Beatrice Bongiasca, founder of Bea Bongiasca (2014)

Beatrice is at her atelier in Brera, a riot of colours that matches well with her personality. She loves her shop which is the result of the success she has achieved starting from the launch of her first collection. She is about to end the collection she will soon present to the American market, where she is already considered as a reference designer. Her colorful, bubbly, pop jewels show her energy. Thus she begins to tell me her story: “Life for me is made of colour.”

How was your passion for jewelry born?

The passion for this world has always been present since I was a little girl. My mother has always worked in the luxury sector and since childhood, I have always accompanied her on all her business trips. This passion is combined with the other one for Asian culture. My inspiration comes from the fascination with Asia and the experiences I have lived in those places. In my creative process, the two passions combine together, becoming just one.

How do you express your passion?

It can be read in all my collections. I have expressed it since my first collection No Rice No Life. This is inspired by the union between Eastern culture and the symbols of Western culture. It explores what is considered precious in the two different cultures, creating a strong bond between them. The jewels I designed represent rice grains and pearls which are symbols, respectively life for Eastern culture and wealth for the Western one. Even in my second collection Golden Lesson, I transform the profound meaning and the historical significance of Chinese characters into jewelry. The latter is for me a bridge between cultures, an invitation to look at cultures that are different from ours with amazement and curiosity. Floricultural, on other hand, is a collection inspired by the Japanese language of flowers, Hanakotoba. I chose three flowers in particular, heliconia which symbolizes uniqueness, honeysuckle which expresses love bonds and tiger lily that represents prosperity. Floricultural has grown and developed into You’re So Vine! whose cult pieces are contaminated by imaginative tendrils in coloured enamel, with a pop touch.

You're So Vine! - Crawler Vine Ear Cuff

What was your training path?

After attending the British school in Milan, my dream had always been to be part of Central Saint Martins, where I started attending fashion courses from the age of sixteen. The turning point was during the Degree Show during my bachelor degree, when I got honors, but especially when my professor told my parents I would have to develop my own brand, because I had a free artistic vision, which could not be trapped by any other brand, but mine.

What did you decide to do?

After my graduation, I received an important job offer in New York, but that’s where I decided to come back to Milan and challenge myself. It was September 2014 when Bea Bongiasca brand was born. I presented my first collection at 10 Corso Como. Then I took part in a jewelry exhibition at the contemporary jewellery Gallery by Antonella Villanova, in the category of Design Art Basel in Miami. The Gallery also exhibited my works at MiArt 2015 edition and at the following edition of Design Art Basel. Always in 2015, I presented Endless? a capsule collection of jewels designed together with Toilet Paper Magazine. Finally, in November 2015, I won the Altagamma award “Young Enterprise Award-Believing in the Future” in the jewelry category.

What do you wish to convey with your art?

I wish to convey joy, liveliness, happiness, fun. The same feelings I get when walking down the street, I notice people I don’t know wearing my creations!


You're So Vine! - Vine Wrapped Cocktail Ring With Diamonds

Is there a jewel you are particularly fond of?

I am very attached to the enameled ring in You’re So Vine! collection. It is an iconic ring that embodies my own style. It is a collection that pays a tribute to irony, a hallmark of my personality. The name is a pun, where Vine refers to tendril, a climbing plant which results in a jewel able to climb on fingers and on the body.

You're So Vine! - Baby Vine Tendril Rings

What are the peculiar features of your jewelry?

When I think of my jewels I always picture them as forms of art. Each jewel comes from a concept, an idea which is the key aspect of my creative process. Moreover, each piece is for me a miniature world of fantasy, where wearers can immerse themselves. I always enjoy taking back classic lines and shapes, by modernizing them and adding a fun touch.

How do you imagine Bea Bongiasca in the future?

I don’t make predictions. I have always worked following my passion and my instinct and I wish to continue what I am doing because it makes me happy and I hope this happiness is conveyed to those who look and wear my jewelry.

You're So Vine! - Baby Vine Tendril Ring in Turquoise Enamel