When Instagram Leads to Elegance: A Glass Veil™ for Thelma West
Sometimes inspiration arrives quietly—and sometimes it arrives glowing at the top of your feed.
Opening Instagram one morning, I saw a post from Robb Report celebrating the opening of Casina Cinquepozzi, a design-rich hotel in Puglia founded by acclaimed jewelry designer Thelma West and her husband, Stefano Liotta. A moment of instinct, a note of admiration, and the idea was born: send a Glass Veil™ to congratulate them—a gesture of grace and intention, draped in silk and story.
What followed was a creative process as poetic as it was practical. We considered dozens of elements to reflect Thelma’s personal aesthetic, the spirit of the hotel, and the region’s natural elegance.
After rounds of refinement, we chose:
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Nude silk stitched with the lightest thread—a nod to sun-washed Italian linens and Ms. West's affinity for lightness.
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A pearl coin with sun charm—for radiance and craftsmanship
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Citrin bead, shaped like a grape (not a berry)—evoking southern Puglia’s warm relationship to wine
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Tiny bird charm—for stillness and observation, resonant with the region’s landscape; detachable
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Tile piece plus initials T and W—a whisper of Spanish ceramic and story
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Delicate seashell—a nod to coastal breezes
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Mother of pearl rose—symbolizing bloom and balance, they are also roses are used to show dryness of the grounds
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A heart—because intention is everything
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Added to the evolution: dragonflies, aquamarine berries, letter C, pink quartz, and other beautiful contenders that helped shape the language of the final piece
At the end, nude tone silk was adorned with a tile bead, red grape hand-wired bead along with a grape leaf, detachable sparrow, Ms. West's initials and Italian tile bead, final touch - pearl coin with sun.
Sometimes, a small act like sending a handcrafted object becomes its own kind of celebration—a way of acknowledging artistry with artistry.
From that first scroll to the final stitch, this Glass Veil™ holds something more than silk. It carries a moment, a place, a light.
My favorite piece from House of Thelma West is Sugar Hoop. I am a huge fan of churches. With such modest interiors, they are most beautiful on the inside, similar to human beings. The hoop carries same magnetism for me.
