Sophie Birgitt is a Belgian jewelry Designer & Goldsmith based in Hong Kong. I couldn’t be more proud to be Belgian myself.
It’s my pleasure to present you Sophie Birgitt‘s debute Spangled Angles collection. Everything about the collection is inspired by architecture. You can tell by the geometrical shapes and structures. Each piece of the Spangled Angles collection is luxurious, glamorous and handmade by Sophie herself in her studio.
With the new website launch and collection I had to ask Sophie a few questions:
What 5 words describe your work?
Streamlined, edgy, luxurious, unique, sophisticated
What has been the source of inspiration to create the Spangled Angles Collection?
My adopted city of Hong Kong has an incredible concrete cityscape. The buildings are architectural marvels and I am infatuated by their shape and form. Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world compared to any other city and there are so many hidden gems that are discovered just by looking up. I am obsessed with the equilibrium of geometry, the composure of patterns and the angular shapes. This city is filled with these obsessions and I never tire looking for new inspiration. Everywhere I go -whether it is by taxi or by feet- my designer’s eye is constantly engaged by the not-so-obvious beauty that gives this city its Spangled Angles.
How do you go about naming your pieces?
I wanted to give witty yet elegant, modern names to my pieces that literally describe them in their purest, naked form. Most of them are my personal translation and interpretation of the visual artefact into words. Sometimes this takes into account the designing-and-making process of the piece, other times I like to juxtapose an adjective with what the piece really isn’t.
Do you craft each piece by hand yourself?
Yes, each piece is handmade and crafted to perfection with the utmost care, expertise and dedication. I will never compromise the integrity of craftsmanship so I carefully take my time to develop these original and luxurious silhouettes. Some of the designs in this collection have only made it after having created 5 prototypes, changing tiny details that have proven to be oh so important. Certain things can’t be done with metal and you need to find ways around it, which can lead you to a world of new possibilities.
There’s something very unknown about where the designing and making process can take you. It’s a journey, a travel into a world of concepts and it is so gratifying when you see the piece coming alive, although I have to admit that most of the times I wish the creative process would be infinite. It’s a drug for me, like waking up from a fabulous dream, and once it is finished, I need to create a new dream so I can remain hugged by this comfortable, enveloping, creative cushion.
I also have a very strong sense of connection with our blue planet and I feel that the precious materials I am working with don’t really belong to me but are rather loaned to me. Seeing gold transform under my loupe while I am filing it into perfection has something magic about it. I have this immense gratitude for being given the opportunity to work with these noble materials.
What is your favorite piece of the collection?
It’s hard to tell as I have an exceedingly unique relation with every single piece. Behind every design, there is a story to how it came alive in my head, changed on paper and eventually was transformed to its final form in metal. This is a long and extremely personal process. I am obsessed with every single one of my pieces because each one of them is perfect for a different social occasion which allows a reinvention of the many women that Sophie Birgitt can be.
