Interview with Larisa Zolotova

Larisa Zolotova ("LZ") interviewed on Sunday, 5 August.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

LZ : I was into a design since my childhood. It started at the elementary school as a hobby of creating clothes and jewelry. Later, I had been designing furniture and interiors professionally for 7 years. The love to a creating and a designing slowly transformed to a very strong and unique passion for making jewelry. I decided to pursue the art of jewelry and made it a new career in 2014. I developed my technical skills and knowledge for working with precious metals and gems at the School of Jewelry Arts in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 2016, I was graduated from Graduate Gemologist and Jewelry Design and Technology at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California, USA.

How did you become a designer?

LZ : Jewelry was always my passion. Since my childhood, I loved to design clothes and jewelry. Later, I implemented my knowledge into designing furniture and interiors in our family business, which had mainly focused on logistics and transportation. I continued to work in a logistics and transportation field after moving to St. Petersburg until my friend and a tutor, Denis Sitnikov, turned my hobby into a profession and helped to start making jewelry in 2014 I am eternally grateful to him for help, invaluable consultations, and encouragement. After taking my first jewelry fabrication class in Saint Petersburg, Russia, I changed my life immediately and decided to pursue the art of jewelry making it a new career. I continued to develop my technical skills and knowledge for working with precious metals and gems at the School of Jewelry Arts in Saint Petersburg, Russia. After that I continued my training by learning how to create jewelry using CAD software and evaluate gemstones at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California, where I was named the winner of a GIA Student Choice Award for creating my Marilyn Monroe Ring and was nicknamed “Lady Faberge” for designing my Fine Jewelry Egg "The Movie Theatre».

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

LZ : My signature in jewelry design is the connection between the function and the sculpture. I experiment with all types of shapes and natural forms of flowers, birds, animals, and people. My aim is to design beautiful, timeless pieces of jewelry while ensuring each piece has that ‘wow’ factor that people of all ages can truly appreciate. I use the latest technologies and Computer Aided Design programs in order to create dynamic, intriguing, complex and unique jewelry. Nevertheless, it is crucial to maintaining traditional hand-fabrication techniques. Thus, I constantly study and develop my skills in drawing, lapidary, carving, and hand-fabricating, Mokume-Gane technique, and other. Сomprehensive knowledge and understanding of jewelry fabrication procedures as a whole give a designer more freedom and improve the project.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

LZ : I always get my inspiration from emotions when I design. It could be happiness, curiosity, sadness, wonder, amazement, frustration, or other emotions. I form necessary emotion through creating or using a story. I think it is important if a design has its own story. It adds mystery and value to a piece of jewelry or design. I am sure that people buy jewelry because of an interesting story that might be associated with this particular jewel. For example, the history of a gem set in a ring. It might be any story connected with the purchase of a ring or a bracelet. I always tell my customers about the inspiration that encouraged me to create a piece of jewelry and I see that people enjoy immersing themselves in the creative process. People always show a special attitude to pieces of jewelry that radiate special vibes and have particular attributes because people like to feel emotions and to experience it together with a designer.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

LZ : First, my design skills benefited from my education in the field of education. Since I know learning strategies, monitoring, and active listening techniques together with psychology, I am able to learn information very fast, to adjust myself to new conditions and to assess the performance of myself effectively. I also give full attention to what other people are saying and pay attention to details in every step of the process. Second, my experience in management and logistics helped me to be successful as a designer. For instance, skills such as coordination, social perceptiveness, and knowledge of mathematics are important because I am able to bring the project to the end, to realize it in a timely manner and economically appropriate.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

LZ : Being inspired by legendary jeweler Faberge I would like also to achieve his high level of excellence and high standards of professionalism. I would be happy if I could realize my dream of releasing a fine jeweled egg every year as Faberge did avoiding coping him and implementing new technology and contemporary design trends.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

LZ : My advice to emerging designers is not to be scared of breaking new ground. No matter what you did before you started getting into jewelry business and how old you are. Passion for your job and hard work will make you achieve any goals. I wish everybody good luck and excellence in jewelry art. Develop your contacts and share your experience.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

LZ : My suggestion to every designer is not to be afraid of sharing your experience, ideas, and knowledge with others. Almost everyone is faced with a violation of copyright and plagiarism, but focusing on hiding and protecting your designs and ideas would steal precious time and inspiration. The more we share our knowledge and develop our contacts the bigger social network we create around us, which will protect us from violators.

