It is a rare instance when I am invited to partake in a
celebration of this magnitude but here I am with 2 of the most prodigious and
prestigious jewelry designers of the 21st century. There is
something about their jewelry that makes me think of them as being a likely
comparison to possibly Verdura in many ways. This weekend marks the anniversary
of the haute
joaillerie, alta gioielleria or in simple English the high jewelry segment of the burgeoning Faraone
Mennella mini-empire. So if you are lucky enough to be in Capri this weekend, this is the social highlight of the weekend
and if you are not and stuck at home like me, then please jon me in the
celebration right here.
In little more than a decade, these 2
wildly creative and ambitious men have built a business using their passion and
talents as its foundation. They have followed their own path and carved (pun
intended) themselves a substantial business by being independent thinkers as
well as being blessed with some amazing skills that can only be acquired
genetically. They have attracted the cognoscenti of international retailers as well as collectors
and consumers of fine jewelry. To say that I am impressed with their collective
candor and creative skill set is an understatement as is that I salute them for their exceptional business savvy and prowess.
I might add here that I have been a fan
of their jewelry since the inception, and now ... them as well. I continue to remain a fan given the diversity of their talents, their
design ethic and their welcoming natures.
It is quite an honor for me to have been able to catch up with these 2 men
who have constructed this “world” via their creative oputput. In a stroke of
luck and with some great planning, Amedeo and Roberto were gracious enough to
afford me some of their precious time during their very busy summer schedule
and below is the product of their generosity.
JF-Why
did you select Capri as a location and when do you open?
FM-Capri
was for both of us, our family summer home growing up in Naples; when you grow
up surrounded by such beauty, your sensibility as an artist or a designer gets
influenced without you even realizing. It was obvious and organic for us to
have Capri as our source of inspiration and DNA of the brand.
We
opened Faraone Mennella, our high jewelry collection, 3 years ago and since
then we celebrate Summer and our new collection, during the July 4 weekend with
a chic event at the La Fontelina beach club for our VIP clients and friends!
It's a moment of celebration and happiness and also our way to thank everyone
for their support with a party at "home”. This year, it is a double
celebration as we are also opening the AMEDEO boutique, our second after NYC: AMEDEO
is our modern cameo brand, in the tradition of my family heritage
(manufacturing Cameos since 1857) but reinvented in a fashionable and edgy way!
The brand is getting more and more famous worldwide and opening in Capri is as
emotional as a homecoming!
JF-Do
you design specific items or groupings exclusive to the Capri location?
FM-Yes
we do: each year Faraone Mennella launches in Capri a new collection inspired
by the island and exclusively sold in our Capri boutique: this year we launched
the "Lunette" and "Gocce" collections and also continue to
introduce new "Pesciolini”, our silver and diamond little fishes in
bracelets and charms: our tribute to Capri and already the most sought after
"memento" of the summer, to take home!
JF-How
long have you designed jewelry as a team and what prompted you to start the
company? A little history here:
FM-We
are childhood friends and come from the same small town of Torre del Greco near
Napoli, by the footstep of Vesuvius. But the idea of working together only came
many years later in NYC, after Roberto graduated from Parsons School of Design.
Thanks to Patricia Field and Sarah Jessica Parker who used our jewelry in the
now legendary series, Sex & The City, in 2001 we could launch our first
collection and immediately and have the most prestigious distribution in shops
like BergdorfGoodman, Neiman Marcus, and Saks 5th Avenue etc.
Our
career took off pretty quickly, with milestone collaborations with Swarovski,
Carolina Herrera, Audemars Piguet; we truly worked hard to build a brand, to
show the world the magnificence of Italian craftsmanship and style in fine
jewelry. Today, after 12 years we are proud to have 6 boutiques, incredible
distribution and the most chic clients in the world!
JF-Generally
speaking, what would you say is your raison d’etre in terms of design? Any
style mentors or idols?
FM-Our
success and longevity ("young designers" can enjoy success for a
short time, due to the newness of their offering, but after that you need to
show you are brand there to stay) is mostly due to Roberto's and my
stubbornness in not following trends and stay consistent with our inspiration ,
style and DNA! What makes us proud is to see our clients who can accessorize
pieces bought at Bergdorf’s 10 years ago, with the newest ones: they all go
together as we don't betray our own style and clients!
JF-When
in Capri, how much time do you spend in the store dealing with clients? As
a rule do you find your clients helpful in determining new styles or style
direction?
FM-Both
of us love to be in the store: the ultimate satisfaction for a designer is to
work with the end consumer, styling the jewelry or just explaining the way it’s
made and the gemstones! They want us there, they want to meet and discuss the
jewelry with us and we love to do it: our shops are like salons of the 1950s in
Rome
