I knew that I’d like to make an interview with Alis since
I’ve met her at the beginning of this summer, but the minute she showed me her newest creation a few weeks ago we both understood that the right moment for a lovely discussion about her work was getting
closer.
Alis Lalu is a
talented Romanian jewelry designer and her most recent collection is called “Adagio in G
Minor”, having a violin as its centerpiece. She designed it for Autor 10, the largest contemporary
jewelry fair in Romania which is going to take place at mid-November in
Bucharest.
Ladies and gentlemen,
please meet Alis Lalu!
GP: How many
jewelry items does “Adagio in G Minor” collection have?
AL: I've designed the first violin 3 years ago and the idea of
it has never left me ever since. It stayed with me until this new collection
came to life. It now has 4 items and I’ll be working at 3 other more. But I’m
sure it’s an open story, which will not end here.
The collection, as it looks at this moment, is consisted of
a necklace, a pair of earrings – an oversized violin for one ear and a fiddle
bow for the other – and 2 brooches.
It was not my purpose to replicate
a violin as it is in reality, but rather to get inspired by its feminine and sensual
shape. The juxtaposition of contrasts is the main idea of the necklace: a
delicate and glossy finished violin put on a slightly industrial, more massive
tubular chain. It conveys the fact that music brings together different
generations and people regardless of age, sex, occupation or ethnicity.
GP: By the way, how did you get the idea for
this new collection of yours?
AL: Many things have inspired me. I've designed my first violin
for a dear friend of mine 3 years ago, who was doing music. At that time, he
asked me to make him a brooch. I was looking to come up with something representative
for him, strongly connected with his passion for music. This is how I got the
idea of a violin.
Moreover, from that very moment, I began to think of a
collection of violins bearing in mind that Adagio in G minor is my favorite
musical composition.
I first listened to it in a play at Bucharest National Theater and
it haunted me ever since. It’s one of the compositions that make me cry. You
could easily become slightly depressed by listening to it and, at the same
time, it loads you with positive energy. There are ups and downs, just like
life teaches us so many times.
I knew back then that this idea will come to life at the
right moment. I didn't get to work immediately because I needed time to absorb
the concept, to let it come to surface whenever it was right.
There is also another novelty within this collection – there
is no ring in it, which is a big step forward for me. If you take a look at my
previous collections, you’ll see that they’re mainly consisted of rings. It was
not my purpose to do so. I simply turned to rings everything I saw in my mind as
I visualized my creations that way.
GP: Speaking about rings, you once said in an
interview that your favorite jewelry item remains the ring, simply because
“hands help us connect with others and build relationships”. Very nicely said!
Which is your favorite ring?
AL: It is so difficult to choose only one. The feeling I get when
finishing a piece of jewelry is similar to the mother-child relationship. You
might think I overreact, but I don’t. It’s so hard for me to separate from my
creations because I love them so much. On the other hand, I can’t keep them
only for myself, I wanna show them to the world, to let them go and bring joy
in someone else's life.
But if I must choose one, this would be a white gold
ring with emerald, from the Duchess Brocart collection. The gemstone is mounted
in yellow gold to emphasize the green color.
Why did I choose this ring instead of other? Just because I
love the green color of emerald. I got this from my mother who’s in love with
this hue too. I remember she had emerald jewelry when I was little and I was
anxious to grow up and wear them. I did and now I’m making my own jewelry.
Duchess Brocart collection is inspired by the sumptuous
jewels worn by Duchesses and also by their elegance and the shape of their brocade dresses. What I did
in this collection was to render the metal structure of brocade.
GP: Tell me more, how do you get inspired?
AL: It's an ongoing process. What happens every day inspires me,
maybe not even consciously. Let’s take “Adagio in G Minor” collection for
example. There are many things that inspired me – maybe the disappointment that
I missed “George Enescu” festival, the Romanians’ pride of having it, its
success, a play, my favorite musical composition. All these put together are o
source of inspiration. At the opposite, there are moments when you’re looking
for the inspiration and either you fail to find it or it doesn't find you. In Pablo
Picasso’s words I believe the most in these moments: “Inspiration exists, but
it must find you working.” I then sit at my desk and let myself guided by the
material I’m working with. I get inspired by it or, better said, by its
limitations.
GP: What does jewelry mean to you, as a
designer and a woman?
AL: It means more than an accessory, that’s for sure. It brought
change into my life. I began designing jewelry after 5 or 6 years spent in a
corporation. It helped me find my way in life, at least at this point. Maybe
tomorrow I’ll play drums, who knows. I’m joking, of course. J
GP: You didn't tell me what jewelry means to
you as a woman and you’re not getting away with it. Is there any difference
between Alis wearing jewelry and Alis without any?
AL: Of course there is! I don’t wear jewelry as an accessory,
but rather as a statement and an extension of my personality. I do not care if
a ring, at least the one I’m wearing, is comfortable or in tune with my
clothes. Quite the opposite. Sometimes I choose the ring first and decide after
what I’ll wear that day. I’d like to think that women who appreciate my work
are doing the same. It is also an extension of femininity after all. It’s true
that men are also wearing jewelry but we could wear so much more.
GP: Tell me about your collections in just one
word. OK, in a few words if it’s difficult to define them otherwise. J
Adagio in G Minor – feminine, suave, music brings people together
GP: When did you realize that you want to be a jewelry designer?
AL: I've always been curious how jewelry is being made. I
met David Sandu one day, who told me that I could learn how to make jewelry in
only 2 weeks. I found his statement fascinating and I joined
Assamblage Contemporary Jewelry School, without knowing exactly what is going to happen
there. I trusted David and his work. I just knew after this course that I need
to grab my tools and get to work. It was a process. I perceived it as a hobby
at first, which is still valid today, only now I’m much more aware of it.
GP: What’s next?
AL: Autor 10 Contemporary Jewelry Fair in Bucharest, on 16th
and 17th of November. It will be a special edition as Autor fair has
reached its tenth edition, in which my colleagues and I will present statement
jewelry.
This fair comes after another important event that
recently took place at Galateca Gallery. I’m talking about Jewelry Design Fair,
an event that I was very proud of. We celebrated the third anniversary of
Assamblage School at the fair. This is the school I talked you about, which had
me as a student 3 years ago and now hosts me as a professor, as I’ve been
giving jewelry classes for almost one year and a half.
Thank you Alis for
this lovely interview and I can’t wait to see your creations at Autor 10!
Labels: Alis Lalu, Autor 10, collection, contemporary jewelry, designer, fair, Georgiana Petcu blog, jewelry, jewelry blog, jewelry designer, jewelry love affair, meet the designer
.jpg)
