The British jeweler Theo Fennell is absolutely sure that jewelry is, first and foremost, talismans that can protect its owner from evil and save his energy. When I went to meet Theo, I went through dozens of questions in my head, choosing which way to start a conversation with a world-famous master, but when I came across Mr. Fennell's open disarming smile, blurted out the first thing that came to mind: "Hello, always dreamed of looking at a person who turns skulls into jewelry! " Theo burst out laughing: “Well, how? Looked?” ... And they started from that.
Theo, you did not immediately become a jeweler, what was the impetus?
In college, I studied painting. After graduating, I tried to decide what to do next. Honestly, my painting was not too good. And here, for my happiness, I was offered a job in a workshop for the manufacture of silverware. This was a real success and even, to some extent, a turning point. I liked everything there so much - the craftsmanship, the work with silver itself and what turned out in the end. Then I realized that this is exactly what I want to do - to make small products from precious metals, requiring great skill of a whole team of people who own different crafts. I liked it the most. For example, to create a miniature castle, you need to use several masters at once to get a real work of art. Gradually, I myself began to work on sketches for silver products, mainly candlesticks and large figures made of this metal. I had no idea what business was. And no one in our workshop thought about the business side, everyone was passionate about creativity, and only this process, in which everyone knew it, was convenient for us and interested. Two young jewelers worked with me then, and I was fascinated by what they could create from pieces of silver or gold. I began to make sketches for them, gradually attracting other specialists - stone cutters, enamel masters, engravers. Very soon we had a team. And it became clear that you need to open your own company. Which I did, opening in 1982 a small workshop at Hatton Garden in London, under which there was a store on the ground floor. There we began to make jewelry according to my sketches. Again, I will make a reservation that we were not at all occupied with business issues, and we did not even have clients, with the exception of a few of my friends. Have you ever tried to make jewelry yourself or only worked on their sketches? Oh yeah! I have made several attempts. My first decoration was monstrous! (laughs). I still remember him. It was a ring with a large sapphire in the center ... I'll tell you honestly, I could never be a good master jeweler. For this craft, I lack patience. Mastery and patience are key qualities for this type of activity. I’m too active, thousands of ideas are swarming in my head, so I can’t do one decoration when I already want to draw dozens of others.
Have you kept your love of silver or do you like working more with other metals and materials?
We still make many small items and silver cutlery. Just recently, I launched the first line of silver jewelry. Silver and gold are two completely different substances, each needs a special approach. Silver for me is, first of all, something ethnic, traditional, which has been close to childhood. Especially silver jewelry. Sounds a little strange, right? Silver is the best metal for miniature sculpture. Pink and yellow gold is something warm, attractive, which makes this metal ideal for displaying pure luxury. From gold, in my opinion, it is better to make jewelry that is delicate in work, while silver allows you to do more massive and impressive things. I love platinum too, but it doesn't feel as warm as silver and gold.
And yet, back to the skulls, crosses and knightly armor. Where do you get such strange images for jewelry?
Some images are born in our minds, it may be some feelings, problems or fears. I put them on paper in the form of sketches, and jewelers embody in metal. If you noticed, my skulls are all funny and funny - they wear helmets for pilots or wigs, as in the 19th century. In the end, Shakespeare wrote about poor Yorick! It is important for me that my jewelry touches different feelings of different people. For example, in my new collection, I created engagement rings, which are much more sentimental than the usual rings with large solitaire stones. I did this on purpose, because I am sure that this ring will be chosen by an emotional nature, which will then pass it from generation to generation in my family. My new collection also uses many images from the world around us - flowers, bees, butterflies, lizards, swans and so on, made in a variety of materials. I think that many people will find in her something close to themselves. I don’t feel like making the "next diamond ring." This is even boring! And if people buy jewelry, then they should bring them joy and pleasure, or at least cause a smile.
As for knightly armor and crosses, I have a sister - a historian and a linguist. And therefore, I have always been interested in English legends and myths, stories about the knights of the Round Table and King Arthur, hence my passion for heraldic and heroic images. By the way, I was the first to make pendants and pendants in the shape of door keys. Now they are produced by several famous jewelry houses. So people like it! And for every decoration, believe me, there is a customer. When I made the “Carpe Diem” collection, I relied on Italian classics, the traditions of Venice, and, of course, on those symbols that have been and remain for centuries, such as carnival masks, for example ...
When you first introduced the skull decoration to the market, what was the customer’s reaction?
ABOUT! I started making the first jewelry with skulls in 1976, and this was a real shock to consumers. I had a lot of fun. We used stones in the first collection that jewelers did not really like before - tourmalines, topazes, citrines. Now I offer Pandora's Boxes - rings in which the upper large stone opens, and inside you can hide anything.
Poison? Some kind of Middle Ages right ...
Who likes what. For someone, maybe poison will be needed. But it seems to me that just having such a tiny “box” in the ring is great. There are only five such rings in the world! Similar jewelry works return us to the time of Faberge masters who could masterfully handle metals, precious stones, multi-colored enamels and the finest mechanisms. I just love the work of old Russian jewelers. They were real geniuses in their field.
How would you describe a person who happily buys and wears your jewelry?
This is strange, but it seems to me that it can be a man, a woman, a 16-year-old Arab girl, or a 60-year-old American. My jewelry is not just rock and roll. They are for people who appreciate and love the true craftsmanship of a craftsman. In any country. My collections are sold well in Europe and Russia, of course, in America, but Japan and China, I would call "other planets", there is a completely different approach to jewelry in general. The Middle East also values jewelry art and has substantial capital to acquire unique jewelry. Therefore, here in the Emirates, Theo Fennell is also at a premium.
Theo, I was very pleased to meet and chat with you. In parting, I want to ask you to wish something to our readers?
Carpe Diem! Seize the moment! Enjoy every second of your life, because it is short. When we are gone, our children and grandchildren will have good memories of their ancestors, preserved in beautiful and talking about jewelry. They are eternal, unlike people. They are today, and will be tomorrow, and in hundreds, and in thousands of years. Find your mascot to pass it on to descendants.
Thanks, Theo. See you in Dubai.
