Since then, Ms. Cates said more recently, the pieces have sold well, with purchases by Tracey Ullman, the actress and comedian, and Ola Itani-Chan, head of V.I.P. services for the fashion line the Row.
“These women are confident, they have their own sense of style and they come here because they like getting things that nobody else has,” Ms. Cates said. “They’re mixing Irini’s necklaces in with their Marni and Prada.”
Ramya Giangola, a fashion influencer and owner of the consultancy Gogoluxe in Los Angeles, also is enthusiastic about the new Prova. She said that she liked the idea of layering the necklaces with fine jewelry: “I think being able to mix a Lauren Rubinski chunky gold chain with something that might be a little bit more whimsical — and affordable — but has a really distinct point of view and makes you smile, is really important at the moment.”
Ms. Giangola compared Ms. Arakas to Tom Binns, the celebrated designer who often incorporates found objects into his jewelry. “When you buy Tom’s pieces, no two are ever the same,” she said. “And it’s the same idea with Irini. The use of found objects makes them one-of-a-kind.”
Ms. Arakas makes the necklaces by hand, incorporating as many as 20 different elements in one design, possibly including Krobo glass beads from Ghana, Venetian glass beads, doves and strawberries made of Japanese glass or vintage Swarovski crystals. Some necklaces also layer in some reminders of Ms. Arakas’s earlier Prova designs: lustrous faux pearls and black-and-white African batik cow bone beads. (As for the cow bone, “the natural oils of your body give them this glossy patina as you wear the necklace more and more.”)
She usually begins by gathering beads that match a color palette she has in mind. For a Joe Cool design, she said, the hues were eggplant, “a dusty, powdery, dirty lilac,” turquoise, cobalt green and “little pops of canary.”
