Interview with Christine Alexandre

Our company, Chris Alexxa Jewels has been created 2 years ago by myself and my husband. All my jewels are designed and realized in my workshop and then casted outside. All the finishings and plating are done by myself.
Our collections of jewels have been exhibited 3 times in Paris to the Bijorhca Fair and have received a good audience. Up to now we have been distributed in more than 30 points of sale including an international clientèle.

To transform an idea or a concept into a shaped and valued object.

Jewels and furnitures.

The "Juicy Salif" from Starck. Even if it's not ergonomic at all, it was the first time for me that someone tried to turn this basic item into a piece of design. The shape was so surprising... I have to confess I was a little bit disapointed when I used it for the first time but it remains a very nice piece...

It was a hair dryer.

All materials that allows me to be in contact with it to enhance its own particularities, textures, qualities. I need to touch the material and be in contact with it.

when I'm sketching all what I have in mind because it's a projection of my thoughts to the paper with the pencil and my hand in-between.

Shapes, textures, finishings. It should be eye catching and evokes something.

The pleasure to touch, to transform, to shape.

The pleasure to reveal my mind into a shaped piece that I like, totally regardless of the it might be perceived outside. It could be perceived as strange to think in that way...but making pieces with passion will probably touch others.

The emotion it evokes.

I think it depends of a lot of things... Is it functional or not, does it respond to it's target, does it evokes something for me... it's a very large and open question....
The question is too wide for me.

From my point of view, I really don't like useless piece.
Our responsibility is to create something that brings a kind of satisfaction by the user. To see someone taking pleasure to wear one of my jewels, provides me highest satisfaction.

Design is so wide... there's true and large future for design, in so many fields...

The last one was in January 2014 in Paris and the next one will be also in Paris In Septembre 2014.

My design is inspired by nature. I'm really fascinated by plant life wich is a true bursting of shapes and textures. Nature is everywhere around us and we sometimes forgot how it's a real part of our lives. It's in this plentiful universe I took my inspiration. Shapes, textures, structures of plant life are rich and fabulous, giving an infinity of possibilities.

I would tell my style is organic. I feel myself close to nature and it becomes a pretext to give life to jewels, playing with textures lights and shadows. I want to reach the plant life substance. The aim is to create new shapes the nature would design them with its sensitivity and sensuality to provide a jewel connected to nature.

I'm living in Belgium, I'm not sure the cultural heritage affects my designs. I would say it comes more from my education.

I tried to be open minded to respond well to the objectives.

To companies, I would say:" Please give as many as possible precise terms of your project and then don't close too many doors and let creativity speaking".
From my point of view, a good designer is first of all someone open minded. To be open minded allows to be attentive to the needs, to understand well the challenge and be creative to bring the right solution.

To observe, to draw, to shape and add details to bring an organic spirit into my jewels.

The "Juicy Salif" for its shape.
The "Tizio" for its ergonomy and shape.
My espresso machine.

Each day is different... Sometimes everything runs well and the it's pleasant day, sometimes it can be a complete rush where everything is driving me mad...

Listen, understand and make what you really love. Give the best of yourself, touch what you do and don't believe the computer is the best way to work. Images are not enough, learn how to built to understand well what you do.

Positive points are creativity in many fields not only in our job. Negative points are probably to be poor in business fields and commercial aspects.

To be open minded.

The listening, the understanding, the creativity.

I do not use computer because it's not for me the right way to express my mind. This is nearly a fully handmade process. I use handicraft tools to realize waxes prototype. Castings are done. The wax lost casting is the only "mass" production process as all the finishings are also hand made.

The best I can...

It really depends of the project. For my jewels it takes 3 weeks to 5 months...

Where do your ideas come from?

To design a hair curler as easy to use as a straightener! It has been done and really successful!

At the present time, jewellers, fashion shop, design shop.

To increase our brand awareness and extend our distribution network.
To be able to integrate and control all the steps of manufacturing .

I develop my designs myself.

By mail: christine@chris-alexxa.com