Five minutes with Noor Fares, jewellery designer

Noor Fares, image from Noorfares.com

1 What does jewellery mean to you?

To me, a piece of jewellery is a very special object that holds a deeper meaning.

2 How do you find inspiration for your jewellery designs?

I am inspired by my travel and by talismans, symbols and antique jewellery

Pyramid Pendant by Noor Fares

3 How do you approach design, is it structured or spontaneous?

I am very spontaneous by nature and at the beginning my design process was intuitive but I have developed my ideas into a more structure and methodical way. I also do lots of research to support my ideas.

Merkaba dress earrings by Noor Fares

4 Do you have a favourite piece of jewellery?

My grandmother’s wedding band, which is a very thin hexagon pavéd with diamonds, it is so under stated and elegant.

5 Can you provide some advice for anyone interested in designing and making jewellery.

It is very important to me to research as much as you can in order to further your ideas and to generate new ones.

Thank you Noor for this interview

Interview: Amanda Gerbasi, founder and designer at KATTRI

KATTRI is a jewellery brand which creates timeless pieces. Amanda Gerbasi is the founder and designer.

Amanda Gerbasi founded KATTRI after inspirations from her family and friends. Her great grandmother left Spain in 1900 to start a new life with her family in Brazil, she started designing and selling jewellery and was the first working woman in her family. Amanda's studies include Modern Languages, European studies as well as Architecture. She worked with friends from new womenswear label Isolda where she was inspired to venture into her passion for design.

Amanda sources rough gems from Minas Gerais (which translates as "General Mines") state in the heart of Brazil. KATTRI's foremost interest is aesthetics and all the gemstones used are conflict free, sourced and cut in Brazil.

1) What inspired you to create your current collection based on mathematical shapes and ideas?

 I am fascinated by the minimalism concept, where the simplest and fewest elements are used to create maximum impact and where empty spaces are equally important as "filled" or full ones.  So I started playing around with basic geometric shapes such as a circle and a rectangle.

The fact that KATTRI's pieces are designed on a 3D CAD software (for greater precision after my initial pencil sketches) also helps to visualise the exact geometric shapes that are being used to create such pieces. The names of the pieces usually come from the most prominent geometric shape used in their design. 

Another very important factor for me is that by giving these pieces such names I'm not attaching any specific meaning to them. In this way, the KATTRI customer is completely free to give their piece absolutely any meaning they want. It's completely up to them.

Hyperbola earring by KATTRI

2) How did you find and choose your conflict free supplier(s) and how easy is it to find such suppliers generally?

Well, I am lucky to come from a country that is one of the world's largest suppliers of gemstones.  Although there are still many social problems in Brazil the minerals sourced there are not used for funding any undemocratic activity or internal wars, and there is no child labour also. Using gemstones widely available in Brazil is my way of making sure I am not contributing to any such activities. 

I don't know how easy it would be to find such suppliers in African or Asian countries.  Also, my current gemstone supplier prides itself in having the highest professional ethics by giving its customers full disclosure of the origin and treatments of their gems.  

3)Do you have a favourite piece from your collection?

 My favourite pieces is the Quadrant ring.  This ring was the first piece I ever designed and the very positive feedback I got from it gave me confidence in my designing skills, so that I could develop a whole collection based on it.

The Quadrant ring by KATTRI

4)What advice would you give to aspiring jewellery designers?

 That's hard but I believe that besides an appealing product in today's market branding it's really important.  This is something that we work very hard on and there's always room for improvement! And of course, you have to really believe in yourself and not give up as it will probably be a tough (but rewarding!) ride.

Quadrant earring by KATTRI

Thanks for the interview Amanda.
To discover more visit:  http://kattri.com/

Image sources: KATTRI

Interview: Lauren Whitworth make-up artist , NYC

Lauren Whitworth is one of my friends  and I was thrilled when she happily agreed to an interview. She has a super exciting job as a successful make-up Artist in New York and I have positive envy- I've just made that term up!

