Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

1 8 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I What are your hopes for the Giampiero Bodino brand this year? I wish for my creations to continue to be loved and purchased by a discerning international clientele. I hope that the Maison will continue to be recognised as an important player in the High Jewellery sector. I’m always striving for improvement and growth. I really want to succeed without changing our business model. I would like for my Maison to be a point of reference for a discreet type of luxury for many more women around the world. You worked for Richemont for 12 years, ghost- designing jewellery and watches for prestigious brands. What is the biggest change now that you have established your own brand? Freedom. When you create for a Maison you have not founded, you have to take into consideration a different approach, some rules that might be others than yours and a different approach to style. Albeit it is a great honour to support some of the most prestigious Maisons in the world and to help building on their huge heritage, designing jewellery under my name has allowed me to be entirely and completely free to express my vision and creativity. When did you first realise that you wanted to be a jewellery designer and how did you get into the business? I studied architecture in Turin, my hometown, and I started to work at Italdesign, designing cars. During that time, I learnt about design in general and I realised how much I loved creating and inventing new forms. I then knew I could express beauty through my imagination. While I was at Italdesign I met Gianni Bulgari and my destiny changed: I moved to Rome and became a jewellery designer. I always knew I was a designer—one trained but also instinctive. I think I can design anything: a bracelet or a car, a home or a piece of furniture. I do believe that if you have an eye for proportions and the instinct to create what your mind figures, then it does not matter what it is. Designing cars has not shaped my aesthetic per se, rather it has solidified my desire to be a designer and an artist. The shift from cars to jewellery happened because of a lucky encounter. You founded your HQ in the beautiful VillaMozart in Milan. Why did you choose this place and what are the emotions you want your clients to feel? I wanted a place that would be unmatched in terms of uniqueness, authenticity and originality. This is because I wanted to build a Maison with unusual and unique characteristics and an original business model. In keeping with the foundations that have been laid at Villa Mozart, it is important that the spirit of Italian culture, beauty, uniqueness, authenticity and soul be felt by every client and guest. You only create one-of-a-kind pieces. Why did you adopt this strategy? The idea was to create a sort of “couture” of jewellery, where every piece is unique and designed around an idea and a particular stone. Important stones do not come in series and high jewellery is by definition ‘one of a kind’. Our objective is to offer originality and uniqueness to women able to appreciate the preciousness of a unique piece. When you start to work on a new unique piece, where does the inspiration come fromand how do you approach its creation? All my creations start with me falling in love with a stone. The stone thus becomes the central element of the piece, giving it a profound meaning. I am mainly inspired by the heritage, culture and architecture of my country, Italy. The Renaissance Palazzi, as much as the Mediterranean Sea, or the nature surrounding it, can plant the seed of an idea and a creation in my mind. I need to be surrounded by beauty and I express my idea of beauty through my creations and my art. I draw, I fill notebooks with drawings and sketches. In truth, my ideas are born from a moment’s impulse, from an emotion. These come to me freely. Each of my creations stem from a spontaneous act of creativity. What are the stylistic codes of the Giampiero Bodino haute joallerieMaison? My jewellery is very much designed, because I see it as decoration, an embellishment to the look of the woman who wears it. While architectural decoration is meant to embellish an environment, jewellery enhances a hand, a neck, the personality of the wearer. My designs are timeless, they don’t follow trends, and are supposed to work well with any outfit; the jewel complements a gown but also a white shirt on a pair of black jeans. The stones are precious and very colourful, they are usually chosen for their particularity, shape or colour. And of course, every piece is one of a kind. Is there a particular stone that you tend to use frequently in your pieces, and if so, what is it and what is its attraction? I have a particular love for spinels in various shades of red and I love emeralds. Precious stones have a soul, their clarity, radiance and cut are enchanting and the magic is unleashed by their vivid, deep, luscious colours. I love to find the perfect burning red in a spinel, and I can instantly be inspired by the liquid green of a sapphire. The attraction to a stone is a very personal experience, and that is why I choose all our gems personally. When someone wears your pieces, how do you want them to feel? Beautiful, confident, strong and warm. You create transformable necklaces and secret watches—what will be the next creative step? Who knows? I design on impulse when the idea strikes. What I can tell you though, is that I will continue to create marvellous jewels with a timeless and elegant style. VillaMozart has some of your paintings on display. Could you tell us more about your love of painting? And do you sell your works? I have always tried to keep these two creative worlds of mine separate. However, since they both originate in my head, they collide from time to time. Art allows me to be totally free in my creative process. I am as much passionate about creating collections even if I know they impose more limitations. Once I establish the framework within which to work, I am able to move from one to the other with joy and effortlessly. InOctober and November, you showcased respectively in London andMilan, 15 portraits shot by photographer Guido Taroni under the title "Beauty is my Favourite Colour". What colour is beauty for you? It’s of course a metaphor but beauty is what feeds my creative world. Behind my desk hangs my painting depicting Lee Miller, a model, actress and photographer who was the inspiring muse of Man Ray. She was the epitome of a strong, intelligent, brave and very talented woman at a time when being a female independent artist was contentious. She never allowed society to define her as model, but she carried on working as a photography reporter for Life Magazine notwithstanding the challenges. For me she represents the ideal blend of beauty, brains and creativity. What are some of your dreams—both in terms of business and personally. I am very lucky because business and private are one in my life. My dream is to never stop sharing moments and experiences with fantastic people I meet, to learn from emotions and shared experiences. I also dream to be able to travel the world and be inspired by new places for ever. What do you think are the key characteristics that unite to create a perfect piece of jewellery? The perfect piece of jewellery conveys holistic emotions. The perfection of its creations resides in creativity and impeccable craft. The perfect jewel also needs a perfect stone, the passion in searching and finding it, its symbolic value that goes way beyond its economic value and the magic it offers.