Known for its designs in sterling silver, symbolic of purity and associated with the moon and intuition, John Hardy's artisans develop the tendency of silver, the whitest of all metals, to oxidize (turn black) to create rich possibilities for contrast and texture in strong rhythmic patterns. This technique can be found in collections such as Bamboo, Carved Chain, Dot, Kali, Naga, and Palu. The traditional Balinese technique of ukiran is employed in both abstract and figurative designs to create jewelry that tells a story. mylifestylenews catch up with the brand's Creative Director and Head of Design to find out more......
M: mylifestylenews
B: Guy Bedarida
M: How did you get started with John Hardy?
B: 12 years ago while I was still working for another jewelry company and one day I got a call and invitation to come visit Bali. You know, far east seems like a dream to me and without any hesitation, I accepted the invitation and flew over to Bali. The place impressed me a lot with its natural beauty, architecture designs, the unique culture and people with of course their talent and craftsmanship. Before I was even going back, I was thrilled by this place and accepted the offer as a Head Designer right away and quit my present job over a phone call. I then moved to Bali and soon being added the Creative Director role and introduced new standards and techniques to the Bali studio artisans. In 2007, I joined Damien Dernoncourt in a management buyout of the company. At the John Hardy design centre in Bali, we initiated a team of local illustrators in the French art of fine jewelry drawings as an important stage in the development of new designs and lead a team of highly skilled illustrators, wax-carvers, metal smiths and stone-cutters, all of whom work by hand to create a distinctive look for the brand.
M: What are you working on lately?
B: The "Naga" (Dragon) collection, which is a strong design for men and women. Also because next year is the year of dragon in the Chinese Calender. Besides, I am also working on some new home items by using black palm wood which is a very strong solid based to blend in with the our signature silver designs.
M: Is there anyone that you would like to work with?
B: I would like to work with some contemporary artists, watchmakers that are without any restriction and 100% freedom in terms designs.
M: What does a heterosexual men need in jewelry design?
B: Ah...Heterosexual men want their jewelry design that are subtle and contemporary, not so out there but still make a statement and significance where women loves their jewelry design more like an accessories to match with their outfit. Of course, there are some minor exception too.
M: What would you like to achieve in your career advancement?
B: With the limited budget given but to produce the best quality and value for jewelry. I would also like to design some jewelry pieces that are meant for the Red Carpet.
M: What is your ideal living lifestyle?
B: Surrounded by great quality of life and people indeed. Being able to live an open life with lots of outdoors and nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment