Manon – Artist / Designer

Leafs and feathers, cowries and coral – the elegant, earthy and essential designs by Manon von Gerkan take their inspiration from life itself and naturally turn them into art.

The German born designer and model simply lets life happen and then makes things work. Having made her home in Manhattan since 1993, Manon successfully turned her talent for design and her interest in accessories into a full-fledged career. With an instinctive talent and a sophisticated feel for form and material, Manon creates items exclusively, as she puts it, “that I would want to wear myself.”

Her various collections consist of more than 500 pieces and have been displayed and sold in the finest stores around the world, such as Barneys (New York & Tokyo), Maxfield’s (Los Angeles), Colette (Paris), Anita Hass (Hamburg), and Liberty (London). Her work in Gold and Sterling Silver, embellishing the human body with inspirations from nature itself, can also routinely be seen in the pages of international magazines like Lucky, Vogue, InStyle, Self, and Elle.

Manon’s high profile in the modeling and acting worlds make her a well-recognized name in the fashion and entertainment industries. She has been profiled in iconic and legendary spreads in the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit edition and the Victoria’s secret catalogue, appeared in international advertising campaigns for everyone from L’Oreal to Coco Chanel, graced the covers of magazines such as Elle, GQ, and Rolling Stone, and has acted alongside A-list stars Jack Black and Alec Baldwin in films (“Shallow Hal”) and television (“30 Rock”).

Manon von Gerkan jewelry is constantly in high demand and can be seen in films and music videos featuring the likes of Salma Hayek and Cameron Diaz. Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Naomi Campbell were among the first stars to wear Manon’s trademark bodychain, and countless celebrities (Kate Hudson, Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow, Janet Jackson, just to name a few) also treasure distinct pieces from her collection.