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We are thrilled to welcome designer Nina Nguyen to our Summer show! Her bold, colorful and infinitely stylish jewelry has been on our radar for years, and knowing that each piece is hand-crafted by skilled artisans that are members of Nina’s own Women’s Co-Op makes us confident that we can feel good about a purchase or two when we inevitably fall in love in a few weeks! We caught up with Nina amidst her world-travels to get a little insight into her design process, and we were delighted to discover that this beautiful and talented artists also happens to be a self-proclaimed geek in disguise!
JA New York: What inspires your designs?
Nina Nguyen: Inspiration is everywhere, you don’t even have to look for it, you can see it in a dew drop on a leaf at dusk, an intricate flower petal, the geometric shape of a building, the knot in a strip of bamboo. Traveling through exotic destinations keeps me in an inspired state of mind.
JA New York: Walk us through your design process…
NN: I look for a stone that is unique. I try to cut it as organically as possible so that every piece has it owns feel and look, keeping the design elements simple so that the organic shape and feel of the stone is preserved.
JA New York: If you weren’t a jewelry designer, what would you be?
NN: I would be doing computer software, tech, programming, geek stuff. I’m a closet geek. My husband jokes that we are a tech company that sells jewelry. I love to cook too, so maybe open a restaurant.
JA New York: Instagram or Facebook?
NN: Instagram
JA New York: If you had a super power, what would it be?
NN: To be able to read all the books in the world and memorize them. Super brain!
JA New York: What’s your biggest (non-jewelry!) weakness?
NN: Street food in Thailand or Vietnam.
JA New York: What’s currently on your desk?
NN: Smartphone, 6 months of Entrepreneur magazine, samples of my new collection, stone samples, passport, coffee, piles of paper.
The JA New York Summer 2016 Event is taking place July 24-16 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. Register here to attend!
