GUSTAVO TRIFARI and his partners
Gustavo Trifari was an Italian immigrant in the United States and the founder of the Trifari jewelry company. He was born in Naples, Italy, in 1883 and emigrated to New York in 1904.
Trifari was a trained jeweler and brought his knowledge and skills to start his own jewelry company in the United States. His partners in founding the company in 1910 were Leo Krussman, who was a sales manager at another jewelry company, and accountant Carl Fishel. KTF was the first brand and stands for Krussman, Trifari and Fishel.
The early years of KTF were difficult because the company initially only manufactured decorative hair combs and hat ornaments and was in competition with other very successful companies.
In the 1920s there was a strong change in fashion and KTF embraced the modern times and focused on high-quality fashion jewellery. The collapse of the stock market and difficult economic times favored the sale of costume jewellery.
The highlights of ALFRED PHILIPPE
The final breakthrough of Trifari is credited to the designer Alfred Philippe. He came from a French family of jewelers. After graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Philippe worked for well-known jewelery companies such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels before joining Trifari in 1930. As chief designer at Trifari from 1930 to 1968, Alfred Philippe helped transform the company into one of the leading jewelry manufacturers in the United States. He designed countless pieces of jewelry that are known for their quality and innovative design. We owe many of the company's iconic pieces to the creativity of Alfred Philippe, including the Crown Series, the Fruit Salad Series and the Jelly Belly Series. His influence on the jewelry industry can still be felt today and his designs are highly sought after by collectors and vintage jewelry lovers.
Advertising about Hollywood films
Hollywood influence also boosted the fashion jewelry industry. Hollywood movies were good publicity. During this period, Trifari became known for its Art Deco-inspired creations, which were often worn by well-known Hollywood figures such as Gloria Swanson, Barbara Stanwyck and Marlene Dietrich.
In the 1950's, Trifari was known for its use of artificial and imitation pearls. These were often found in necklaces, bracelets and earrings and were often combined with rhinestones and enamel to create a glamorous and elegant look. Popular designs included earrings in the shape of flowers or leaves, wide bangles and bracelets with rhinestones, brooches in the shape of animal figures, flowers and geometric shapes.
In the 60's Trifari experienced the greatest growth and many changes. While in the 1950s fashion jewelry was established as a low-cost alternative to very expensive jewelry, in the 1960s jewelry became an important accessory that was not only used as a substitute for real jewelry, but as a fashion statement in its own right and as part of an overall looks was worn.
The three most important designers after Strasszeit
Designer Diane Love joined Trifari in 1961 and designed many of the company's floral and geometric pieces throughout the 1960s.
André Boeuf designed many of the company's modernist pieces. He joined Trifari in 1966 and designed some of the iconic key pieces of the late 1960's including the Moonglow series and the Astrology series.
Kunio Matsumoto and the futuristic look
The best Trifari designer jewelery of the 1970s and 1980s was created by the Japanese designer Kunio Matsumoto, who brought an innovative and futuristic style. The collaboration between Trifari and Matsumoto was ahead of its time and is now very popular among collectors. Colorful plastics were often integrated into the designs. Acrylic or resin jewelry was popular and was often embellished with metal, high gloss enamel or rhinestones to achieve the trendy look that was typical of the 80's and Trifari.
In the 1980s, the importance of costume jewelry increased. They now sold designer jewelry at Trifari. Two of the best real jewelery designers drafted the collections: Aldo Cipullo and Marsha Breslow. Marsha Breslow, who previously made fine jewelry a success for Calvin Klein, designed an Art Deco-inspired collection for Trifari. Italian designer Aldo Cipullo rose to fame by designing the "Love" bracelet for Cartier in 1969. This bracelet remains a Cartier bestseller to this day. Cipullo designed the "Forget me Knot" collection for Trifari. Both designers loved the great freedom and endless possibilities that come with designing costume jewellery.
In 1988 the "Crystal Brands Inc." Group acquired the Trifari brand. The group also owned the trademark rights to Monet, Trifari's biggest competitor at the time. Interestingly, Trifari's look has been rejuvenated to contrast with Monet. The jewelry was colourful, often enameled and very bold in size and look. However, later Trifari owners returned to the classic customer who preferred a timeless and high-quality piece of jewellery.