Posted by Two of our favorite geek fashion brands have teamed up to pay tribute to the 20th anniversary of an animated masterpiece by Studio Ghibli. RockLove and Her Universe launched a striking new Spirited Away jewelry collection last week. It features such beloved characters as the dragon Haku, ghostly spirit No-Face, and adorable Soot Sprites.
The first in a planned series of collaborations featuring Studio Ghibli, the sterling silver Spirited Away jewelry collection includes necklaces, rings, and earrings that can be easily paired with each other. The handcrafted designs celebrate the 2001 film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the first anime feature to win an Academy Award.
RockLove founder talks Spirited Away jewelry design, inspirations
In an email interview, Temple of Geek Chic spoke to Allison Cimino, founder and CEO of RockLove Jewelry, about the new collection.
How would you describe your collaboration with Her Universe?
This is technically RockLove’s second time working with Her Universe to create handcrafted sterling jewelry for Studio Ghibli! My very first collaboration with Ashley Eckstein and the Her Universe team launched in November 2018 with three charming 30th anniversary Totoro-inspired pieces for the 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro.
Since then, we’ve created numerous iconic limited edition Ahsoka Tano jewelry items together and are so excited to reunite for this new Studio Ghibli X RockLove line. The series will be expanded, with designs honoring multiple beloved Hayao Miyazaki films, our first launch featuring Spirited Away. The six-piece sterling silver collection is available now on both RockLove.com and HerUniverse.com.
Are you a Studio Ghibli fan? If so, how did you get into Hayao Miyazaki’s work and what do you like about it?
Personally, I am a longtime Studio Ghibli fan, as is much of RockLove’s small but mighty women-run team. I experienced two Hayao Miyazaki movies as a young teenager, My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service.
I was already interested in and seeking out anime at that time, and the whimsical animation style and peaceful melodic tempo of the films were captivating. This was in the era of VHS and borrowing videos from friends or the local library, so after seeing Princess Mononoke there was a gap before I revisited the newer Studio Ghibli films, now as an adult and on DVD.
What kind of research did you do before beginning your design work on this collection?
Before beginning a collection, I always binge the content … certainly a welcomed part of the process, as someone who is already a fan! We chose Spirited Away specifically because our discussions with Her Universe and Studio Ghibli renewed in 2021 and it was the film’s 20th anniversary. I watched the film a couple of times with a sketchbook in hand, and then shared my designs with the teams.
How did you decide which characters from Spirited Away you wanted to focus on?
Aptly titled Spirited Away, I was inspired to create pieces specific to the most iconic characters from the Spirit Realm. Studio Ghibli has some of the most incredible world-building, and the story is brought to life by spirits great and small, ominous and adorable – nothing is as it seems. Haku, No-Face, and the Soot Sprites represent the magic and depth of storytelling in the film.
Tell me a little about the process of designing this collection.
It was important to me that the collection felt sophisticated and understated; while Studio Ghibli’s stories fill us with childlike wonder, the jewelry collection needed to feel appropriately adult. There is a subtle but deep complexity to Studio Ghibli films that I hoped to capture tangibly with the jewelry and the design choices made.
No-Face is a lonely spirit, and yet an all-silver mirror polish reflects the pendant and ring’s surroundings (and even own visage) in the shiny surface. The Soot Sprites’ candy stars feature pave crystal clusters that make characters who seem childish into heirloom quality treasure. Haku’s long river spirit dragon body is incredibly detailed, sculpted in an overlapping knotwork pose to bring elegance and traditionalism to the design.
I especially love the delicate and adorable Soot Sprite Stacker Rings set! Could you tell me a little about what went into the creation of this piece?
I’ve always wanted to design Soot Sprites since my first 2018 Totoro collaboration with Her Universe and Spirited Away presented the perfect opportunity! Soot Sprites love star candy, and I wanted them at their most joyous — each piece features its own mismatched pink, green, or yellow pave crystal cluster. The stacker ring set is available in US Sizes 4-10 and features three rings that fit together so that the cheerful Soot Sprite is encircled by its desired sparkling star candy.
