Kali Arulpragasam , a longtime Highsnobette favorite, never ceases to amaze as she launches her latest collection of statement jewellery for Superfertile titled “The World.” As a way to bring attention to inequalities  in the world of various issues, each necklace illustrates what parts of the world is more affected. Hover over the images to see what issue they represent: green: .25%,  light green: .30% , blue: .45%, purple: .50%, orange .60%,  red +.60% . The higher the percentage the higher the inequality. Images courtesy of Superfertile.

On the next page enjoy a look at the complete collection.

We showed Super Fertile designer Kali Arulpragasam’s latest jewellery collection titled “Murder” (one look featured above) last week and today Stylelist has followed up with an interview with the designer. If you don’t already know, she is the older sister of M.I.A. and in the interview she was asked what her sibling thinks of her work:

What does M.I.A. think of the collection?
I tend to not give my jewels to celebrities, so she usually gets an invoice from me when she wants something. After I released the first images of “Murder” during the first week of June she tweeted it, so I know she approves. I’m experimenting with a new concept which is not to use celebrities to sell my work. I never use celebrities. I must be the only designer to turn down Lady Gaga. I don’t even have a press agent. I’m approaching this as art, my jewelry is wearable art.

Darn! Perhaps not the best of friends those two, but they certain share the commonality of wearing their intensity on their sleeves, a trait which of course we admire greatly.

In what we consider to be  her most provocative collection yet, Kali Arulpragasam exposes murder in her latest designs of Super Fertile. Graphic, thought provoking and definitely controversial. While we admire the boldnesss and talent,  we also were put in a place to pause and reflect on what she chooses to tell us:

A range of beautiful and breathtaking pieces in rubies, sapphires, and garnets, carefully selected to resemble bullet wounds, cuts, machine gun fire to the body, slashes, butchering and hacking of the throat, head and ears to portray the inhumanity around the world.

Emotionally charged jewellery like we’ve never seen. Take a deep breath  and click to the next page for a closer look at  Super Fertile’s Murder Autumn/Winter 2011 jewellery collection. Images courtesy of Super Fertile.

Tourism Collection'08

One of our fave South Asian blogs, Masala Chai, talks to Kali Arulpragasm of Superfertile about her heritage, inspiration and more…

M: How would you describe your aesthetic? What influences it?

Kali: My parents are very proud of their Tamil heritage. I was taught very traditional values and all the goodness that came from our heritage…culture, music, good spicy foods, perfumes, all the smells and colours, costumes, decorations, jewels and festivals…I was taught to be aware and be proud of what South Asia offered to the world. I was born in London, grew up mostly here, Yet I’m drawn to the old India, and the parts which interest me are the parts that are not trying to be something else. Pretence is boring, I try to be honest with everything I do. More on the flip. 

Enjoy a look at the latest collection by Kali Arulpragasam’s Superfertile, titled  “Mankind.” Bold pieces as usual with a very deliberate message  described as follows, “If man is the root of all problems, man’s  kindness is the solution. We each have the power to lift another up from the gutter, to lend a hand, to offer a platform to stand on, in some cases to pull others to safety.  Human kindness empowers us all and the courage that it takes to care is what inspired this collection. ‘Mankind’  is a collection of ornaments  featuring fragile sculptural human figures of painted plaster helping, climbing, and lifting each other in constellations across the wearer’s body.” View more of “Mankind” on the next page.

Probably one of her most provocative collections so far Kali Arulprgasam Super Fertile” Cra$h” Collection for Spring /Summer 2010 is inspired by the current world financial crisis:

 ”What started on Wall street ended up on our streets, and the numbers did not add up.As the public drowned in debts, bankers were rescued with a taxpayer funded golden parachute ;Pensioners lost their life life savings.Businesses cra$hed, 25 million were left unemployed worldwide and 50 million people are without health care in the US.Yet, the government persisted on sending more troops to war having already spent $831 Billion in Irak and Afghanistan. This paradox is captured in the Crash collection with pie charts, graphs and bleak statistics in pave- set lustrous stones and colorful enamel to accentuate the irony of these state of affairs…” A closer look at Super Fertile’s Cra$h Collection on the flip. Stunning!

For Spring 2009 Super Fertile designed by Kali Arulpragasam ,wanted to bring attention the hunger crisis using it as inspiration for a collection titled HUNGER inspired by the many grains that provide sustenance.The food, the grains we often take for granted are like gold in some places in the world , not even that far…

A percentage of the sales profits will be donated to OXFAM to contribute to the fight against world hunger, fashion with a conscience you gotta love that! Photography by Jannica Honney www.jannicahoney.com. My favorite pieces on the next page!

For her Summer 2009 collection Kali Arulpragasam , the designer behind the very coveted , socially conscious Super Fertile brings our attention to The Real Superstars “The inventors/scientists who shaped our civilisations in a global sense.Who help us evolve and enhance our lives.In the last 70 years we haven’t really paid attention to them. As the celebs from the big screen and the stage are dominating stradom. Demanding appaluse. Let’s stop and think for a second. It is so important to teach/encourage our future generations the importance of inventors. Everything else is a little overrated. So this is by far the most ambitious collection.Narrowed down to the top 10 inventors, only because I had to stop somewhere…”-Kali

On the next page a closer look at Super Fertile’s Summer 2009 collection the Real Superstars.

The item of the day arrived early today. Once again, one of our amazing readers hipped me up to a line that I definitely should have known about, but pathetically did not. This tip comes from Em, who let me us know that M.I.A. has a sister, Kari Arulpragasam, who does a jewelry line called Super Fertile.

Let me not lie and admit that when I first read about the line, I figured it would likely be a bust. After all, how much creativity can any one family claim?? But as soon as I saw the images, I was stunned and amazed. Kari is as talented at making jewelry as her sister is at making music.

^^Haiti: In honor of my HighSnobette partner in crime

^^I think that’s Sudan on the left and Iraq on the right. I love how she doesn’t disappear women who wear veils. They are right there in the mix, representing.

More images, including earrings on the other side…

Now the other news Em imparted is that M.I.A.has started her own clothing line. Love the woman, but I don’t know about that move. Besides the rag trade being a total grind, when musicians and actresses launch brands, the outcome is akin to athletes who try to be rappers….aka not positive!

Welcome back to another week!

Lois