Made For America Design Award Winner Announced

AUGUST 2004

Young Irish jewellery designer, Clarisse Wisser, has been announced the winner of the Made for America Design Award 2004.

The winning entry, a sterling silver swan pendant entitled ‘Celtica Forever’, fought off tough competition from some of Ireland’s leading craftspeople – including runners up Mary Jo Coates (jeweller) and Arlene McFadden (textile designer) - to win this coveted award.

The Made for America Design Award is jointly sponsored and organized by The Crafts Council of Ireland (CCoI) and The North American Celtic Buyers Association (NACBA) and it celebrates the very best in Irish Celtic design and craftsmanship. The purpose of the award is to stimulate and promote new product development for the American Celtic market.

‘Once I had read the brief with the “Celtic Love Story” theme and met some members of the NACBA at a seminar organized by the Crafts Council of Ireland,

I put a lot of work into the design of the piece - and channeled my efforts into creating “Forever” based on the story Angus in love’ said an excited Clarisse.

She goes on to explain, ‘Already I see the benefits of this award - the photographs of the pendant are exceptional, and I am really looking forward to working hard, with the encouragement of CCoI, in promoting “Celtic Forever” in Chicago.’

This award comes just at the end of Clarisse Wisser’ first year in business. She opened her Dublin studio in August 2003 and since then has created several new ranges, has exhibited at Christmas Fair, Showcase (where she won Index), has substantially expanded her network of retailers – and now has won The prestigious Made for America Design Award.

The Celtica Forever range has been developed to include (in sterling silver and 14 carat gold) a Pendant, Stud Earrings, Ring and Bracelet. Special heart shaped packaging has been created to further define the unique value of the product. Clarisse intends to add new ranges to the Celtica range, alongside the winning ‘Forever’ product line on an ongoing basis.

StudioWisser at Autumn Fair
Made For America Design Award Winner Announced

AUGUST 2004

Paris born / Dublin based jewellery designer, Clarisse Wisser who has just been announced the winner of the Made for America Design Award 2004 – will showcase her work in Autumn Fair before her trip to Chicago for The Celtic Show in September.

The winning entry in the design award - jointly sponsored by The Craft Council of Ireland and North American Celtic Buyers Association - a sterling silver swan pendant entitled ‘Celtica Forever’, fought off tough competition from some of Ireland’s leading craftspeople to win the coveted award.

Clarisse Wisser opened her Dublin studio in August 2003 and within her first year of business has created several new ranges, exhibited at Christmas Fair and at Showcase (where her work was selected for inclusion in Index), has substantially expanded her network of retailers – and now has won the prestigious Made for America Design Award and is about to exhibit at Autumn Fair.

Her work, which she markets under the StudioWisser brand, is designed within a number of product lines including –

Le Jardin Extraordinaire (pieces inspired by botanical shapes [bilobum/peace/orchid]),

Nautica (jewellery incorporating Pearls [Purity]),

Rock Chic (expressing a youthful avant garde spirit [fleur noir/cultured cross]),

Artefact (based on ancient ‘found objects’ [coin])

and her highly successful men’s range - Alpha.

Clarisse’s jewellery is made from Gold, Silver, Pearls and semi-precious stones. She graduated from the highly regarded Crafts Council of Ireland Jewellery Course in Kilkenny in 2001 and worked for a number of leading jewelers before establishing StudioWisser in 2003.


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