How jewellery designer Ben Choi’s nostalgic creations wooed Naomi Campbell as a fan
- The Hong Kong designer reinterprets childhood memories for his playful jewellery line, BC Joaillerie
How did you end up becoming a jewellery designer? “I’ve always liked to paint and draw, and studied art, design and education at Polytechnic University. About 13 years ago, I visited the Hong Kong Jewellery Show and was inspired to design jewellery. I did a few courses and ended up working for companies in Hong Kong and Singapore, including King Fook Jewellery.
“About five years ago I started to post some of my sketches on Instagram and people would message me asking where they could buy my pieces. It just grew from there and two years ago I quit my job and devoted myself to BC Joaillerie full time.”
Why did you focus on fashion jewellery? “People today spend less money, and the look has become quite toned down. I use silver, which is more accessible and allows me to be more creative and to experiment. We use a workshop in Lyon, France, to make the wax moulds and do the enamelling. Even so, our prices are reasonable and range from a few hundred dollars to HK$4,800 for pieces with small diamonds. I create fun jewellery that people don’t mind spending money on.”
Your collections are nostalgic. What inspires them? “When I used to work at big companies, they would send us on these inspiration trips to Europe. It was great but so much of what we saw wasn’t relevant or recognisable to people here.
“These days, when you go out and shop, there’s so much to buy. There are many beautiful things but nothing has meaning or makes you smile. I want people to connect to my jewellery easily, so I try to bring a story that everyone recognises, whether it’s inspired by our daily life in Hong Kong or childhood memories. These themes are universal and recognisable to all.”