Lara Bohinc
When jewellery designer Lara Bohinc left Slovenia in 1994 to pursue a master's degree in jewellery and metalwork after studying industrial and graphic design, she did not realise she would settle down in London.
'Very few Slovenians move abroad; my parents think I'm crazy to live in London,' says the 34-year-old. It didn't take long before her talent - a headpiece she designed for a friend's show - was spotted by an editor at British Vogue, which resulted in the piece being photographed by Mario Testino. In 1997, she won the Marks and Spencer New Year Generation Award and set up her own label.
Since then, she has worked with the fashion elite, including Gucci, Lanvin and Costume National. Today, her creations are sold worldwide, from her boutique in London's Hoxton Square to Browns and Harrods, Scoop in New York and Harvey Nichols and Maria Luisa in Hong Kong.
Attributing her design sensibilities to a love for fashion, architecture and design, Bohinc incorporates her industrial and graphic design skills into her jewellery. 'I design everything on the computer so I see things very graphically, in two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms. I always consider how things are made, what are the processes and new ways of making things,' says Bohinc. Her pieces are made from a process called electroplating, in which the metal is colour coated in yellow gold, bronze chrome and black zinc.
Describing her style as feminine, graphic and bold, Bohinc draws inspiration from personal experiences and ancient cultures to create pieces using innovative techniques such as photo-etching and laser cutting. 'It's kind of like marrying contradiction; my pieces are bold yet light, graphic yet feminine. It's like mixing things that you wouldn't expect, but wearable at the same time,' says Bohinc.
For her Rope collection of bracelets and necklaces, Bohinc translates the idea of making knots - inspired by childhood memories of sailing with her family - into seamless chains made from gold-plated brass. 'It's the idea of knotting, pleating and twisting - everything that reminds me of sailors and knots,' says Bohinc.
Highlights include the Hula Hoop necklace comprising interlocked gold loops, the Rosetta necklace with a simple knot in the middle of a long chunky chain, and a large plait bangle made of interlocked chains. These pieces are surprisingly light in weight due to their hollow structure, making them easy and comfortable to wear.
She takes the concept further by playing with metal cuts and handiwork. 'I fold things over to create volume with flat sheets of metal,' she says of the Rainbow Origami collection featuring clusters of metal plates with rainbow motifs.
The Brilliant collection features geometric shapes of metals plates created by a laser-plating technique.
Besides fashion jewellery, Bohinc is expanding into accessories including handbags, purses, sunglasses and belts, all featuring elements from her jewellery - such as a leather purse accessorised with patterned metal plates. Plans are under way for a fine jewellery collection to be launched by the end of next year. 'It's going to be fine pieces with gold, diamonds, precious and semi-precious stones. The pieces will be much more delicate, with materials like white, yellow and rose gold; diamonds and some colourful pieces with lots of coloured stones,' says Bohinc.
She credits her creativity and fashion savvy to following her instincts and being observant. 'It's very much a personal perspective - what should I wear, what would my mum want to wear, and what would my friends want to wear.
I think if you're in touch with what's going on and have your own antenna switched on to the pulse of the time, you're part of it. You create new trends.'
Her advice for finding the right piece of jewellery? 'You want to accentuate your best feature because jewellery always invites and creates attention to certain parts of the body, be it a beautiful neck or hand.'
Shopping list
Lara Bohinc
Harvey Nichols, the Landmark, Central; tel: 3695 3388
Maria Luisa, Shop 211, Lee Garden One, Causeway Bay; tel: 2907 2028
