Jewellery designer Nicholas Liu launches everyday collection

"I met Nicholas [Liu] after he graduated from Central Saint Martins. I hired him as an accessories designer [for] Shanghai Tang even though I knew that he didn't know anything about handbags. I was so impressed by his jewellery design that I didn't care and I just wanted to involve him in the company," says Joanne Ooi. "It's been really wonderful to be reunited with him and help with the commercialisation of his collection."

Hong Kong-born Liu's new Vertigo collection is based around the idea of geometry with an "easier to wear" aesthetic, but his style is always anchored in the idea of symmetry. The strict lines and discipline of his Vertigo collection are inspired by the skyscrapers of his current home, New York.

"I have two collections, the minimalist and the maximalist. This minimalist line is fine jewellery for everyday - [it] kind of goes with everything. You don't need to worry about it," says Liu. "The symmetry kind of played into that theme, too, whereas the maximalist line [which has been around for six years] is a lot more romantic and baroque [mostly made up of one-off haute joallerie].

"People were surprised when I came out with Vertigo," Liu says. "It is more commercially driven, more affordable and easier to wear."

Earrings range from US$895 to US$4,000; cuffs range from US$3,000 to US$5,000.

Jing Zhang