5 minute read
Capturing the Magic
Capturing the Magic
Not simply the home of Diamonds & Thrills, ROX is renowned as being one of the UK’s most forward thinking and dynamic independent jewellers. We caught up with designer Joanna Perera to find out more about where she gets her inspiration and what we can expect this season.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m 24 years old, I was born in London and when I’m not designing jewellery, you might find me at an open mic or gig, at the gym or in an art gallery. I also enjoy walking and, having recently moved to Glasgow, I am now discovering the beautiful walking routes in the city and around the Scottish countryside.
How did you get into jewellery designing?
As a child, I was always a bit of a magpie, finding and collecting shiny objects. Over time, those shiny objects became jewellery and my collection steadily grew. I still wear many of those pieces - they have great sentimental value. I always loved receiving jewellery as a gift and so I began creating small items of jewellery for my family and friends.
When did you first realise you wanted a career in jewellery design?
Before university, I was fascinated with both sculpture and fashion. Two exhibitions that inspired my design career were Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty show at the V&A and Richard Deacon’s retrospective at the Tate Britain. These very different exhibitions exemplified design at its best, while simultaneously bringing me to the realisation that I was torn between further exploring sculpture or pursuing a more fashion-led path. At this time, I was primarily working with small sculptures, but I felt constantly pulled back to my love of fashion and its intrinsic interaction with the wearer. For this reason, I began to explore sculpture on the body through body adornment and soon realised that the Jewellery Design course at Central Saint Martin’s was the perfect opportunity for me to combine my love of both sculpture and fashion. Whilst on the course, collaboration projects with brands such as Swarovski and Chaumet reaffirmed this decision, with my inner magpie falling even more in love with the art of jewellery design
What’s the best advice you could give for someone who can’t decide whether a piece of jewellery is for them or not?
Jewellery has a unique way of interacting with the wearer - it has a magical propensity to highlight and showcase our personalities. I would advise to look at the jewellery piece in person; hold it, touch it and wear it! In doing this, you can really get a sense of whether the piece matches your personality and style, how it feels on your skin and, more importantly, how it makes you feel. I find that when you wear a piece of jewellery, you can find yourself falling in love with pieces you never expected and even rejecting ones that you thought ticked all the right boxes.
Comfort vs aesthetic – which is more important?
I think that a well-designed and made piece of jewellery should perfectly combine both comfort and aesthetic. Jewellery is made to be worn, so there is no point having a beautiful piece if you never wear it.
What’s your favourite gemstone?
Although I love coloured gemstones, I feel that no stone can beat the brilliance of a diamond. Diamonds are innately classical, beautiful and timeless. Having said that, yellow and pink diamonds are so unique and rare, they really do catch my eye too.
If you could design jewellery for anyone who would it be?
I would love to design for Michelle Obama. She is such an inspirational woman and since reading her autobiography, I have gained so much respect and admiration for her! Plus, on top of all her accomplishments, she has great style and loves her statement jewellery.
What is your main focus when designing for ROX?
My aim when designing any item of jewellery is to produce a beautiful, unique and wearable piece that is treasured and stands the test of time.
Tell us a little bit about your upcoming ROX collections - where did the design inspiration for these stem from?
I have two main collections that will launch this season.
The inspiration behind ROX Cane was the versatility and strength of bamboo canes. Bamboo canes have a unique capability of being trained into almost any shape and retaining their innate strength, a feature making them one of the most versatile building resources the world can offer. The natural beauty, flexibility and strength of bamboo canes was therefore the perfect inspiration for ROX Cane; a range that transforms bamboo canes into link forms that offers the wearer customisable unique jewellery styles that range from your everyday jewellery look to key statement pieces.
ROX Lox is a truly fun and customisable collection. Every piece can be personalised with charms or engraving, letting you mix and match according to your own style. Key features of the range include the new carabiner and padlock styles, 18K vermeil gold plating and the inclusion of ROX diamonds on some of the pieces. I believe that the versatility of the ROX Lox collection will allow anyone to start building a ROX jewellery collection that really reflects their own personal style, whether through layered neckwear, multiple earrings or small-engraved pieces. I hope that this collection will create an accessible luxury for any customer.
Are there other collections in the pipeline?
I have just started work on a new collection for next year. All I can say at the moment is that I’m planning to put a ROX twist on a classic jewellery symbol.
How does designing for ROX compare to your previous work?
I’d say the main difference is that I now have the opportunity to take creative control and truly explore my design ideas in creating my new collections.
How do you want women to feel when wearing your designs?
My favourite pieces of jewellery are ones that become part of my everyday look. They are the pieces I never take off and feel naked without. Ideally, this is something that I would like my jewellery to become - an extension of the wearer and a reflection of their personality.
What’s next for ROX?
I would love to see ROX grow and expand to become an international brand. I believe that ROX has a bright future and that we will continue to offer something new and exciting to the luxury jewellery market.
