The illustrious poet and writer Khalil Gibran once wrote, "The bird has an honor that man does not have. Man lives in the traps of his abdicated laws and traditions; but the birds live according to the natural law of God who causes the earth to turn around the sun."
These insightful words of Gibran's epitomize the free spirit that we have come to associate with birds and serve to remind us of the lessons we can learn from birds and their ability to live free from man-made constraints, fully embracing their unique potential and divine purpose.
The history of birds is as intriguing as are the myriad of varieties of birds that exist throughout the world. Although the origin of birds has been a matter of speculation for some time, in recent years, many scientific researchers have propagated the theory that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. A study conducted several years ago and sponsored by the University of Edinburgh concluded that the emergence of birds began some 150 million years ago and that the features we have now come to associate with birds - such as feathers and wings- gradually evolved from dinosaurs called theropods over the course of millions of years.
Whether one chooses to entertain the somewhat radical, evolutionary-based idea that birds are descendants of dinosaurs or not, there is no denying that the aesthetic splendor, free-spirited presence and inspirational symbolism of birds has had a significant impact on the world as well as a multitude of creative art forms - including music, art, literature, as well as jewelry.
Birds are distinguished from other living vertebrates by three singular characteristics: feathers, hollow bones, and hard-shelled eggs. There are approximately 10,000 species of birds that are known to exist, and birds of all kinds can be found on every continent. The study of birds is called ornithology.
John James Audobon, who was not only a naturalist and ornithologist but also widely considered the finest wildlife artist, made outstanding contributions to the understanding of bird anatomy and behavior through his extensive studies as well as his magnus opus, "The Birds of America." This book, which contains masterfully rendered illustrations of a wide variety of birds of the United States, is considered among the finest ornithological works ever completed. Among Audubon's remarkable achievements was his identification of 25 new species of birds. Audubon is not only the eponym of the National Audubon Society but there are also a notable number of towns, neighborhoods and streets around the United States that are named in his honor. The celebrated English naturalist, geologist and biologist Charles Darwin quoted Audubon three times in his own magnum opus, "On the Origin of Species."
In literature, birds have enjoyed universal appeal and have contributed to the plots and story lines of some of the most well-known words of fiction, including the incomparable English poet John Keats' mesmerizing eight-stanza poem, "Ode to a Nightingale," Amercian poet, writer and literary critic Edgar Allan Poe's unforgettable work, "The Raven," and American author Harper Lee's beloved and iconic novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird," which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1960.
In the realm of jewelry making, birds of many types have inspired designers of both fine and fashion jewels. Some of the most captivating, bird inspired creations are those that the legendary jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger made for Tiffany's & Co. The most famous of these, "The Bird on the Rock Brooch," features a magnificently crafted, dainty bejeweled bird sitting atop a huge, brilliantly faceted gemstone. This whimsical and iconic brooch, which was initially designed as the mounting for the famed yellow 128.54 ct Tiffany Diamond has been reimagined with a variety of different stones, including kunzite, aquamarine and green tourmaline.
Another legendary, bird inspired piece is the breathtaking "Phoenix in Flight," designed by the illustrious Van Cleef and Arpels. This creation, which originated as a special commission for the Polish-born Opera singer, concert singer and socialite Ganna Walska, came to be known as "The Walska Brioletette Diamond Brooch." The piece, which features emeralds, sapphires, as well as a resplendent yellow diamond briolette dangle, sold at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels in November 2013 at a world record breaking price of $10.5 million.
🕊 ITEM DESCRIPTION 🕊
The legendary poet William Blake once wrote the words, "No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings." These poetic sentiments convey the free-spirited nature of the bird as well as its ability to reach boundless heights with its wings - two characteristics exemplified by the incomparable designer Nolan Miller in this "Soaring Bird" brooch.
A glorious combination of yellow and white gold plated metal and shimmering simulated white diamonds bring the "Soaring Bird" alive.
Always a master of the art of brooch craftsmanship, Nolan Miller has imbued this exquisite piece with his remarkable artistry and attention to detail. Its ingenious design exemplifies the visionary perspective that defines Nolan Miller's greatest works.
The body of the bird- neck, head, torso- is set in opulent WHITE Gold-plated metal and it is encrusted with hand set, simulated white diamonds. The bird's wings and tail have been meticulously crafted with curves and furls of luxurious YELLOW Gold-plated metal and they are also adorned with simulated white diamonds. The beak of the bird is beautifully rendered in highly polished yellow gold plated metal.
This magnificent piece is among Nolan Miller's most exceptional and beautiful brooches, in my opinion. It evokes images of classic old Hollywood glamour and seems like a piece that would belong in the jewelry wardrobe of such famous style and fashion icons as Joan Crawford, Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Vivien Leigh, and Dame Elizabeth Taylor.
Whether worn to cocktail parties and evening events on the shoulder of a flowing gown or fancy dress or pinned to the corner of a daytime ensemble such as a business suit, this is a piece of timeless elegance, beauty, and sophistication. It would be perfect as a gift to oneself or as a gift for someone special who adores designer jewelry and classic glamor.
The measurements on this piece are as follows:
Approximately 3 inches in length and approximately 1 2/8 inches in width at widest point.
This brooch is SIGNED and in Like New/MINT
Vintage conditon. It appears to have never been worn and comes in its original "signature" Nolan Miller box with papers as seen in the photos. It is from the ESTATE of a well-respected onetime fashion model, film and television star and socialite.
☆Please Note☆
The majority of the items we offer here at the Visionary Fashionista are unique and rare and many are extremely difficult to find. We are delighted to have procured much of our selection from the estate of film and television stars, fashion models, socialites, and other celebrities. Specific names and further details are omitted out of respect for the celebrities' families and legacies.
Keep in mind that we generally only have ONE of each item! We mention this not only to emphasize the rarity of our items but also because we do not want anyone too disappointed when we are unable to offer a duplicate of an item once it is sold.
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Here's to finding, developing and embracing your Inner Fashionista!
Sascha (the Visionary Fashionista) 🌹
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