In Conversation: Gina Iacovelli of Mementos Entwined
“I think it starts with growing up in a town where storytelling and skilled trades, passed down through family lines, are seen as essential to a community’s survival. It was this foundation and my empathic nature which allowed me to see beyond our society’s morbid label of hair keepsakes and see the loving sentiments within them.”
Rooted in nostalgia, we bonded with Gina Iacovelli on our fascination with Victorian jewelry and have since partnered with her to offer uniquely personal Era Lockets. In the new year, we asked her a few questions about the esoteric practice she calls,“a nearly lost art”.
Hair-work in progress. Image courtesy of Mementos Entwined.
What led you to hair-work — was there a moment in particular that really connected you to this form?
To be honest, I’m still trying to connect the dots on how I came to be a hair-worker. It has been a meandering journey, slowly uncovered through searching for my own authenticity and spirituality. When I reflect on the ‘how’, it feels like my entire life has been building to find it in hair-work. I think it starts with growing up in a town where storytelling and skilled trades, passed down through family lines, are seen as essential to a community’s survival. It was this foundation and my empathic nature which allowed me to see beyond our society’s morbid label of hair keepsakes and see the loving sentiments within them.
My introduction to the art began with exploring historic cemeteries and battlefields throughout the USA and Europe. It was in these sacred places that I felt the sparks of a spiritual connection while simultaneously seeing hair keepsakes at nearby museums. It took a decade to realize the correlation, but it finally sank in after I came across a documentary on how American society dealt with death during the Civil War. I soon found myself in an internet rabbit hole on historic mourning rituals, which lead me to an 1860s DIY book on hair-work. My curious mind led me to build my own equipment and try my hand at it. The more I studied, the more I felt it aligned all these little aspects of my life, and needed to be revived in a modern way. And so, I started an Instagram page to find other hair-workers and share its possibilities with those interested in commissioning their own keepsakes
The J. Hannah Era Locket.
Can you speak a bit on mourning jewelry for those who may not know this concept?
The type of mourning jewelry my work is inspired by has its roots in traditions passed down from the aristocracy of 16th century Europe. It has taken many forms over time, but at its essence, it is a personalized keepsake created in memory of a life. Like a gravestone, these jewels often contain inscriptions, initials, and birth-death dates in remembrance. As goldsmithing evolved, rock crystals and delicate knots of hair began to be incorporated. By the early 19th century, mourning jewelry with elaborate hair designs were considered an essential part of the grieving process for middle class America. Although hair keepsakes are not nearly as popular today, this practice can still be found in the form of personalized charms and wearable urns for cremation.
“This is what attracted me to the Era locket. Its delicate, minimalist details allow the hair to be the ‘gem’, while its two-sided design allows it to be reversed for those who’d rather keep it private.”
On your site you touch on the intimacy found in exchanging hair, prior to the exchange of photography. We loved that idea, can you elaborate? As we've moved forward in the digital sphere, do you think there's concurrently a growing desire for more handmade objects of emotional exchange?
I believe most of us can agree that hair holds a powerful significance in our lives. For some, it’s a precious piece of the soul or a connection to family lineage, while others see it merely as a status symbol. What’s true for nearly all humans is we use our hair to tell our story. For generations we’ve shaped, cut, dyed, or covered it to express what we believe and represent our tribe. In the centuries prior to photography, many European cultures practiced this belief by exchanging their delicate strands with family and friends. A literal giving of oneself as a symbol of love and trust. It was a way to stay physically connected in life as well as in death.
Even as photography began to modernize, we still see hair as the primary way of celebrating family ties prior to WWI. For the Victorians, hair was praised as more valuable than gold, because it was irreplaceable. These sentiments and the fact that it had to be done by loving hands, are what drew me to hair-work. How could an art so ingrained into my ancestors’ spiritual practices just disappear to time?
It’s clear I’m not alone in this mindset. Browse social media and you’ll find artists around the world tapping into their roots to revive their ancestral customs. Creating works of art with earth-based mediums to celebrate life-death and show respect for our small part in the collective immortality. I believe we are seeing a resurgence in appreciation for these meaningful works of art because of the digital platforms that allow us to tell our stories and connect emotionally to our customers. Without Instagram, I don’t think my work would have ever grown beyond a hobby.
We're curious, what has been your most memorable custom request from a client?
My first mourning commission for a young boy is one of my most memorable. I received a message from a mother whose son passed away suddenly. Her grief poured through along with photos of him. This was my first experience working with someone who lost a child and wanted to talk about their life. I could see this tiny window into her grief was a small way to connect with me, a stranger on the internet, before sending his precious lock of hair. This project holds a special place in my heart because it began what would become an essential practice of building trust with each person I work with.
For our Era Locket, we were also inspired by Victorian jewelry — are there any favorite or unusual pieces from the Victorian era that you love or have referenced in your work?
Although I admire all the various styles of hairwork included in pre-WWI jewelry, I've always been most attracted to the rings with compartments for tiny braids or lovers’ knots. Their subtle design and personalized engravings, express a more authentic love compared to the large, ostentatious (but stunning) jewels of the later Victorian-era which fashion dictated. This is what attracted me to the Era locket. Its delicate, minimalist details allow the hair to be the ‘gem’, while its two-sided design allows it to be reversed for those who’d rather keep it private.
