An Atmore artist found her work on one of the most conspicuous stages in fashion. Kathleen Nowak Tucci says she was astonished to learn that one of her necklaces, crafted from recycled rubber, appeared around the neck of an haute-couture model on the cover of Vogue Italia.
The cover proved controversial in fashion circles, but for Tucci it marked an unlikely journey from her Escambia County studio to the front of a major international magazine — and a showcase for the idea that discarded materials can become fine art.
Tucci has built her reputation on transforming salvaged rubber and other castoff materials into intricate, wearable jewelry, work that sits at the crossroads of folk craft, environmental art and high design. The Vogue Italia placement introduced her recycled pieces to an audience far beyond south Alabama.