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Chris Oliver

Fifteen graduates from one of Japan's top design schools will be showcasing their work in the Design Galleria of the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show.

The former students hail from the Tokyo-based Hiko-Mizuno College of Jewelry, which is regarded as one of the country's leading jewellery design institutes.

All the pieces on display are produced by independent designers.

The school is assisting in the sponsorship of the exhibition as part of its alumni services.

Ayuko Kobayashi, 27, a graduate of the Hiko-Mizuno's Jewellery Design programme in 2000, says this is the third time the school has organised an alumni exhibition in Hong Kong.

Ms Kobayashi took part in the Hong Kong jewellery show last September where her La Purezza collection was well received. In fact, it won her a design contract with local jewellers Chow Sang Sang.

She is exhibiting 10 pieces, comprising necklaces, rings and earrings, from a collection inspired by 'natural phenomena'.

'I accept everything around me as it is,' Ms Kobayashi says, to explain a collection that combines natural materials including gold, silver and resins.

'Through this process I find beauty and interesting things naturally. I never lose my curiosity about the things around me. This way of seeing helps me to create new designs.'

Ms Kobayashi says her collection has been successful at home despite the recession in Japan, adding that she has yet to break into international markets.

Madoka Utsunomiya, a graduate of the school's Product Design programme in 1993, says the Hong Kong exhibition is an important stage in establishing her branded jewellery collection.

She is a freelance designer for Chow Sang Sang and Mikimoto, and has worked with Monet Group, Liz Claiborne, and Avon Products in New York.

To help pay the bills, she designs handbags for Japanese firm Why Company as her main line of work. She says her design philosophy is based on her life experiences in Japan and New York.

'I have spent many years in New York, so my taste is very modern. A little bit Japanese, a little bit New York. It is mixed.'

She left New York shortly after the terrorist attacks in September 2001, and returned to Japan to work on establishing her own brand.

'I like combinations and gradations of colour with an elegant look. I prefer a modern style that is not too feminine, not too masculine. Somewhere in between.'

Her collection comprises mainly necklaces and earrings in 18-carat gold and semi-precious stones. She will be displaying up to 13 pieces at the exhibition. She says her work has yet to be sold outside of Japan.

Over the past three years, the Hiko-Mizuno College has been organising trade missions to regional jewellery shows, mainly to Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Of the 15 designers represented at the show, only about half the number are expected to attend in person.

Ms Utsunomiya says visitors can expect the booth to stand out for its individuality.

'I heard that the booth representing the school this year is very creative and modern,' she says.

'Last September, when I attended the Hong Kong jewellery show, our work stood out as creative and iconoclastic. It was very different from the other booths.'



Japanese talents showcased in boldly different display