Meeting Kasia Piechocka is a funny story. I finished my graduate interview collection and one day my boss from a Chinese fashion website sent me an email about Kasia. He asked me if I would like to meet her in person and write something about her collection. I checked her website and just found she is the jewellery designer of Nicomede Talavera's collection! Nicomede is one of my favourite from CSM and I love the jewellery from the collection so much. I couldn't imagine I got a chance to talk to her in person. We finally met in a nice restaurant and had a great time for sharing her collection.
To be honest, I think that as I am still a very new designer and subsequently yet to really experience the industry. Obviously it is very difficult to set up a brand from scratch (especially a luxury brand), however I think that this is an experience that a newcomer in any industry faces.
How do you describe your style?
I would say that I create edgy, urban and wearable fine jewellery.
What is your opinion of being a successful jewellery designer?
I think that any type of designer is successful if they are able to showcase their designs globally and are able to express the themes behind their creations. As a fine jeweler, I want my pieces to be deeply valued by the wearer and passed on through generations. This is defiantly something that I personally strive to achieve as a designer.
Who is your favorite designer? Does he/she inspire you when you do your own designs?
Shaun Leanne is a real inspirational jewellery designer for me. He started from the very bottom and has gone from success to success. He recently opened up his own boutique in Hong Kong! He was one of my tutors last year and it was amazing how down to earth and interested he was in my designs, seeing as he is such a large force in the jewellery industry.
Shaun Leanne, and any other designers for that matter, are more of an inspiration for their ability to develop a luxury brand. I think that due to my background in Fine Art, my design work is not influenced by other designers. I am really inspired by architecture and I am a huge fan of the surrealist works of Zdzisław Beksiński.
Can you tell me more about the collection? Why “About the Man who loved Fishing”?
My graduate collection is was inspired and based around my late Father. He constantly supported me during my artistic education and I wanted to dedicate this collection to him. When I was a child, he would often take me with him when he went fishing. I was never very into fishing, but I was fascinated by the shapes of all the fishing equipment that he would take with him.
I found that whenever I thought about my father, the first thing that popped into my head was his love of fishing. This became the very core theme behind the collection; hence the name 'About the Man Who Loved Fishing'.
There are many new and up-coming designers in the industry. Is there anyone that you really admire?
I have only been a designer for a few months now and I think that as time goes on, I have more and more of a personal respect for all designers, as I know how much work is involved. I really admire the work of Nicomede Talavera. I think he is a very talented designer that is constantly pushing the boundaries of Menswear fashion.
How did the collaboration with Nicomede Talavera happen?
Nicomede and I were both final year BA students at CSM last year. He approached the Jewellery Design Department looking for a designer that could create accessories for his graduate collection. I, along with another student was recommended to work with him.
I got along very well with Nicomede, we were able to share ideas and techniques to create some very cool looking pieces. Since graduating, Nicomede and I have kept in contact and are currently working together on another project. The final shoots will be done by the end of October.
As a CSM graduate, do you have any advice for other fashion students?
The main thing that I would say to fashion students is to think about what you want to achieve with your degree and what to direction you would like to go after you complete your studies. I found that helped to drive me at times I needed a little burst of inspiration!
What’s next?
My work has just been released on EG Studio, an online luxury boutique that specializes in fine jewellery. I am in the process of trying to stock my collection in other luxury retail outlets so that my work can reach a wider audience. My work does not follow seasons, so my next collection will not be released as a S/S 2012 collection. I am actually planning to similarly base my next collection (and future collections) on real people, only this time it will be people that inspire my fans. I am asking a people to email me and 'inspire me with someone that inspires you.' Whoever's nomination I select will have a luxury jewellery collection designed around a person close to them, and will also receive an exclusive piece from the collection.
I really like the idea of the coming collection which is about the person who inspires you. As Kasia said, You get a chance to own a jewellery collection about you and the person you admire. Email her your story and you may own a special piece from the collection as well.
To know more about Kasia and check more pieces from her collection, please visit her website
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