Monocrafft 3/3 More details about Merrel...

When we dsicover new creations, we like to have more information about the person behind the jewel. Merrel gives us her opinion about this work and talks about her taste and projects.

Can you please choose 3 jewel designers you like ?

Kathleen Whitaker, Lila Rice, Comfort Station.

What are your personal favourite jewels ? What is its story ?

The boot cuffs of the new collection Hidden Canyons. I think they are super sexy. You can wear them on top of your boots or as easy and casual on bare foot in summer.

What are the qualities of a good jewel designer ?

Originality. You can always work on your craft and improve your skills, but you can’t really learn how to be original.

What would you advise to a student in jewelry ?

Follow your guts. If you believe in your vision go for it. Never doubt yourself. This is hard, because the sun can’t always shine, you can easily fall for what other designers do who are doing really well at that point. Do not adjust your path in these situations. You don’t want to be the same as everyone else, stay true to yourself and be patient. This creates a much stronger base.

Do you create all your jewels by yourself ?

I create all samples myself. For some parts I make molds and have them casted at a local casting agency. When we get the parts back we finish them in our own workshop.

Is it difficult to be a jewel designer nowadays ?

At this moment there are loads of designers, so you really need to stand out and develop your own DNA. I am so happy this worked out for Monocrafft, which doesn’t mean that it was always an easy one. Like I told before, sometimes, when the sales are a bit low, you can get insecure. But I learned this feeling will always come and go as everything comes from your own vision and guts. So when things don’t work out as you hoped, you take it really personal. But you just take it, learn from it and never see it as a mistake.

What is the biggest difficulty in your work?

To not always work 😉 As I love my job, it easily takes over my life. So I really need to schedule my free time.

What is your best memory as a jewel designer?

Last November I travelled to New York and the US Vogue approach me to come over to their office in the World Trade Center and show them my collections. So I went, showed them my jewelry and explained the Monocrafft world. It felt really good and the moment I stepped outside, I got a call from Vogue telling me they absolutely love my pieces and would like to write a story about it. I remember that I was sitting at the 9-11 memorial statue in front of the building and I just had to cry of happiness. Me, alone in this big city, sitting by myself in the sun and got a cal from Vogue was just overwhelming. I just did it and it worked out pretty well haha!! One week later they featured a beautiful article about Monocrafft.

What are your projects ?

I am doing pop up shops all over the world to let people meet my soldiers (how I like to call my pieces, as I see them as some kind of a Talisman, I love to think they have a protective role) and welcome them in my Monocrafft world. I do this together with locals. So for example I just did one in NY with my New York based friend J. Colby Smith, which a an amazing piercer. My soldiers need to tell their story, because you can not always see how to wear them. Thats why I like this personal approach and I feel my clients love this as well. So I am planning to do some more of these pop ups in different cities around the globe.