1) When did you become a make up artist and can you describe a typical week if there is such thing as a typical week?

I ACTUALLY BECAME A MAKEUP ARTIST INDIRECTLY WHILST STUDYING FOR MY DEGREE IN PHOTOGRAPHY, I HAD NO BUDGET FOR A MAKEUP ARTIST FOR MY PROJECT SHOOTS, AND WAS ALWAYS SO INTO DOING MY OWN MAKEUP - I JUST DECIDED TO DO BOTH! I KNOW MY TRAINING IN PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED ME TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW MAKEUP IS TRANSLATED ONTO CAMERA, AND I THINK WHENEVER YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO, YOU ALWAYS EXCEL AT IT. MY LOVE FOR MAKEUP ARTISTRY GREW AND GREW - SO IN MY THIRD AND FINAL YEAR AT UNIVERSITY I DECIDED TO GET A PART TIME JOB AT A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO AS THE IN-HOUSE MAKEUP ARTIST. THE REST IS HISTORY! AFTER I GRADUATED I NEVER PICKED UP A CAMERA IN A PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY AGAIN! I ENROLLED IN A YEAR LONG MAKEUP ARTISTRY COURSE AT THE DELAMAR ACADEMY OF MAKEUP, WHERE I ENDED UP ASSISTING ONE OF MY TUTORS ON EDITORIAL SHOOTS. I WAS SOON BOOKING MY OWN JOBS ANDVTHEN FIVE YEARS LATER, MY CAREER BROUGHT ME TO NEW YORK CITY! I AM 31 YEARS OLD NOW AND IT'S HARD TO THINK I'VE BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY FOR A DECADE ALREADY. TIME FLIES WHEN YOU ARE HAVING FUN I GUESS! WHAT I LOVE IN ADDITION TO THE VARIETY OF MY JOB, IS THE REACTION I SEE IN PEOPLE 'POST' MAKEUP SESSION. YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE ARE VISUALLY MORE CONFIDENT IN THEIR SKIN AND I LOVE MAKING PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES. NO DAY IS EVER THE SAME. ONE DAY I AM WORKING ON A TV COMMERCIAL, THE NEXT A MENSWEAR SHOOT, THE NEXT DAY, A TOP CELEBRITY! ITS JUST SO FUN IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE WORK! I MAY BE SHOOTING FOR A DAY IN MANHATTAN, OR A WEEK IN MOSCOW! NEVER THE SAME -BEST JOB EVER! 

Lauren Whitworth on set.

2) What are your top tips for everyday makeup and evening makeup?

NO MATTER HOW CONFIDENT YOU FEEL APPLYING MAKEUP, A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY. THEREFORE, FOR DAY, I THINK THE BEST THING TO DO IS FRESHEN UP THE SKIN, BRIGHTEN AND OPEN UP THE EYES, (EVEN IF ITS JUST A MINIMAL LICK OF MASCARA AFTER CURLING THE LASHES) AND HEALTHY GLOSSY LIPS. I THINK MAKEUP MID-DAY SHOULD BE CLEAN, PROFESSIONAL AND KEPT TO A MINIMUM. AND A HINT OF CORAL ON THE CHEEK, OR WARM PINK JUST ADDS THAT HEALTHY, FRESH, WELL-SLEPT GLOW. FOR EVENING, YOU CAN REALLY HAVE MORE FUN! ADD A SULTRY EYE, A FEW FALSE LASHES OR A DRAMATIC RED LIP AND YOU ARE INSTANTLY GLAMMED UP FOR THE NIGHT!

Lauren making up Kathy Sledge from 'Sister Sledge'

3) What inspires you as a make up artist?

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF MAKING PEOPLE FEEL GREAT IS MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION. I LOVE OBSERVING MY CLIENTS BODY LANGUAGE GRADUALLY CHANGE AS THEY SIT STRAIGHTER IN MY CHAIR, OR LIFT THEIR HEAD UP WITH MORE CONFIDENCE AS THE MAKEUP PROCESS TAKES SHAPE. 

