During his discussion with Julie Simpson, Adam Hayes will be presenting Millicent Rogers as an independent jewelry designer and sculptor in her own right. In doing so, he will be indicating Rogers’ sources of inspiration, her preferred materials and methods of creation, and contextualize her work in relation to that of her contemporaries. In addition to discussing her independent work as a jeweler, Simpson and Hayes will also touch upon Rogers’ role in the design and development process of some of the most defining jewelers of the period such as the House of Boivin, Jean Schlumberger, and others. Throughout their discussion, Simpson and Hayes will cumulatively trace Millicent Rogers’ development from collaborative client to independent jeweler.
Adam Hayes is a Dress & Material Culture Historian who holds an MA in Visual Culture from New York University and a BFA in Fine Arts & Museum Studies from the University of Cincinnati. Throughout the past decade, Hayes has achieved various professional positions working with fashion, jewelry, & archival documents in competitive, highly-active environments including The Costume Institute at The MET. Hayes’ work in art galleries and with contemporary fashion brands has allowed him to broaden and implement his analytic, creative, and writing skills into a commercial environment. He has contributed to sourcing visual & material culture references which inform concept/design development and writing commercial copy. Hayes has a vast knowledge of and experience working with fashion, jewelry, and related material culture from the twentieth century, with a particular specialty from 1925-1975. His independent scholarship predominantly centers around the cultivation of identity through material.
Julie Simpson has loved jewelry since birth. With the help of Mahnaz Ispahani and other mentors she has built a collection of jewelry from the 60’s and 70’s by artists and artistic jewelers such as, Arnaldo Pomodoro and Andrew Grima, respectively. Though she has never worked full-time in the industry, she is a certified goldsmith and has designed or commissioned dozens of jewels. It is this love of designing from which she relates to Millicent Rogers’ story and wanted to hear more about her from historian, Adam Hayes. During her career as a brand consultant she has conducted 100’s of interviews/focus groups on tech, wine, wellness and fashion. She is eager to finally conduct an interview on jewelry and to do so in an environment that feels like a home, Mahnaz Collection.
Each November, NYC Jewelry Week proudly presents ‘The Week,’ a 7-day celebration dedicated to the art of jewelry. This annual event invites a global audience to explore the world of jewelry through a dynamic mix of in-person and virtual experiences, spanning New York City and beyond.
