Diamond in the Rough: Interview with Patcharavipa, fine jewellery designer
Patcharavipa Bodiratnangkura’s very first collection consisted of enamel rings and cotton candy earrings, revealing her flair for sculpting jewellery from unexpected materials. None of that has been lost; using locally-sourced gemstones and rare materials (think coconut shells and Siam gold), the Central Saint Martins alumnus now designs elegant jewellery pieces for her eponymous label that redefine luxury for the modern age. She tells us more about her design philosophy in our exclusive interview below.
What first drew you to jewellery designing?
I was fascinated by the sparkles of the gemstones that I looked at when I was younger. I was really curious about how they worked, because these were natural materials that came from the mine.
Why do you place so much importance on natural materials in your designs?
I think it’s good for the Earth. It’s sort of like borrowing from nature. Using natural materials also makes each piece different, so everyone can own a piece that’s uniquely theirs. In future, though, I want to explore using recycled materials — recycled gold and plastic. It’s interesting.
Your Spring/Summer 2018 collection, Gingko Metrics, was inspired by a trip to Japan. Can you tell us more about that?
When I went to Happoen Garden in Japan, I picked up a dry gingko leaf. I found the shape to be very unique; it looked alive and at the same time it was completely dry. The linear texture of the leaf was very beautiful and imperfect. For the collection, we used an Oshibana (Japanese art of flower pressing) technique to imprint the leaf’s pattern onto gold.
What are some other intriguing places that you’ve been to or that you would like to see?
The Grand Canyon in America was very nice. I would also like to visit South Africa.
Your jewellery pieces can take months or even years to complete. With the effort involved, do you consider your handcrafted creations as art?
No, I would never call them art because the pieces are practical and we wear them instead of just showing them. Instead, I call them objects. They do have a little bit of sculpture and fashion in them, but they’re too consistent to call art.
Who are some designers or artists that you admire?
I really like Richard Serra, who is an American sculptor, and Azzedine Alaïa, who is a big influence as well.
What is your favourite jewellery item to wear and why?
I’m very used to my hoop earrings. They are very comfortable and they easily go from day to night. You also feel a bit down to earth wearing hoops, I think.
