THE CHALLENGE
To design intellectual elevated, refined, more complex and sustainable jewels that will be the expression of a strong contemporary aesthetic sense and the artisanal tradition while exploring new technologies; and to effectively respond to the larger scale demand and rapid market requests of the contemporary globalized world.
THE SOLUTION
The Project will develop a collection of jewellery mixing together the professional and different skills of such diverse partner’s background. The process will be about the combination of reusing industrial materials with deep creativity (sustainable message – Reuse Design), with the Filigree’s traditional and delicate Maletese technique (advanced jewellery craftsmanship – The Silversmith) up to the final exploration of new smarter materials with the 3d printing (ultimate technology – Turnia). The 3d printing will also allow to create prototypes and increase productivity.
THE IDEA
I clearly remember the exact moment the project’s Concept idea popped up into my mind: I was sitting in my house’s garden. Eyes closed. The sun was warming up my body. Spring was there, just in time to inspire with its mood, colours, flavours and it’s reinassence spirit. I was thinking about how combining and contaminating different skills and expertises could bring some great value and innovation to any work flow and experience. In this project me (Italy) and my partners (Nicholas Magro, Malta and Emilka Nyka, Poland) has a very different story and background. In that moment I realized that the key of this synergy would have been to translate our diversity as professionals into the progect strenght. I assigned automatically a temporal dimension to me and my partners: each temporal dimension (PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE) has specific characteristics and meanings. I opened my eyes and I understood that it was the right intuition. We would have created a new jewellery collection combining the three of us: filigree (Heritage and tradition to be preserved – Past – Nicholas Magro) + upcycling industrial materials (Circular Economy, Sustainabilty – Present – me, Maria Clelia Scuteri) + 3d printing (Innovation – Future – Emilka Nika).
THE BIRTH OF THE PROJECT
The project was born with the willing of making the final consumer reflect about the choices consciousness and time as a value that passes but remains. What we choose TODAY affect TOMORROW. What we were YESTERDAY, will be part of TOMORROW as well. YESTERDAY, TODAY and TOMORROW are the pieces of the same mosaic. The idea that next took shape was to create a “combination code” of Past, Present and Future mixed together which would have determine the exact number of pieces to be created:
1. Past (Filigree)
2. Past + Present (Filigree + Upcycled Industrial material)
3. Past + Future (Filigree + 3d Printing)
4. Present (Upcycled Industrial material)
5. Present + Future (Upcycled Industrial material + 3d Printing)
6. Future (Algoritm parametrisation and 3d printing).
This would have meant to combine different manufactoring techniques (Artisanality, upcycling and technol-
ogy), with each its different aesthetic, compositional, technical and production rules. How exiting and challengig at the same time? Nowadays the customer needs a deep connection with the product. Need to truly find something unique that goes beyond the concept of “temporary” and “seasonal” in order to last over time because it represents the transposition of real values and shared beliefs. We want to let the custom- er discover the meaning behind every single gesture (the delicate and traditional filigree manufacturing, technique that unfortunately is disappearing – European Heritage, Past-; the art of collecting, reinterpreting and upcycling industrial objects – Circular Economy, Present-; the avant-garde technology of the metal 3d printing and the endless parametric solutions – Innovation, Future-). The biggest challange has been to create an appropriate and consistent dialogue between such different areas. Another challenge has been to translate a traditional and defined handmade technique such as the filigree into contemporary and three dimentional shapes. We discoverd its versatility, being able to preserve this antique artistic technique. We wanted also to use the technology as a guide towards the future taking inspiration from tradition, without giving up on innovation. In this fascinating journey we discovered, challenged ourselves, learned, created, dialogued through different languages and finally found our own unique language.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS
Has been a difficult but fascinating journey. It is in the difficulties that creativity expresses itself in all its power. I remember that once we found the right way, every single design came out naturally like something that is already written. The hardest thing ever about this project has been combining with consistency and refinement such different languages and techniques in order to deliver innovative and creative products in the form of contemporary shapes. We reasoned by constrasts: creating clear and dis- tinct geometric shapes, softened by the filigree made of a sinuous silver thread. 3d geometric wireframes shapes versus 2d organic patterns. The long nuts, linear and simple industrial objects that we upcycled, were the perfect elements that could dialogue properly with the other two components. I remember when Nicholas in Malta was creating by hand the filigree, and I was in Rome. Every sketch that we made before about the filigree designs changed dramatically because it has been an empirical work made up of many tests. In that moment I realized how delicate and precise the filigree process is, and how fine is the silver thread needed for it. Pictures cannot explain. I also remember when Emilka sketched very quickly the “Fu- ture” bracelet and sent it by email. I immediately took her image and translated it into another 3d model, which came out as the perfect combination of the idea that we both had in our mind. That happened in 10 minutes! I mean this when I say we found our own language.
THE COLLABORATION
This is an interesting and very sperimental project which has benefited greatly from this part- nership thanks to the background diversity and the professional affinity of the partners. This is a perfect combination of Innovation inspired by tradition, passing throught artisanality, technology, upcycling, de- sign and uniqueness. Working in a partnership as group has a huge plus: the generation of contextual and useful ideas for the development of the project becomes exponential. The combination of the ideas of the different partners generates more complex and therefore more sophisticated ideas. The result? Even more performing products, that tells different experiences, cultures, professionalism and skills. There can only be a great enrichment. Interesting ideas and new perspectives can also come from any discussion and/or different points of view.
THE FUTURE
Of course I imagine to sell the products we created in the future. The result is a refined and class jewels collection perfect for its target audience. It retraces important themes without compromising on contemporary aesthetics. One selling option could be online, through e-commerce platforms; and would be amazing to find some distribution channels like B2B design shops, design retailers, luxury fashion boutiques around the country (to start. Then the idea is to expand in some european capital overseas). I would need some further scale up in the near future. This is the begginning, and any kind of support/investment would be more than useful for me, to further develop these products and my business in general.
THE MESSAGE
I see collaborations as seeds: once the seed is seeded it will make something grow; from a collective point of view the usefulness of collaborations resides in the quality of what is produced, in the making process and in the result itself; but also in the shared experience, in the journey, in the potential synergy between the partners which can lead to the birth of future project together etc. From an individ- ual point of view each person can gain knowledge, experience, expertises, passion for something that didn’t know about before, different perspectives, ideas and personal purposes.
