Maximal Art was founded by John Wind and Hilary Jay in 1985. Their vintage found-object inspired brooches, belts, and necklaces became their signature style, recognizable in the world of fashion, and featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times. Maximal Art collected ornate spoons, keys, distinctive charms, and anything they thought they could craft into fashionable pieces of jewelry from the local markets and skillfully transformed them into stunning pieces like the cinched belt seen here.
In the 1990s, Jay moved on to become a design journalist and co-founded Design Philadelphia. Robbin Cook became president of Maximal Art; together, Wind and Cook refreshed the brand, developing a collection of working watches, home accents, and gift jewelry. In 2004, the introduced the John Wind Signature Collection.