Best Skiers to Receive Jewelry in Handbags

The top female skiers in the World Cup can look forward to unique gifts from the workshop of Petra Toth. Beautiful crowns for the winners of the slalom and giant slalom in Jasna, as well as exquisite jewelry in the form of pendants and handbags for the top 15, along with unique earrings for all racers – all adorned with folk motifs from three Liptov villages: Liptovská Osada, Liptovská Lúžna, and Liptovské Revúce. All of this awaits the top-scoring female skiers who will come to Jasna on January 20-21, 2024, to compete for points in the World Cup.

The author of these creations is the acclaimed Slovak artist Petra Toth. At a pre-Christmas press conference at the Grand Hotel Jasna, Toth revealed that preparing a unique collection for her was a challenge. "Even considering the short time. Under normal circumstances, we would need a year, but they approached us just three-quarters of a year ago," revealed the award-winning jeweler.

Brass and Gold
"The crowns will be made of brass, gilded with gold and set with Czech crystals. Some stones had to be custom-made to fit them with the World Cup logo. Each of them is composed of 1144 stones and weighs 474 g," describes Toth. For the most faithful resemblance, the artist even chose to visit the Liptov villages to gain inspiration. "I took a trip to Liptov and examined the costumes because even though they look like they are the same from all three villages, they are not. There are differences, and details matter. I made sure to incorporate all the distinctions into the final products. I then chose a pattern from each village that I liked the most," she added.

Her creations also feature darker pastel colors, shaded pink, turquoise, and orange. "We reflected on the visual of broken crystal and shifted it into the ornament," reveals Petra about the creative process, for which she had to shift other orders but was happy to do so for such a significant event as the World Cup under Chopok.

Toth also thought of absolute details. The crowns will be made to sit not on the skiers' heads but on the caps they wear when they step onto the podium during the World Cup draw. "I was very excited about the work itself. It's a huge responsibility for me. Especially because the whole of Slovakia will see the result," concludes the artist, who became famous for transforming Slovak ornaments into a sophisticated contemporary form.