Unexplored frontiers of bijou. That is: how to invent something new, but which costs little, very little. This is the story of Pin-Up, an Italian bijoux brand founded by Claudia De Rosa, which has a story to tell.
«I was born in Albissola, a seaside village in the province of Savona (Liguria, Italy). After studying Pharmacy, at the age of 24 I left for Ireland to gain work experience and to learn English: I stayed 12 and became the mother of my first two children: Julia, who is now 19. years old, and Joshua, 15 years old. From Ireland I landed in the States and then finally returned to Italy. For four years I have lived in Tuscany, in Terranuova Bracciolini, in the province of Arezzo, but closer to Florence, where I became Giorgia’s mother for the third time eight months ago and I discovered a great passion for racing bicycles, a passion that I share. with my partner. It is during our long bike rides that I have the most creative ideas. After more than 23 years as a medical trainer and marketing and commercial manager, organizing scientific events in Italy and abroad, a little over a year ago I decided to change my life and dedicate myself to designing and creating jewelry ».
The birth of Pin-Up is also associated with the pandemic period, Claudia always says: “During the pregnancy of my third daughter and short-time smart working, a global pandemic situation that has drastically slowed down all activities related to the sector tourism and events, I began to reflect on my professional career, my family life, interests and passions. I felt the need to go back to feeling alive and express my creativity in a free but, forty year old, also aware way. So, almost for fun and boredom, due to the social restrictions imposed by the covid, I started to create brooches, earrings and necklaces, rings, bracelets, using aluminum chains and wires. So last summer 2021 the brand, Pin-Up Gioielli was officially born for the inspiration of the rockabilly-pin up style. A passion for accessories that I have had since I can remember: I worked in very masculine and rigorous fields, often the outfits had to be monochromatic and dark, with few frills and very linear. Over time I have developed my own style which is a consequence of my whimsical, colorful personality and a sober rocker. Before creating my bijoux and accessories myself, I was always looking for jewels that created that extravagant focus and that made the same sober sheath dress appear different every time ».
The choice of the name, Pin-Up and the reference to the rockabilly style suggests the 1950s. Right now that the trend is dominated by rap and hi-pop. «I have never followed fashions and trends, I have always had my own style, classic, but with an extravagant touch and a reference to dandy elegance. I was born in the seventies, watching musicals like Grease, TV series like Happy Days. My dad is a big fan of Elvis and from an early age he gave me a great curiosity and passion for the United States. Rockabilly is a musical genre that developed in the early 1950s. It is a fusion of bluegrass, country, boogie woogie and jazz with a gospel influence, an irresistible combination of rhythm and blues and country. This style reflects me a lot: I have a sweet rock soul, I don’t particularly like symbols like crosses and skulls, I’m a romantic rocker. To crosses I prefer hearts, to skulls the sun and décolleté shoes with very high heels: these are the pendants that I most often use in my creations. I consider the chains a positive symbol of strength, determination and solid union rather than constriction, suffocating bond or worse still deprivation of freedom. For this reason I have chosen to represent the rockabilly style in bijoux ».
As well as the idea of the pin-ups: “That’s right. The pin ups come directly from the 1950s and in 2022 we are still talking about them. They were sensual and feminine women but at the same time provocative and intriguing. The pin-up style is synonymous with good taste, liveliness and color, with ironic sensuality but also with familiarity (and this explains why a brand like Coca-Cola has used this type of images since the beginning to enter people’s homes) . The pin ups were a symbol of courage and lightness for the soldiers of the Second World War. The pin-up is timeless, always current, always lively, intriguing but sober and elegant: this is my reference of female beauty ».
