Fashion

Would You Like Some Human Hair On Your Jewelry?

by Erin Mayer

Call me a big ol' square, but outside of wigs, I don't like the concept of wearing anything made of human hair. However, hair is emerging as somewhat of a bizarre trend in fashion these days. Remember back in February when a woman in China knitted her husband a sweater out of her own hair? Jewelry designer Sine Marie Harwits aims to beat her on the eerie accessories front with Stranded Gold, an online store selling jewelry made from her own blonde hair. Ick.

Harwits, a self-professed "advertising girl" turned jewelry designer, decided that her hair was too precious to throw away once it fell out of her head. She began collecting the fallen strands and turning them into, um, wearable art. According to her website:

Hair is precious to people, and more so to me. Why then, when my hair falls, would I discard it as worthless and nasty? It’s still the same hair that I take pride in. So I decided to do something with my falling hair strands. For one year I have been collecting every strand of hair that I lost, and I have been crafting something precious out of my precious hair.

Hm. Interesting. Harwits seems to think that only "her family members and her boyfriends are going to be her loyal customers" so rest easy. She doesn't really expect you to accessorize with her hair. But you can, if hairball rings are your kind of thing.

Stranded Gold sells only earrings and rings right now, so if a gold-and-hair cuff is on your wishlist you'll have to hold out indefinitely. Dorothy Tan at DesignTaxi thinks that "designs actually look wearable and even rather pretty," but I think they look like a stranger's hair entwined with gold wire. Hey, at least she isn't making sweater sets. Yet.