Is there anything else you’d like to say about the collection?
In collaboration with Her Universe, the Studio Ghibli X RockLove Spirited Away collection is the first of multiple jewelry lines honoring the films of Hayao Miyazaki. The jewels are available now on both the RockLove and Her Universe websites and we look forward to releasing our next collection together in 2023!
Check out the Spirited Away Jewelry Collection
Spirited Away No-Face Ring
Handcrafted in nickel-free sterling silver and polished to a brilliant mirror shine, the spirit Kaonashi features black and lavender enamel details on a softly domed oval ring. It’s available in an array of sizes and can be paired with the No-Face Necklace below.
Spirited Away No-Face Necklace
Handcrafted in nickel-free sterling silver, the necklace features a similar design to the ring above on a softly domed oval pendant. Larger than the matching No-Face Ring, the pendant hangs from an adjustable 18- to 20-inch sterling silver cable chain with a lobster clasp and signature tag.
Spirited Away Soot Sprite Stacker Rings
Handcrafted in nickel-free sterling silver, three rings fit together to create this set. The center ring features a charming three-dimensional Soot Sprite, coated in premium glossy black enamel, with large white enamel eyes.
The Susuwatari love star candy so the set includes two curved rings which frame the Soot Sprite, featuring sculpted pink and yellow star clusters set with glittering faceted cubic zirconia crystals. The rings are available in several sizes and can be paired with the Soot Sprite Necklace and Soot Sprite Earrings below.
Spirited Away Soot Sprite Necklace
Handcrafted in nickel-free sterling silver, a Soot Sprite floats in premium glossy black enamel with a similar design to the ring above. The dainty dangling pendant hangs from an adjustable 18- to 20-inch sterling silver and features a cable chain with a lobster clasp and signature tag.
Spirited Away Soot Sprite Earrings
Handcrafted in nickel-free sterling silver, the earrings feature a similar design to the ring and necklace above. The dainty dangling earrings hang from sterling silver French wires and are comfortably lightweight for everyday wear.
Spirited Away Haku Necklace
Handcrafted in nickel-free sterling silver, Nigihayami Kohakunushi is intricately sculpted in dragon form. Polished and antiqued to emphasize the incredible detail, the slender three-dimensional river spirit dragon is suspended in a traditional overlapping knotwork pose with elegant trailing whiskers and flowing mane. The pendant hangs from an adjustable 18- to 20-inch sterling silver cable chain with lobster clasp and signature tag.
Studio Ghibli X RockLove Boutique Box
The Spirited Away jewelry collection comes in a signature Studio Ghibli X RockLove Boutique Box featuring silver metallic, silk-screened World of Studio Ghibli, Her Universe, and RockLove logos. The forest green box hinges open to reveal a soft flocked, light gray-blue interior with dark green Spirited Away logos and Soot Sprite character art. The box includes a soft luxury travel pouch featuring World of Studio Ghibli, Her Universe, and RockLove branding.
RockLove Jewelry
Founded by Cimino, RockLove specializes in licensed fandom jewelry handcrafted in premium precious metals. The brand’s other collections include designs based on Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Pokemon, and other properties. The independent company also recently launched a Dungeons & Dragons collection.
Her Universe
Her Universe is a groundbreaking fangirl fashion company and lifestyle brand originally founded by Ashley Eckstein in 2010. Eckstein is known as the voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. She’s also part of other animated Star Wars series. She founded the Her Universe Fashion Show, which takes place annually at San Diego Comic-Con, as well as acting as host of the video series Star Wars Mindful Matters.
Spirited Away
Spirited Away premiered in Japan on July 20, 2001. The film depicts the surreal adventures of 10-year-old Chihiro, who is forced to work at a supernatural bathhouse filled with spirits after her parents are turned into pigs by a witch. It is the only hand-drawn film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Studio Ghibli is known for such classics as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle.
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