How would you describe your creative process?
I don’t really get my inspiration from other jewelers, but
from a lot of things, all the time, such as my travels, architecture, interior
design — which I am crazy about — by walking in the streets and looking at
people’s attitude and style. The most difficult aspect of my jewelry creation
process is to transcribe my ideas into a drawing. I always have a lot of ideas,
but sometimes it’s quite difficult to get the result I have imagined. But at
the end, thankfully, we always manage to make it possible.
What diamond cuts do you prefer to work with?
My favorite is the pear-shaped diamond. When I was young, my
grandmother, one of the most amazing women I have ever met, offered me one of
her rings, a pear-shaped diamond of 9.30 carats. That is my favorite piece of
jewelry. To this day, I love to work with pear-cut diamonds.
How does working with small diamonds or extra-large precious
stones affect your creativity?
I usually design my pieces from the stones. I like to work
with different diamond shapes, such as emerald, pear and brilliant cuts. More
recently, I fell in love with the triangle cut — I dedicated a collection named
Théa to this shape. Every diamond is unique and has a history, no matter how
small or extra-large. I also like to mix different cuts in my high jewelry.
Your collections mainly feature white diamonds, but you also
create stunning colored-diamond pieces. What’s the difference between white and
colored diamonds for you?
I have a love for white diamonds, but also sometimes for
colored diamonds. I have developed my iconic jewelry collections Move and
Glam’Azone in limited editions with black, yellow and pink diamonds. When I
also find major colored stones, I create unique pieces such as high-jewelry
rings or necklaces.
How do your creations take after your enthusiasm for
designers and artists such as Starck, Giacometti and Calder?
I am particularly sensitive with decoration and design.
Since my youth, my father [diamantaire André Messika] has raised my awareness
for art and has taught me to recognize beautiful artistic pieces. I like to
make mood boards that help me to create my collections and define designs and
stones.
You launched “Paris est une Fête” at Baselworld earlier this
year. How did the Roaring ’20s inspire you?
Pieces are inspired by the Roaring ’20s in Paris, its social
and cultural mania, its illustrious women who reinvented their gender through
various artistic disciplines, such as Isadora Duncan, Josephine Baker and Mata
Hari. The 1920s was a founding decade in the world of fashion and in the arts
in general. The decade marked the beginning of modernity. Narrower volumes,
clean lines, the search for freedom of movement, ethnic influences.... These
are all the ingredients that guide my creative approach to how a piece of
jewelry for women should look in the 21st century.
What’s the story behind the pieces you created to celebrate
the 10th anniversary of Move, and their inspiration from Ron Arad and Ieoh Ming
Pei?
I wanted to pay tribute to the iconic creations of these two
famous sculptors and architects. Regarding the Move Ron [line], I have
reinvented my signature collection Move into an innovative and daring style
dominated by curves. For the Move Pei, I wanted to combine his graphic design
with Cubist influences and the contemporary style of Move.
You said before that your dream was to create a watch. What
would a Messika watch look like?
It will be a jewel that gives the time.
What do you predict will be the main jewelry trends for
2018?
Over time, we have seen a trend evolution in jewelry. Today,
jewelry such as the hand bracelet, double ring, or ear cuff is getting
extremely fashion-forward. In my opinion, within the next year, the creations
will be even more amazing and created for body parts that we never think about!
Can you tell us more about the capsule collection you’re
planning to unveil in September?
The only thing I can say is that the new face is one of the
biggest it-girls of the moment. For the rest, see you in September!
Image (left to right): Toi & Moi ring; 15.8-carat yellow diamond solitaire ring; Angels ear cuffs; Amazone ring with black diamondsArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - August 2017. To subscribe click here.