KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 — “I’m drawn to shiny things,” says Malaysian-born jewellery designer Vicky Lew. Likening herself to a magpie — hence the attraction to shiny objects — and a lover of natural forms, the young entrepreneur is the founder of Vicky Lew London, a design house based in the Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell.
A graduate in jewellery design from London’s Central Saint Martins, Lew did stints with Cartier and Swarovski during her university days before striking out on her own. Her personal aesthetic is inspired by wabi sabi, the ancient Japanese philosophy that looks for beauty in imperfection and impermanence.
Lew’s debut collection, Flight, was inspired by the juxtaposition of natural forms on the human body. A versatile and experimental designer, she was recognised by her peers, awarded a Silver Award for Fine Jewellery at the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Awards as well as the Best Design award at the Theo Fennell Awards.
Despite living in London for seven years now, Lew is still influenced by her childhood in Malaysia surrounded by footwear as her father is a shoe designer. She recalls, “Growing up, I was trained in shoemaking but I was more drawn to the decorative parts of the process. I was obsessed with beads and gems when I was younger and always would use these materials when I was making a pair of shoes.”
Subsequently, she decided not to follow in her father’s footsteps but pursue her real passion instead. She says, “I had initially planned on pursuing a shoe-designing course. Whilst at university, I decided on jewellery design instead, much to my Dad’s amusement. Jewellery design seems to come naturally for me. It also gave me an opportunity to work with different parts of the body, not just the feet.”
Lew is driven by the meaning of her work. She says, “I believe in the value of materials through their designs. A paper piece of jewellery can be worth more than gold, if they are crafted and designed well.”
Speaking of gold, Lew goes about selecting materials for her designs based on the their individual properties. She explains, “I enjoy combining different materials in my work depending on the context. For example, one of my pieces was inspired by bird-wings and I used aircraft-grade aluminium to suggest the feather lightness of the piece.”
Of all the pieces of jewellery that Lew has designed, her favourite is her Chrysolampis Mosquitus brooch. She felt the burning need to create it “because it interpreted my theme of transience and fleeting moments perfectly.”
To capture these fleeting moments, the young designer begins her day early, eager to get started with her work. “I have a light breakfast with a hot cup of tea. Then it is straight into the London Underground, which is always busy during the rush hour.”
This simple morning ritual inculcates the necessary discipline in her to keep creating on a consistent schedule, rain or shine. No surprise, then, that perseverance is the defining trait Lew tries to live her life by.
She believes that “hard work is the key to success” while, conversely, the commonly dispensed advice of “it’s all about who you know, not what you know” is anathema to her. Who you know can only get you that far without real talent and continued application of that talent, after all.
It’s not all work and no play though. The seasoned foodie and travel buff loves gifting cookbooks and travel guides to her friends and family. She says, “I think one should work hard but also live well – and live a little!”
Living abroad and carving a career for herself away from the comfort of home has transformed the former wallflower. Lew admits, “I am naturally quite shy. Since starting out on my own though, I learned to always ask for help or advice when needed. They can only say ‘No’! Failures are valuable experiences. Learning from my past mistakes leads to knowing what to do in the future, makes me stronger.”
And that strength in beauty shines through vividly in her stunning jewellery, in her ephemeral designs.
Vicky Lew London
The Goldsmiths’ Centre, 42 Britton Street, Clerkenwell, EC1M 5AD London, United Kingdom
Tel: +44-207-846-0128
