Cerca Trova - Seek and You Shall Find

Cerca Trova is an accessory line inspired by the Old World and designed for the New Economy. With the deterioration of common commodities and currencies comes a resurgence in the forgotten and most powerful forms of capitol -- Loyalty, Courage, Perseverance, Hope -- a return to the belief systems on which civilizations were built and the goods and services traded by men and women before the Internet, the media and the mighty dollar were rendered royal.

Anthony Scirpoli, the entrepreneurial success responsible for the cross-genre successes of DrumBums Global (Trend sets for numerous celebrities, athletes, and musicians in all fashion, Indy rock and urban hip-hop genres), has launched Cerca Trova to reinstate this lost sense of value. He designs jewelry to be shared among friends and lovers, worn with pride and comfort, and experienced not only as aesthetic delight but as the idolotry of self-expression and encouragement, the undying social symbols of community, unity and immunity to trivial pursuits.

Cerca Trova's Roman-inspired cross-ring chains, leather cuffs and belts are handmade and one of a kind. The stainless steel pieces are low maintenance, retaining their luster eternally, making them the ideal emblems of meaning and memory. The leather pieces combine the durability of a gladiator's armor with the austerity of an Emperor's ceremonial dress. They are at once ancient in their intent and current in their appeal.

Only in the beholder's mind can physical possessions achieve more-than-material worth, aid in overcoming insolvable difficulties, and grant power to their possessors. Cerca Trova provides this opportunity. Seek and you shall find.

CROSS TO WEAR

A former strong safety for the University of Massachusetts football team, Anthony Scirpoli moved to South Florida five years ago to escape the cold weather. He started a line of T-shirts called Drum Bums with music producer Sharkey that was featured on Rock of Love, and eight months ago, created a jewelry-and-accessory brand named Cerca Trova, which loosely translates to "Seek and you shall find" in Italian, Scirpoli created stainless-steel, unisex necklaces with a floating effect and crosses with rings cleverly wrapped about the center. "I wanted each piece to mean something," Scirpoli says. "So each cross and ring has a different design, and I named the styles Faith, Hope, Confidence, Courage, Strength … inspiring names like that." Even though he grew up Catholic and served as an altar boy, Scirpoli considers himself spiritual. But he wants his pieces to have personal meanings for whoever wears them.

His necklaces will retail for $95, which is reasonably priced for a startup line from an independent designer. "I wanted everybody to be able to wear this," Scirpoli says. " I wanted it to be affordable and something that could be handed down to future generations. I remember being a kid and having my uncle or a family member pass a piece down to me and it meant so much. I'd like people to be able to do that with my own designs someday." Cerca Trova is officially being released this week on Cercatrovafashion.com, though some people couldn't wait to buy the pieces.

While dining in Delray Beach a couple of weeks ago, a man bought the necklace right off Scirpoli's neck. "I couldn't believe it, but the guy was serious," Scirpoli says with a laugh. "So I took it off and sold it to him." In addition to necklaces, Scirpoli is also making belt buckles and leather cuff bracelets, which will cost from $95 to $200.

He hopes his sleek, simple crosses on dog tag chains will persuade men to return to a less flashy style of dressing. "The era of Ed Hardy is too much. It's over," Scirpoli says. "When you've got kids in Iowa rocking it, it's time to move on. I think men are going to be going back to a more-classic look now."