About

 

I am Christina, the designer and maker behind Xanadu Designs... 

And I am on a total mission to bring fun, colour and sparkle to the world of jewellery!

My designs are definitely influenced by the bold excesses and colour of the 1980s fashion world and each pair of earrings I create is unique, made from hand painted, metallic and exotic leathers. The leather is all hand painted, cut and layered creating a strong focus on colour, texture and movement, bringing the earrings to life as you move.

 

A little bit about me. 

I am a Sydneysider and create all the pieces in my little studio in the Inner West.

I am totally committed to making jewellery that is sustainable, so I am often kicking around in recycling centres, op shops and garage sales, looking for leather to craft into fabulous jewellery. 

My first love was the theatre and I have trained and worked as a theatre designer, dramaturge, arts administrator and event manager. I am also a Drama teacher and have worked in many high schools across Sydney. 

Though I am no longer so involved in the performing arts, the creative impulse to visually tell a story remains strong and has found expression in the jewellery I create. Earrings that are theatrical, evoke a mood, have movement and yet are comfortable to wear. Plus a little bit of sparkle never went astray! 

What's in a name? 

A lot of people assume I chose the name Xanadu after the 1980 film featuring Olivia Newton-John. You would be amazed how many people start singing the theme song from the film when they see my stall at a market. 

And though I really do love the movie, the name was actually inspired by the Coleridge poem Kubla Khan. 

Coleridge, an opium addict, fell asleep and dreamed a perfect vision of a poem. He was unfortunately disturbed by a visitor and claims he could only remember the first few stanzas. It describes a magical place, a pleasure dome of beauty and terror, mysticism and music. Utterly exotic, dangerous and fabulous. 

It is a place in my imagination where anything and everything is possible. Goddesses walk, magic happens and colour and light saturate the world. 

This is what inspires me to create jewellery.

I hope you love them and enjoy wearing Xanadu as much as I do.

xxx

Christina