THE COLORS OF COLOMBIA

e non solo, Paula Gaviria è ispirata da tutte quelle culture dove i gioielli non sono solo decorativi ma parte integrante della vita stessa di un popolo.Dalla Colombia, sua terra, all'Etiopia, dalla Cina al Mali...Paula assimila e seleziona le tradizioni di tutto il mondo per dare vita ad una collezione che è sì declinata in chiave etnica, ma molto molto più sofisticata. 


Le ho fatto qualche domanda per The Missing Idea, purtroppo via PC, ed ecco la nostra breve conversazione...


When you decided that it was time to create your own line?After working for big fashion companies like Oysho (sister of Zara) I decided I had to change my life´s direction as that it wasn't satisfying me at all.  I´ve always made accesories for friends and family, and I´ve been collecting jewellery from all my trips, so after leaving Oysho I knew I had to put all that knowledge together and start something mine, something that embrace all those concepts I´ve seen in different cultures related with jewellery

What is the first piece you designed?
The first piece I design for this collection, was the big pink necklace. Inspired on tribal necklaces from my country, Colombia.

Did someone support you in this project in particular and in wich way?Thanks god everyone around supported me. My family, my boyfriend, and all my friends. Everyone contributed in someway. Also i´ve been developing the technical issues with Berta ( jeweller collegue www.bertariera.com) , who has help me a on the technical aspects.

Where do you take your inspiration?
As I said before, I´ve been collecting, making notes, drawings of the jewells/trinkets I found around the world. The truth is that things that inspire me come from very diverse places, to name a few,  the Miao ethnic group in China, the Dogon and Peul in Mali, the Tuareg in the Sahara, the Hammer and Surma in Ethiopia, the Mexican silverworks, some ethnic groups from the 80 or more indigenous that live in Colombia, the marvellous artist Kimiko Yoshida, the Katchina Dolls from U.S.A. , the bakelite and plastic boom in Europe on the early XX century, Lea Stein...also, while formalizing the collection, I had the opportunity to revisit the Gold Museum in Bogotá - Colombia, and the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.

Wich is the best satisfaction a jewelery designer could have?The moment you remember like the best?and the hardest?

Probably the best satisfaction is when the whole collection is finished, and one see that what once you draw, looks good for real . When the first bracelet prototype was finished, it was very exciting!!! And off course it's very satisfactory people´s response. I remember the whole process as very enjoyable, the design, manufacture, looking for suppliers, the shooting, doing the web etc...I became my own creative director!

Hard times come when you are back to real world, SELLING! that´s what im working on wright now.

E questi sono i suoi pezzi...

{ Paula Gaviria }