More is More by Hutton Wilkinson

It was a cool, clear, autumnal New York night on one at Saks Fifth. A three piece band was playing jazz in the background. The handsome Hutton Wilkinson was signing books and greeting all with his signature exuberance and charm. And he kissing those who have taken the time to stop by. My invitation came by way of mail, but first by telephone when his assistant Fred, who stayed out of the fray in LA, called to ask for my address. Hutton does things in that genteel, old-school way — come have a glass of wine, let’s talk about jewelry and Tony Duquette until dawn and if you are very lucky, at Dawnridge, Duquette’s home in LA that Hutton still maintains to perfection. You will find interior shots of Dawnridge in Hutton’s newly released title. You will also learn much more about the effervescent Tony Duquette.

Harper’s Bazaar Editor in Chief, Glenda Bailey, was hosting the party and bearing the most fantastic bit of TD history — a vintage jewel created by the designer. It was the color of a lilac sunset accented by soft greens and yellows. As I waded through the crowd I had the opportunity to see it up close and asked her about it. She was lovely, and permitted this jewelry historian a moment to gaze at this tour de force of Duquette design.

TD’s jewelry was never for the faint of heart, however it is for those left-brained folk who grasp its full-throttle force of originality. More was definitely better for the designer, a Renaissance man who created interiors for luminaries, designed sets for Hollywood productions, and neo-baroque jewelry that would easily fit into any of his drama-driven dioramas. Hutton who worked for the designer when he was eighteen, later bought the business from his widow and continued creating jewelry based on vintage designs and inventing fabulous adaptations. Through the Duquette name, Hutton became a designer in his own right. A malachite version of Ms. Bailey’s necklace was in the first case of several dedicated to all things TD in Saks impressive jewelry department. The necklace had all the whistles and bells of TD, yet in Hutton’s hands, the elements became a pleasing mix of monochromatic greens that blended the usual TD drama and playfulness with a sense of refinement and modernity (and Hutton, by his own admission, is not a “modern” guy). Bravo, dear Hutton! More, more, more…

There are some pics from the evening here