Many readers were bowled over when I first wrote about soutache jewelry about 2 years ago. Since then, I have come across many soutache jewelry designers. Ever wonder who was the original designer to come up with the innovative technique which so many now emulate?


Soutache embroidery itself is not new. The technique using the flat braid has been applied for centuries to embellish garments including military uniforms.   Yet it took until 1987 for one amazing textile designer to make the jump to jewelry.



Dori Csengri was a graduate of the Shenkar College of Fashion in Tel Aviv, Israel.  She also studied and worked in many places abroad.



 In this interview, she said, "During my studies of textile design in Paris at the Academie de Port-Royal, I was experimenting with collages from textile materials. This is how the soutache cords landed on my desk. From there on, the road to jewelry was fairly short."


"I started with small color compositions in textiles, which evolved into beautiful lapel brooches. With time and experience, I developed an embroidery technique, that is suitable for creating textile-based jewelry and realized that the jewellery path is the right path for me."

Was it ever!  Dori figured out different ways to incorporate sewing techniques to capture beads, crystals and findings with the soutache braid.  Her keen eye for color, texture and placement is evident.



Today, this award winning designer's breathtaking soutache jewelry are highly sought after.  Her work has been featured in numerous magazines, jewelry stores, in museums, premier trade shows and special events. She regularly collaborates with Swarovski by designing for them. She also caters to a select clientele with her haute couture line.



She has numerous stunning collections making choosing just a few here a very difficult task indeed.  Her designs cater to different tastes.  She said, "While my Italian customers tend to be daring and they love bold colors, my New York customers are drawn to the more classical looking styles."  Vibrant or restrained in color, ALL her designs are simply amazing! What an incredibly innovative designer!

Dori Csengeri Collections


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