Italian treasures with a modern edge
Just when you think you have enough accessories to satisfy your fashion needs (or wants!), along comes a brand that you simply cannot resist. That was how I felt when I saw Melograno — I simply had to have it.
Melograno is the luxe accessory line created by Italian designer Fabio Ceccarelli, a native of Massa Carrara, Florence, and now an adopted son of Manila. He was always attracted to Asia and has fallen in love with our country, the warm weather and hospitable, friendly people.
At a lunch given by a good Filipina friend, Fabio met gardening, interior and furniture design enthusiast Ruby Roa and they immediately clicked. Ruby, who has a keen eye for talent, was impressed with Fabio’s unique and very Italian interpretations of necklaces, bracelets, cuffs and rings, so together they opened Melograno, an accessories workshop and store inside the Makati Garden Club at the corner of Ayala Avenue and EDSA in November.
Fabio Ceccarelli is an avid proponent of design in more ways than one. An architecture graduate from a Florentine university, his design career spans a gamut of professions — urban planner, professor of architecture, industrial and furniture designer, painter and now accessories designer. He has designed one-of-a-kind jewelry with precious gems for the venerable Fratelli Piccini jeweler in Ponte Vecchio, Florence and continues do to so on a per-project basis.
The Melograno workshop is an expression of Fabio’s design aesthetic, from the unexpected, sculpted metal door with a hammer handle at the entrance to the colorful abstract painting on the wall and, of course, the fabulous accessories on display. Ruby lent her expertise by designing the tables of metal and wood that proudly holds the collection. Stepping into the workshop you are visually titillated by the odd but matching mash-up of quirky, industrial, refined, intense and subdued design elements that makes for one “must-visit” fashion destination in the metropolis.
Fabio describes Melograno accessories as trendy with class, with less meaning more, paying careful attention to detail. He does not follow seasons but takes note of trends during Milan Fashion Week and Pitti Moda in Firenze.
“Tutto Italiano (all Italian),” he tells me, is the true mark of Melograno; the accessories that can easily be mistaken for fine jewelry are a combination of pieces crafted at an Italian factory that has been in business for 100 years, the same one that Prada and Gucci use and handmade ones he personally creates, using the latest in technology and equipment.
A big believer in feng shui, he applies the philosophy to his work, even naming his brand Melograno, the fruit that symbolizes good fortune in Italy.
Fabio draws inspiration for his accessories from the rich cauldron of history and culture of Italy; he uses ancient Italian images like the face of Medusa or religious symbols like the cross and transforms them into fresh and modern pieces that are timeless and universally appealing.
Fabio loves to work with all kinds of metals, stones and crystals, even lava from volcanoes around the world. He is a master at bringing out the best quality in each of the materials he works with — his interpretation of the often boring and predictable aluminum chains in the “diamond-cut” technique resemble strands of glittering crystals. His oxidized gold chains are a more fashion-forward alternative to gold-plated chains — they shine like gold but are light and tarnish-resistant. The bianco agata or white agate accents could easily be mistaken for ivory for their luxurious polish. The smoked quartz and bleached lava are pieces of pastel perfection. The galvanized chunky metal chains in dual colors are edgy and sexy and the assorted charms, crosses and skull pendants are bold yet playful statement pieces. The wraparound bracelets in leather with silver metal clasps are modern and simply elegant as they are casually chic, and the limited-edition Argentine cowhide bag with funky handmade brushed metal chain handles are just too adorable for words — the perfect arm candy for any fashionista.
Fabio is not keen on designing earrings because he thinks women can look very stylish without them, but regards necklaces, bracelets and rings as fashion essentials; the bags made from exotic animal skin is a limited collection that Fabio hopes to expand into a full Melograno line in the future.
Melograno’s price points are a definite come-on; with such high quality Italian-made products priced from P1,800 to P10,000, you don’t need to think twice to make a purchase (or two, or more!). After all, in the grand scheme of fashion items, Melograno is definitely one for keeps.
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Melograno is located at the Makati Garden Club, Ayala Avenue corner EDSA, and is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and until noon on Saturdays. For more information, call 817-2738 or 818-2670 or visit Fabio’s Facebook page FabioCeccarelliArtista. You may also call Nieva at 0923-532-2114 or Grace at 0939-568-0860. In support of the Makati Garden Club, Melograno donates part of their sales from every accessory and bag they sell to the club’s ecological and tree-planting projects.
