Mordekai Jewelry Line Now in Stores: Are the Pieces Timeless or Gaudy?

When New York Times reporter, Jessica C. Andrews, questioned Ken Borochov, the visionary behind the Mordekai brand, about his expanding jewelry line's popularity among the younger demographic, he wasn't too keen about the line's faddish perception.

I want the pieces to be timeless. He claimed, I don't look at trends; I go for what I feel myself. When further questioned about his use of neon, one of this season's latest trends, I noticed myself thinking about trends, he said. But it's not like I have a trend book.

The Mordekai Jewelry line consists of quixotic pieces that some may say straddles the line of extreme. Borochov devised luxury pieces that one would rarely see on anyone walking down the street. A dual-toned Pimp Necklaces, Queen Duster Ring, worn by rap star Nicki Minaj during a recent performance, a toe necklace, or over-sized Crown, can be difficult to pull off.

Costume designer Patricia Field, a pioneer, who has changed the game of fashion with her quirky, innovative style, has agreed to feature Mordekai's Jewelry line at her New York City boutique. Like Mordekai, Field's jewelry is more on the whimsical side. While browsing the pages of her website, the only understated piece of jewelry I found was that infamous Carrie necklace, worn by Sarah Jessica Parker's iconic character, Carrie Bradshaw, in Sex and the City.

I've got one rule of thumb to ascertain timeless from gaudy. If your 80-year-old grandmother, who enjoys shopping at Talbot's, and whose neck is perpetually adorned with a classic pearl necklace, wouldn't be caught dead in one of those pieces, than its likely not timeless.

Mordekai is a fairly new Jewelry line, which got its start in 2009. Gaudy or not, Borechev should be highly commended for his abounding success. The New York's Fashion Institute of Technology's initial driving force behind the line was his desire for dramatic, heavily adorned pieces to elevate the photo shoots he styled. From the looks of his fantastical cuffs, bright neon rings, and headdresses, which has attracted the attention of the always eccentrically-styled pop star, Lady Gaga, his unique vision has certainly been realized.

Borechev's father, whom the line was named after, was a contractor in Israel, and his brother, an architect. He strongly believes that their artistry greatly influenced the pieces he designed for his line.

I like the idea of industrial design and building, and that's why my pieces are very bold, architectural and in-your-face.