People often ask me "How do you come up with your design ideas?". I thought it would be nice to let you into my creative process. When thinking about a new collection, I evoke all my senses to be extra attentive, both to the outside world, and my inner world. I pay attention to sights, sounds, to the images coming into my consciousness. These images can be a very specific detail, a nostalgic impression, or an idea.
Sometimes it's an impression of something I saw when traveling the world. Like when visiting Costa Rica and Panama, I was impressed by the local artisans' embroidery techniques. The objects they made were very vivid in color and imagery. I then thought up how I can use this colorfulness and the idea of embroidery in my collection. Then the PURA VIDA collection came into realization.
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PURA VIDA embroidered earrings
Inspiration to a new design can sometimes be an object- like the shape of a paleolithic tool, reborn as the pendant of the Panama necklace
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Inspiration can also appear to me in a form of a landscape, like the sand dunes of the Sahara desert, being manifested in my Greek Goddess upper arm bracelet.
Often I have reoccurring elements manifested differently in my collections.
To me, birds and feathers represent freedom, free spirit and uniqueness. I think I was a bird in one of my past reincarnations- that is my explanation as to why I have several collections featuring them. Here are a few:
PHOENIX leather earrings
ARTO ring
TOUCAN earrings
I never really know in advance what my new collection is going to be about. I see it more as a journey to a new place- I know where I start, but I don't know where the road will take me.
So I try not to predetermine my inspiration and keep an open mind and heart. If an idea keeps coming back to mind, that often means I should explore it further. I play with it, sketch a few ideas, make up some sample models and try them out. It is always fascinating to see the end result- from idea to a finished jewelry design.