❀ vina@bmtv ❀

MILLEMO by STUDIO NOENCO. Alain Karkégi from the Sopafonte Company: The Noenco Studio as seen through the eye of a professional.

How did your first meeting with the “Studio Noenco” and more specially with Bruno Caby go?
Mr Karkégi: I’m very open to new collaborations and therefore I also enjoy working on unusual concepts and systems. The “Studio Noenco” meets these conditions. The first time Bruno came to see me with his rings, I was amazed. In Sopafonte, we decided to take the challenge and help him develop this original process.

Actually, could you tell me why this know-how is original?
Mr Karkégi: I’ve never seen this process used anywhere else. I didn’t know whether Bruno would only come once or if there actually was a real manufacturing process. He managed to adapt his concept to several materials and for me, he has found a way to make it unlimited. I’m very hopeful about its development and the future.

You don’t have any problems working with young designers?
Mr Karkégi: I’ve often met students just graduated from schools who had no access to companies. I love working on something genuine. The young designer is unfamiliar with the whole manufacturing process, and therefore is ready to acknowledge his mistakes and becomes at some point aware of his craftsmanship. Each day spent with a person like Bruno is full of thrills and surprises.

Have the self-taught persons been able to carve out a place on this market?
Mr Karkégi: Coming myself from another sector and having managed to carve out in this niche, I would tend to say that everyone has something to bring wherever he comes from. If you are open-minded, you always get the opportunity to meet new people with new ideas and you are ready to start new challenges. It’s a real exchange of skills. These meetings are always very constructive and very helpful in our sector.

SOPAFONTE SARL
Caster Founder – Precious metal – Lost wax casting – Paris

The “STUDIO NOENCO”. Located in Paris and founded in 2005 by designer Bruno Caby, the “Studio Noenco” attempts to be as innovative as its designs. Provided with a network of independent specialists, the function of the studio is to achieve creative concepts by best combining new technologies with traditional expertise. At the beginning of 2005, designer Philippe Bataille became a partner of the “Studio Noenco”. Today the adventure continues, always pushing the envelope of creativity.

• MILLEMO by Studio Noenco
• T: +33 (0) 1 43 67 83 22
• F: +33 (0) 1 43 67 83 55
• www.millemo.com
• info@millemo.com

It’s never easy short-listing the outstanding accessory design of incredible designers when you’re confronted with over 400 exhibitors (September 2005 figures at 468 and February 2006 figures at 418 exhibitors), and you have to go through the whole exhibition site in four days. That would be monitoring an average of 100 exhibitors a day. If you’re even able to devote full attention to just that one exhibition.

I have to cover over 20 exhibitions per season, bi-annually in Paris, and you can already imagine the load of information I have to deal with, not to mention how often my back and feet ache from carrying piles of press releases back with me for further homework. After Paris, I sometimes move on to Milan, but here is where I’ll spare some insight into what you should cover if you’re into the Euro buying scene.

For fashion and trend, Paris dominates – so we won’t go into the German and U.K. scene and they really don’t count to me unless you’re going for specific trade.

Paris is key for anything related to trends, and Milan follows closely, but Milan’s shows are more cloistered than the Parisien shows simply because the Italians know the risk they face when their designs are “copied” around the world, and the French tend to think more that the world should know about copyright protection.

Two different sets of mentality, just like their architectural façade.

In Paris, everything is out there and in your face, you see beauty, lines, feel the atmosphere of openness and breathe inspiration. In Milan, it’s bland, industrial and somewhat dull, but what you have on the outside is completely different inside.

I always like to explain that Paris is a woman, she is female, feminine and loves to show off and flirt, whereas Milan is a man, masculine, macho and conservative, but classic, complex and deep. It’s easier to understand why Paris tends to host the best design et mode pour la femme, and Milan excels in modo per l’uomo.

My personal shortlist of the most outstanding accessory designs and designers for 2005 in true Oscar mode (and I’m still compiling 2006 so this is a partial listing) are:

BATUCADA, FRANCE @www.batucada-fashion.com

BUDDHA TO BUDDHA, NETHERLAND @www.buddhatobuddha.com

CELENE SITÔNIO, BRASIL

DORI CSENGERI, FRANCE

DYRBERG KERN, DENMARK @www.dyrbergkern.com

FRANCK HERVAL, FRANCE

GIAN PAOLO MARIA, FRANCE

GIULIANA BIJOUX, ITALY

MAYA, U.S.A.

NATURE, FRANCE @www.nature.fr

RÉMINESCENCE, FRANCE@www.reminiscenceparis.com

SATELLITE, FRANCE@www.satellite.fr

Please buy the ORIGINAL and resist from purchasing IMITATIONS.

If you’d like to know where to source the brands, email me and I’ll put you in touch with the designers.

“SERIES: HOMAGE TO THE YOUNG, THE NEW & THE EXCEPTIONAL CREATIVE TALENTS AROUND THE WORLD”


I discovered the design of Ciara Marasignan in KISH in Makati in the Philippines. I couldn’t resist her creation and brought my sister, Vanessa, shopping with me when she last visited Manila. We selected a gorgeous blue bracelet she loved, while I pampered myself with a full necklace, ring and earring pearl and crystal emsemble.

From what I understand of how Ciara puts her design together, she calls her work “functional art” pieces, and creates them by threading fine wire through and around beads, crystal, stones, whatever draws her attention and inspires her.

The pieces are sturdy and smooth to the touch, no sharp pieces are out of place to catch on stocking and delicate fabric – an important detail to look out for with design pieces utilising wire for the threading and linking process. I’m always concerned about where the sharp end starts and ends, especially when I’m an active person and an animated speaker, always gesturing expressively.

The wires themselves form an intricate part of the design as they are curled and tucked in sync with the form and design of Ciara’s pieces.

The only problem I have with Ciara’s design is if you buy them individually not only in KISH as they’re also found in stores in Rockwell as well, they always come per piece, and never as a set. It’s not easy to balance her outstanding necklace pieces with earrings. As individual pieces, they overpower each other and it would help if she worked in more sets so every piece compliments the next in a complete and perfectly harmonizing emsemble.

I’m all for one incredible and glorious piece standing out, but there are times when special evenings and gowns call for at least a set to compliment and complete a “look”. It’s always frustrating for me to put together a set if I’m attracted to a necklace that’s beautiful, and can’t find matching earrings. I suppose that’s why it helps to do research on a designer. I realise through her website, you can actually contact her direct for a personal request and an order for something just for you and a forthcoming event you may be planning for.

I’ll have to state that Ciara does, indeed, create charming wonderful “functional and fashionable” art statements.

==> Ciara Marasigan @www.ciaracreates.com