Marketscape: Quite Continental

Karen D. Singh -- Interior Design, 11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

Historically diamonds are a girl's best friend, but for true bling enthusiasts, Eva Menz just might be the new BFF. Based in London, this German designer takes her cue from couture, using an eclectic assortment of feathers, beads, leather, pearls, and just about anything else glamorous to create bespoke chandeliers.

Snow Queen strings large-scale beads covered in white leather and clear crystals sheathed with translucent chiffon onto jewlers wire, and suspends the strands from a pleated leather frame. In Free as a Bird, 1,000 origami cranes made from a colored, fire-resistant, paperlike material are sewn to a light aluminum frame so they appear to flock around a central light source. Similarly, Red Princess is a custom piece aglow with crimson origami flowers. Ties that bind in the boudoir could be the naughty impulse behind the erotic Little Black Chandelier, in which dyed peacock feathers, silk rope, hand-carved wood serpents, wisps of horse hair, beads, and stones swing from a leather-framed and lacquer-inlaid lighting harness. The Golden Safari chandelier, an odd marriage of Mr. T. and Cruella De Vil, suspends both vintage and new costume jewelry with animal themes from brass chains. If Lilly Daché was right that glamour makes a man ask for your telephone number and a woman ask for the name of your dressmaker, expect all sorts of interesting requests if you install any of these perfect pendants. 44-207-837-4859; evamenz.com. circle 407