It was the fall of 2013 and I was participating at Autor Fair. Paulo Ribeiro confirmed his presence at the event and everybody was febrile. The Autor prize was at stake and a very consistent one: participation to Joya Barcelona and a three months course at Le Arti Orafe Jewellery School in Florence. Paulo came to my table, looked at my jewellery and said: Alina, you should come to Joya! Later, I was awarded the Autor Awesome Award, the big prize. I was so happy.
But after the surprise and the afterglow diminished, I felt the pressure of the demands required by the prestigious international event and I was really concerned if I will be able to create a collection to meet the expectations for Joya. Few minutes before the deadline, with my hands shaking on the mouse, I sent the pictures and waited impatiently. I was so anxious about the reaction, but the next morning, unexpectedly early, I’ve got an email from Paulo, telling me how he loved my collection and that it is one of the best. Then, he asked me to put aside for him the ‘Stranger’, a brooch with a blue head. He wore it during Joya fair and it is easy to imagine that I was in heaven.
Next year during Schmuck, Paulo met Mrs Hellen Drutt and she was attracted to the brooch he wore; it was my ‘Stranger’. Again. Actually, the brooch was the element that connected two people who didn’t know each other before. She said to Paulo: ‘I want that brooch’. He told her the brooch is by a Romanian designer. He sent me a message to tell me about this incredible meeting and later that year, he told this story in his presentation for Autor Conference in Bucharest.The name of the presentation was: Jewellery from Luis 14 to Hellen Drutt.
First time he sent me the message about Hellen Drutt I had to google her because, being so new in the contemporary jewellery arena, I didn’t know who she is. I was really happy to find out she is one of the most renowned collectors of art jewellery. One year later, I attended Schmuck and Paulo was so kind to introduce me to Mrs Drutt.
I do not know how inspiration came to me to create that brooch, but I am am grateful because this jewellery piece, made of nonprecious materials, offered me the most precious gift, the key to connect with people who know, who love, who influence and who appreciate this beautiful story: the Contemporary Jewellery Story. My story too!
A story by Alina Carp.
