31 October 2023
Episode 33
01 hour
There is something about the first long, dark nights of winter that make us crave things that sparkle. It’s perhaps for that reason that we’ve gravitated towards the theme of adornment in this episode. We discuss the history of jewellery with two peerless experts, head to the Dance Reflections festival by Parisian house Van Cleef & Arpels and visit a show exploring the pioneering colour of the Victorian era. Plus: we hear from a historian using objects to retell history through a female gaze and muse on the enduring allure of tweed.
31 October 2023
Share episode
DownloadChapter 1
21 minutes
15
15
/
Konfekt’s Sophie Grove convened a roundtable to discuss these adornments that we have draped upon ourselves for centuries. She was joined by jewellery historian and co-author of ‘Understanding Jewellery’, Daniela Mascetti, and by Emefa Cole, an independent jewellery artist and the Victoria & Albert Museum’s first curator of diaspora jewellery.
21 minutes
Share chapter 1
Chapter 2
7 minutes
Photo: Soulage
15
15
/
We visit the latest instalment of the Dance Reflections festival, which is taking place at cultural institutions across New York. The festival is part of a broader programme run by French jewellers Van Cleef & Arpels that supports creative artists and institutions linked to the world of choreography.
7 minutes
Share chapter 2
Chapter 3
8 minutes
Photo: Ramon Casas
15
15
/
The words ‘colour’ and ‘Victorian’ aren’t often used in the same sentence. It’s an era in British history that conjures monochrome scenes of smog, dark alleyways and black clothing. But one exhibition at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum is shattering our dreary preconceptions and making way for a world of glorious technicolour.
8 minutes
Share chapter 3
Chapter 5
8 minutes
Photo: Getty Images
15
15
/
Want more radio episodes like these in your inbox?
Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.
Konfekt Korner - latest episodes
‘Konfekt Korner’ special: mindful manufacturing
Today we’re live in front of an audience at London Craft Week to explore the world of mindful manufacturing. Mud Talks, set at the Vitsoe shop in London’s Marylebone, brought together Mud Australia’s Shelley Simpson, Vit…
Watchmaking, Turkish baths and Nordic spring
This episode is infused with the spirit of a transformative travelogue: we begin in the incredible 500-year-old Cinili Hamam in Istanbul’s Zeyrek district, reflect on the power and beauty of expansive, flat landscapes and…
Natural wine, exploring Italy and decorating eggs
This show marks the arrival of spring with an homage to the season: we’ll find out about the art of traversing the streets of Rome with author Cynthia Zarin and pop some corks with sommelier Honey Spencer at her London…
Cabaret on rails, smoke sauna and the alchemy of scent
This episode of Konfekt Korner explores themes of early spring and its sense of vernal opportunity. We spend four hours in a hotbox being rubbed with ashes and honey to report on Estonian sauna culture, hop on board a…
Celebrity culture, supper clubs and Mongolian cashmere
As we emerge from our winter torpor, it’s time to hit the road. We visit a new exhibition of work by photographer Russell Young in London, before heading to Athens to a mind-expanding supper club. We’ll meet an expert to…
Disco fashions, the power of eyeliner and candlelight
We discuss the history and cultural significance of eyeliner, learn how 1970s and 1980s disco fashions still inspires us today and hit the trails with Icelandic musician JFDR. Plus: how candlelight can improve almost every…
Retail forays with Mytheresa, Mud Australia and DJ Sofia Kourtesis
This month we want to aid and inspire your festive retail forays, whether that’s through the fine porcelains of Sydney-based brand Mud Australia or a new album by Peruvian artist, Sofia Kourtesis. We also check in with…
The power of jewellery, colour revolution and wearing tweed
There is something about the first long, dark nights of winter that make us crave things that sparkle. It’s perhaps for that reason that we’ve gravitated towards the theme of adornment in this episode. We discuss the his…
London Design Festival, idyllic getaways and cycling in nature
In this episode we explore health rituals and the lost practice of bathing in whey. We also drop in at the London Design Festival to hear about artists using offcuts to create beautiful, innovative designs, journey to the…
Graphic prints, reviving an icon and a love letter to figs
As September arrives and the leaves begin to turn gold, we cosy up at Manzi’s, a revived icon in Soho, London. We also pay a visit to the studio of fashion label Elliss, known for its graphic prints, unique silhouettes and…
Cooking with grandmas, Georgian hospitality and icy desserts
This month we muse on the power of our grandmothers’ cooking as we step into the kitchen of Athens-based writer Anastasia Miari. We travel to the Caucuses to find out how local traditions are helping Georgian hospitality…
Water as therapy, coastal inspiration and Fatoumata Diawara
This month we explore why we are instinctively drawn to water, touching upon the themes of healing, restoration and travel. We visit leading Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes’ coast-inspired new exhibition and head to…
The future of mountain life, ancient luxury and the joy of serendipity
In this episode, we look at everything from ancient treasure to craftsmanship in the Alps and a new champagne brand to ponder how the present will shape our future. We begin by exploring the future of Alpine living, asking…
Alpine wellness, fresh talent and attempts at Utopia
As the months grow steadily warmer and brighter, ‘Konfekt’ is exploring the bounty of nature, artistic homes and fresh talent in the UK, as well as musing on alternative lifestyles. We head to the Alpine region of Bregen…
The nuance of hue, rye Basel bread and gong baths
This episode is the kind of fresh, zesty, plucky injection of colour that’s often enough to revive you from the torpor of winter. We talk to colour consultant Anna Von Ketteler, meet colourist Cassandra Ellis and add gong…