Talentuosa, coraggiosa, creativa, spirito libero… queste sono solo alcune delle caratteristiche che meglio descrivono Olivia Cummings, creatrice di Cleopatra’s Bling, linea di gioielli da lei progettati e realizzati a mano ad Istanbul. Una giovane donna che ha saputo trasformare brillantemente la sua passione per i gioielli in un vero lavoro. Di origine australiana, da diversi anni la vita l’ha portata nell’emisfero boreale, precisamente tra Napoli ed Istanbul, continuando a vivere il suo sogno di creare gioielli. Olivia ha avuto il coraggio di stravolgere la sua vita in seguito ad un’esperienza negativa, che ha rappresentato l’inizio di qualcosa di buono (serendipity?) e così si è lanciata in un viaggio che continua ancora oggi e che si è trasformato in un vero e proprio business. Perché quando un progetto è alimentato da una vera passione, non può che funzionare. E Cleopatra’s Bling ne è la prova.
Olivia è stata così gentile da rispondere a qualche domanda per Lo Sbuffo per presentare sé stessa ed il suo progetto. L’intervista viene presentata in seguito in lingua originale, per mantenersi fedele ai concetti spiegati dall’artista.
First of all, Olivia can you tell me something about yourself? How old are you, where do you live, what are your main passions and hobbies…
I am 28, I am from Melbourne Australia but have lived in Europe and Turkey for 11 years now. My hobbies are jewellery (obviously), cooking, travel, languages, history and culture. I am currently in between Naples and Istanbul.
When is this passion for jewellery started and when did you realize it could become a full time job?
I would say it was 100% unplanned, and also 100% thanks to a heartbreak which led to me realising I was not living my full potential as a young woman. Thank Goodness for life experience! I have always had a passion for design and art, so it was only natural that it happen at some point. When I realised that the life I was living in Paris was not for me, I had an existential crisis, went to Istanbul for a week on my own to discover something new, fell head over heels for the local craftsmanship there, started getting ideas of alternative routes I could take, left Paris, moved to Istanbul with a suitcase and 500 euros to my name, found a room, started meeting people in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, took Turkish classes, learnt how to carve and cast jewellery….. since then started my brand Cleopatra’s Bling. The rest is history!
Was it difficult to start a business? Do you manage it on your own or do you have a team to help you?
It was difficult because I just started it without an actual plan and it was a massive learning process. I now have a team who help me with various things: graphic design, website, polishing jewellery.
What inspires you to create new pieces of jewellery? And how’s the creating process?
I read a lot of mythology, history and look into the meaning of words, from which I draw links between concepts and designs. I mould the actual designs from wax and then we cast each piece using a technique called “lost wax” (la cire perdue)
What’s the piece of jewellery that means the most to you (both in or outside the collection you’ve created)?
I think it changes a lot but I really love the Moon Face pendant as I know that this speaks to women all around the world as the moon is a symbol of feminine energy.
Tra pochi giorni Olivia lancerà la sua nuova collezione sul sito www.cleopatrasbling.com ma per ulteriori aggiornamenti la si può seguire su Facebook, Instagram e Pinterest sempre sotto il nome Cleopatrasbling.
Ringraziamo ancora una volta Olivia per il tempo a noi dedicato e vi invitiamo a tenere d’occhio questa talentuosa donna per vedere quali altri gioielli ha in serbo per il futuro!
FONTI
Intervista con l’artista
