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Ex Ovo has moved its office and studio into
a brownstone the designer renovated in cutting-edge Harlem.
Katrin, the designer of Ex Ovo, was born in Germany, and educated in Switzerland,
England and China. While studying Chinese and Archaeology, she lived in
China and traveled extensively in the Far East. Katrin came to New York
for a vacation in 1991 and was immediately captured by the spirit of the
city. The decision to study Jewelry Design at FIT in New York meant a
complete change in the direction of her career. In 1992, she founded Ex
Ovo, and in 1998 she was accepted to the prestigious Council of Fashion
Designers of America (CFDA).
Katrin speaks four languages and has lived on three continents in several
countries. The exposure to so many different cultures is evident in her
approach to design and is distilled into the striking simplicity of her
pieces. She draws inspiration from a base that is multicultural, but her
constant search for innovation makes each piece truly modern.
Katrin’s strongest influence is the Art and Cultural Heritage of
the Far East. The focus of her design aesthetic is reduction; the emphasis
on the essence of a stone, an organic shape or the inherent qualities
of a material, whether synthetic or natural. The idea is to bring out
singularity through simplicity.
The beauty of an object lies in its uniqueness.
My pieces have an inner tension of asymmetry–something I love to
emphasize in my designs. I also juxtapose materials: soft intimate leather
with the clear brilliance of silver; the classicism of semi-precious stones
modified with casual rubber.
I am trying to redefine the reasons for wearing jewelry, to give it new
meaning. Jewelry can say more about one’s personality than most
people acknowledge. It should never be an afterthought.
Ex Ovo is worn by Zaha Hadid, Arthur Cohen,
Keith Richards and his dogs, Eartha Kitt, Liv Tyler, Noel Gallagher, Gen.
Norman Schwarzkopf, Kate Moss, Lucie de la Falaise, Halle Berry, Nile
Rodgers, Courtney Love, Rita Moreno, Britney Spears, and many others.
© Ex Ovo, Katrin Zimmermann 2005
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