4) How do you manage your time and client expectations?

I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH MY CLIENTS IN FINDING OUT WHAT THEY WANT AND OF COURSE, AS EVERYONE IN NYC IS PRETTY BUSY, TIME CAN BE OF THE ESSENCE! GOOD COMMUNICATION IS KEY IN EVERYTHING, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THIS FIELD.

Beauty advice by Lauren Whitworth

5) What are your favourite places in NYC ?

 I AM MADLY IN LOVE WITH NYC AND SO IT'S HARD TO PICK EVEN JUST A COUPLE PLACES! I LOVE THE BUZZ OF MANHATTAN, WHETHER YOU BE IN A BAR, SEE A SHOW, OR JUST WALK THE STREETS AND OBSERVE LIFE. NEW YORK HAS ITS OWN HEART BEAT AND THE GRANDEUR OF THE PLACE NEVER WEARS OFF, NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU LIVE HERE. EVEN NOW, I STILL DRIVE OVER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, SEE THE NY SKYLINE AND GET BUTTERFLIES IN MY TUMMY! I ADORE THIS CITY AS IF IT WERE A PERSON! I LIVE IN A FABULOUS PART OF BROOKLYN CALLED PARK SLOPE WHICH HAS A VERY FAMILY FEEL TO IT, AND SO ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IS JUST WALK WITH MY BOYFRIEND AND TWO PUGS AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, GO TO THE BAR (WITH DOGS!) AND JUST TAKE A STEP BACK FROM ALL THE GLAMOR AND ENJOY THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE!

The tools and make up......

Lauren's website is http://www.laurenwhitworth.com

Images provided by Lauren Whitworth

Interview: Banu Kent, der liebling

Banu Kent

I love coming across new talent and the beauty of the web is that you can discover wonderful creations worldwide, one is no longer limited to domestic products, services and inspirations as compared to over a decade ago.

I came across Banu Kent's jewellery creations via http://maritsa.co/. Banu is based in Istanbul.  I have conversed with her by email and have purchased a few of her beautiful braided necklaces. Her brand is der liebling which means "the darling" in German.  Banu's latest project is der liebling x martisa a collaboration on a world of semi precious gemstones.

You can therefore sense that I was excited when she kindly agreed to an interview. Firstly here are a few photos of her new designs:

The model is Meric Küçük of Martisa.co

These and a few more beautiful designs  are currently available for purchase online at http://der-liebling.net/

Interview:

1)  What inspired you to become a jewellery designer and maker? 

I can`t really call myself a jewellery designer as I had no intentions to become one. I just love jewellery and to create something, anything. 

2) Do you make all the pieces yourself?

Yes and with the help of the craftmen in the small atelier where we work together.

3)  How do you design your jewellery as in what is your thought and design process?

It really comes naturally. Like love at first sight... When I see something that inspires me I immediately start thinking about the creation process and the end product. So I sit behind my work table and play until I get it right. Sometimes I end up creating a piece that is completely different than what I intended at first. 

4) What are your plans say in five years time?

I have no clue... Most probably, to stay excited and inspired, travel a lot, love and make beautiful things?

5) What is your favourite piece of jewellery?

I love everything what the nature has to offer and use them in my jewellery.

6) It's great that Turkey as an emerging market is showing great talent in the arts and culture. What are your favourite places in Istanbul?

Turkey, especially Istanbul has started to raise many young talents in the past few years. After I moved back from Amsterdam where I lived for 7 years, I was really amazed how much the city had evolved. Each month I discover a new art gallery, a cosy corner cafe and music venues. The city is inspiring and never sleeping! My favourite places in Istanbul would be the old parts; the area around the Grand Bazaar which is heaven for curious explorers like me and any area along the Boshporous where you can enjoy the amazing view and the smell of the salty sea.

7)Any chance you may venture into rings?  Rings are my favourite and I have weakness for rings!  

