We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Britta Schwalm about their original and creative Collier design work. Britta Schwalm is an award-winning fashion designer, that makes our world a better place with their original collier works.
Britta Schwalm ("BS") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Eves Weapon Collier. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
BS : I love designs that need a second look. Is 'Eves Weapon' a modern necklace or a homage to an apple, to women? The apple is the first food ever served and is a highly potential symbol for all emotions and situations a woman can face in her life. An apple stands for health, fertility, seduction, lust and sin. Think at Aphrodite, Venus or EVE.
BS : I designed 'Eves Weapon' to take part at HRD Award and got nominated. This resulted in being sponsored 20,2ct Diamonds to build the necklace. That was what I wanted to achieve - to work with 20,2 ct Diamonds. To work with that amount of Diamonds is gorgeous, fantastic, magnificent.
BS : It is on roadshows. From Milan to Antwerp to Hongkong - all over the world, what plans would I need more?
BS : To design it took about approximately 3weeks. To build it I was limited by the HRD-rules - I had about 10 days and nights.
BS : I designed 'Eves Weapon' to fit the motto 'A la carte' that was given by HRD.
BS : If there is someone who wants to sell or buy 'Eves Weapon', please let me know :-)
BS : I read the motto given by HRD 'a la carte' and was surprised how angry I got. I though about a pizza as an earring or a prezel as a pendant - silly. Then I decided to ignore the theme because I thought it was not for me. I couldn't. At a time I thought 'appelring' - this is a food made by dehydrating slices of apple resulting in a ring in the design of an apple. This was the start...
BS : The inventor of the original 'Spannring' a ring that holds its diamonds by tension only. This is the perfect way to set a diamond and get the most of the brilliance and luminosity.
BS : A customer with sense of style and an interest in unique design.
BS : The diamonds are set by tension only.
BS : What is the best weapon a woman has? The way she can tempt and manipulate man. For example with the food she cooks.
BS : Pencil, copper, a saw, a camera and photoshop.
BS : The setting of the diamonds. It's very difficult to set a diamond by tension only in such small apple-segments. It's possible if the segments are hard soldered properly and only with high quality gold of 750/000.
BS : I worked with a firm specialised on laser cut in gold.
BS : Without laser cut I wouldn't be able to produce the apple-segments in the consistency and quality I needed.
BS : I researched in the Geek mythology and meet Aphrodite, Nike, Venus. I researched the symbol 'apple' and found the fall of mankind and the proverb 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away'. And I found Wilhelm Tell and his shooting at the apple at the head of his son. I recognised that the apple is a highly potent symbol- and the first food ever served, thinking back to the fall of mankind.
BS : The challenges were Working with the very high value of the diamonds Working against the given time Working with that high precision in an amount of 62 segments.
BS : I got an A'Design Award in 2015 and had a lot of success with 'Glueckskind', so it was an easy decision to take part with 'Eves Weapon'.
BS : I learned that my family stands close to me. Without their support I wouldn't have been able to finish the work in the given time.
