MAJOR LAZER
MAJOR LAZER
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Create personalized jewelry gifts for members of the musical sensation Major Lazer. Collaborating with Julie Pitts of Woodville Inc, we craft exquisite wooden pendants, bracelets, dog tags, boxes, and necklaces, seamlessly integrating Major Lazer's logos and themes. These meticulously designed items were showcased and worn by the group's members, including Diplo, Walshy Fire, and Jillionaire, during their electrifying performance at Cat's Cradle in North Carolina.
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Embarking on this project, we anticipated encountering formidable challenges. The initial hurdle revolved around encapsulating the essence of the group's brand. Capturing their identity proved challenging, with the album yet to be released, only three songs available, and the recent departure of two founding members. Navigating these circumstances made researching the band's tastes and styles for this project a complex undertaking.
The second challenge pertained to logistics. Constrained by a limited budget, our goal was to create numerous items for a diverse ensemble, including Major Lazer with three DJs, two dancers, and two opening acts (Gent and Jawns and Dragonette), each comprising at least two members. Lastly, the ultimate and most significant challenge lay in devising a presentation strategy. As a passion project without official affiliation to the group and no guarantee of their approval, we grappled with determining how to present the gifts creatively and effectively.
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Upon learning of Major Lazer's upcoming visit to our town, I felt inspired to create a gift for the group, given their profound influence on the electronic dancehall music scene, I saw this as a unique opportunity to express my admiration and embarked on crafting a personalized gift. Initially challenged to devise a distinctive idea, I decided to collaborate with an old high school friend to create custom "Major Lazer" wooden jewelry. Enlisting the expertise of Julie Pitts, of "Woodville" known for her laser-engraved wooden products, we enthusiastically commenced the meticulous process of bringing this vision to life.
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Wooden Pendants
Bracelets
Dog Tags
Gift Box
Earring
Necklaces
Commencing with our research, we observed Major Lazer's affinity for their Letterman jacket, prompting the creation of laser-engraved "Mad Decent" logo pins. These were meticulously crafted not only as stylish accessories for the jackets but also to provide due recognition to the esteemed record label.
Subsequently, we fashioned five "Get Free" bracelets, named after one of their singles, tailored for the dancers and anyone desiring items from our gift box. Spotting a "Get Free" shirt on their merchandise site, we envisioned it as a compelling accessory to complement the shirts. Given Major Lazer's identity as an electronic dancehall group, the logical choice was to incorporate Rastafarian colors (red, green, and yellow) into the wood beads. Accompanied by an elastic band ensuring a comfortable fit for wrists of all sizes, the design retained the natural color of the wood, eschewing the addition of wood stain for color.
A notable detail we were aware of regarding the album was its title, "Free the Universe". Upon visiting the website, our attention was immediately drawn to the album's logo. Recognizing the visual appeal, we envisioned it as an ideal design for dog tags, using a stained black wood background to enhance the visibility of the matching yellow logo, particularly in dimly lit environments. To ensure a comprehensive gift, a second dog tag featuring our branding was added. Furthermore, we crafted a pair of dog tags as a thoughtful gift for the opening act, Gent and Jawns.
In the case of Dragonette, a departure from wooden gifts led us to create a unique non-wooden item. Leveraging their logo, we crafted a pair of pink acrylic earrings. This color choice was deliberate, mirroring the predominant hue found on the cover of their album artwork and their official website.
For the final small gift, we crafted a small tile necklace for Diplo, featuring a black elastic lace threaded through a hole at the top of the tile. The design incorporated Diplo's logo onto the tile, maintaining the natural color of the wood. This involved not adding any additional color, but we did opt to stain the wood to achieve a darker hue. Additionally, we determined it was best to adhere to the established color scheme, avoiding numerous colors outside the palette we were already working with.
Finally, the two pivotal components of the overall gift were the custom box and the "Jah No Partial" wood chain. In our pursuit of something distinct and awe-inspiring, we sought to go beyond the confines of their brand. Our approach involved crafting a custom-designed box with a fitted holder on the outside cover, providing an exclusive space for the necklace. Comparable to a Major Lazer dub, we employed a creative fusion, seamlessly blending Major Lazer's brand with elements from the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" to generate a unique and unparalleled hybrid design. The outcome successfully achieved the intended "WOW" factor.
To replicate the gold coin that emerges from the Power Ranger's badge, I conceived the idea of integrating our main piece onto the box cover for display. The ability to detach it from the box top and affix it to the necklace added a distinctive and stylish touch. Furthermore, we implemented a straightforward design on the top cover of the box, featuring the group's name engraved in natural wood color. The rest of the box was stained black to accentuate the central piece. In keeping with standard artistic practice, we also engraved our signature "89ideas" and "Woodville" logos, providing a subtle reminder of the origin of these gifts.
As for the "Jah No Partial" chain, we selected that song as the main piece due to its immense popularity at the time. Drawing inspiration from the album art and remaining faithful to the brand, we aimed to encourage them to actually wear it. The distinctive feature of our chain, compared to the album art, lies in our work being three-dimensional. In the initial blueprint of this design, we intended for the necklace to detach from the center of the design at the peak of the flag. This would allow it to be placed on the cover of the box, enabling them to carry the box with the design securely attached.
After careful consideration, we concluded that securing the necklace to the design was the optimal choice. Given the group members' penchant for stage diving and the potential for fans to grab it, ensuring its stability was imperative. Similar to our approach with the "Get Free" bracelets, we adhered to the Rastafarian color scheme to maintain harmony with our overall color scheme.
As for getting it to them? Well, that was a lot easier than we thought, but I will save that story for another day. Here is a teaser for you!