 Yes! I am working on couple of designs at the moment. Hope soon they will be finished so I can share them with the rest of the world :-)

Many thanks Banu for the interview. I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing and hearing more about your beautiful work.  

You can follow Banu Kent on http://der-liebling.net/ and facebook.

Interview: Talita Setyady

A while ago while browsing the internet I came across this blog Talita's kitchen . I have been a follower and supporter of her blog since. Talita herself is a lovely, friendly person :)

Talita Setyady writes about her cooking adventures, her recipes and the stories behind them on her blog.  Her recipes are very creative and visually beautiful.   I wanted to know more about how she works and her future plans. She kindly agreed to an interview.

A little bit about Talita....
Talita graduated with a BMus in Jazz Performance from the University of Auckland. She plays the double bass for girl trio Teacups. After graduating she went on to explore another one of her passions which is food. 

She travelled from New Zealand to Paris to study Cuisine and patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu. In June 2012 she graduated with the "Grand Diplome" ranking first in Patisserie.

Just a couple of her creations....

The cherry and lime cake by Talita Setyady

Red plum tart with hazelnut frangipane

.I'm sure you'll agree that she is one very talented woman.  I'm sure that Talita with her creativity, hard work and dedication will be successful with her career.

Interview:

1) I love the way you mix food and style e.g. referencing Tom Ford
lipstick and drawing inspiration from a candle.  It's a niche that is
pretty and  unique plus your creations are visually beautiful.  How do
you think of such ideas and recipes, are they generally spontaneous or
planned?

I am constantly thinking about cakes! Whatever field you choose to
pursue, I think it is important not just to consume what is presented
to you, but learn to be creative and really think about how you can
improve it. I spend a lot of time reading recipe books, going to
pastry shops and scouring food blogs. I find inspiration everywhere,
but I never want to just reproduce what has already been done before.
When I see a cake I like the look and taste of, I always try to
identify the aspects of it that works and what doesn't. This way, I
find I have a collection of ideas from which I can draw inspiration
from whenever I am designing my own cakes.

When I studied music, I would always have a voice recorder handy to
record sudden inspired moments when I am playing my double bass or
piano. I do the same now when I get ideas from tasting a cake or
passing a pastry shop's window. But instead of using a voice recorder,
I use my cellphone's notepad to type in ideas. I guess I still see
myself first and foremost as an artist/creative being than a chef. I
am definitely not the kind of cook that can survive 15 hours in the
kitchen just going through the motions. I need to be out and about,
reading, tasting, asking and creating.

2) If I recall correctly most of your recipes are sweet. Does this
mean you are more of a sweet toothed person than a savoury one?

I am in love with all kinds of food! I just find that I am able to
express my ideas better through designing my own cakes and pastries. I
am not like some of my pastry friends who can survive from eating just
desserts for all their meals!

3) I like  many readers I am sure love the way you provide photos for
a lot of the steps in your recipes.  Do  you take the photos yourself?

Yes I take the pictures myself. I use a Canon EOS 600D DSLR camera and
a Canon EF 35mm f/2 wide angle lens. I always use natural lighting as
I do not own any lighting equipments. I am by no means a proper
photographer, but I have a lot of fun taking pictures of my food!

4) Are video tutorials something you may look into?

I currently have a macaron instructional video in the pipelines. I
will definitely look into doing more, as I am a visual learner myself.

5) Where do you see yourself in say five years time?

I am nearing the end of my stay in Paris. I am moving to New York City
in 2013 to learn restaurant management, bread baking and cake design.
After that, I will be moving again to Bali - Indonesia where I will be
working at opening my own restaurant/tea room at my family's hotel in
2014. However, I hope to continue to travel and be inspired by what is
eaten and enjoyed around the world. I definitely plan on releasing my
own cookbook when the restaurant/tea room is up and running.

Thanks for the interview Talita and best wishes! I look forward to hearing about your next adventures & your cookbook. I hope we can meet one day!