Let me introduce Simona Nicolosi, designer of the brand may Moma, jewellery and accessories that are becoming a must have for the fashionistas. Laura Pausini is wearing her bracelets and Elenoire Casalegno and Alessia Marcuzzi have selected her silk and crystal tiaras as one of their beloved accessories. I met Simona last year, jewelry is our commun passion. When I look at her creations, I am always surprised to see her capacity to transform Swarovski crystal in a decorative element of great effect. Simona is able to conjugate tradition with contemporary, elements that are today very important in the fashion jewellery arena. It is in her new showroom that I made the interview:
Define your style in five words…
Feminine – Rock/Bohemian – Sensual – Made in Italy – Tradition (everything is handmade by experts hands)
How did you become a designer? Do you remember a specific tale to tell?
May mOma costume jewellery comes from my passion. A passion inherited from my goldsmith father and that I’ve always nurtured at a personal level. I can say that I grew up surrounded by accessories. After years of experience in communication, which allowed me to understand the logics of marketing, I attended a course in jewelry design at the Milan Polidesign. After that, I’ve been working for the famous Italian jewellmry company Damiani. Then, I transformed my passion into my job, creating my own line. Karl Lagerfield says that “Fashion is a game that must be taken seriously”. I think I’m ready to play.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
If you are too organized you’ll find what you are looking for. You won’t have any surprise. Finding inspiration is not like being on a ladder but it’s like being in a jungle. You have to jump from a liana to another one, knowing where you want to go. I think there is a first part of creativity that has to be free. Completely. So you can take inspiration from a book, a movie, a person, a painting, a journey or when you sleep or go shopping. Being inspired means finding what you are looking for. Something that must be unexpected. After this conceptual part, there is the “details” part. Creating a collections, defining colours, finding the right mix of prices etc etc…
Hand sketches, designs, mock-ups…what is your way to visualize your ideas?
Frequently, ideas come up during the night and I need to write them down. Apart from these moments, I prefer to draw pieces and above all to realize a mock up. Only when I see a finalized piece I can say “that’s it”. I need to make many changes, and then probably come back to the first mock up, the first idea. Creating bijoux or jewels is a matter of proportions. There are classic proportions, modern proportions, disharmonic or harmonic proportions etc. That’s why I need to see the mock-up, because I need to see proportions and work on it.
Which city reflects better your characteristics and why?
Hong Kong has a double soul. At the same time modern, futuristic, frenetic but also ancient, calm, traditional. It has a concentration of skyscrapers built on the sea, over the mountain, this creates a dramatic scenario. The presence of oriental and occidental culture is fascinating. They are not mixed together but they live separately at the same time. The UNEXPECTED is what I want, I aim to communicate with my jewellery.
What suggestions would you live to give to a young designer starting a carreer in jewellery?
Someone said “If you really want to do something you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse”. This is really what I’ve learned. Believe in what you do, believe in your creativity, every idea is inside you. Do it better, and when it satisfies you do it better again. Creativity is not only curiosity but also self-regulation.