What is your day to day look like?

LZ : I start my day with a cup of coffee, reading design news, and reviewing my plans for the day. This morning ritual makes me happy and helps to focus on what's important for today. My every day is different and I can not call them boring.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

LZ : I follow up with world's design trends. I take about one hour every day out of my schedule to read and to review information from venerable and authoritative sources. It helps to keep pace with the times considering industry development. But I keep myself from seeing at other designers' work before starting a new project and during the realization. It helps my mind to stay pure and my imagination to create new ideas.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

LZ : I evaluate my designs according to different criteria. They may vary depending on a project. For instance, if it is a custom piece or mass-produced jewelry. However, it is always important to me as a designer in a jewelry field to consider color, form, target relevance, and emotional value in design. Other very important criteria for evaluating jewelry design is usability, functionality, ease of production, and uniqueness. If a design that I created meets all criteria, I consider it as a good design and begin to produce the piece.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

LZ : I consider my design as complete when it satisfies all criteria set out in the beginning. I believe that there is always a way to improve a design, sometimes this development leads to a new design which is also a great thing because creativity is a never-ending process.

What is your biggest design work?

LZ : The most complicated and the most fascinating project was the Marilyn Monroe Collection, and especially Marilyn Monroe Ring and Fine Jeweled Egg The Movie Theater. I was inspired by Richard Avedon picture of Marilyn with ostrich fans in 1957 and Faberge famous jeweled eggs. The Marilyn Monroe Collection is a tribute to the most charming and talented actress of our times. Marilyn is a dream woman for both men and women. I avoided deliberately turning to famous photographs to be able to reveal Marilyn’s character who was truly attractive and sensual. I found Richard Avedon's photo very interesting because of its vibes and erotic imagery.I consider the Marilyn Monroe Collection as my biggest and best work because I truly like every piece of this collection. In addition, it was my first time when I created not only pieces of jewelry but also added the object of art, Fine Jeweled Egg, which has moving parts. It was undoubtedly a challenge I threw down to myself as a jewelry and 3D designer. Every detail of the Egg is symbolic. The red gemstones outside represent the cinema stage and the red carpet, as an essential part of Marilyn's life. The white gemstones on the spinning part represent stage lights. The five stars on the top of reminders of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The central part of the object is Marilyn, with ostrich fans performing for the audience. The sculpture of Marilyn could be removed from The Theater and stand alone on her own pedestal.

Who is your favourite designer?

LZ : Carl Faberge was a talented jeweler, designer, and businessmen. I admire all of his beautiful and unique creations, with the highest quality. He is a legend and innovator in jewelry design. I also bow before the talent of Antoni Gaudí. His impressive masterpieces are breathtaking. His genius of the designer is close to God could not be replicated.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

LZ : I consider myself cross-cultural. I get my inspiration as a jewelry designer through traveling, nature and the utilization of bright colors. Thus, I like to study a different culture and implement this knowledge and experience into my design. I like to observe people and study environment.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

LZ : The majority of my projects I do by myself, beginning from the stage of designing and finishing a buffing stage. However, I can outsource part of my work, such as casting, molding, printing wax, or produce certain types of setting, for example, invisible setting. I think it is difficult and easy to work with me at the same time. On the one hand, it is difficult because my jewelry pieces with sculptures and unusual design require well-planned realization and creativity during fabrication. On the other hand, it is it is easy to work with me because I always try to plan my projects ahead and give extra time for realization.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

LZ : In my opinion, it is important, not only reaching your own goals but also helping others to achieve their potential. Therefore, I have been hosting free educational workshops on CAD modeling and jewelry designing in St. Petersburg and also have been developing the concept of Jewelry Art Gallery in order to discover, cultivate, and mentor emerging jewelry designers. This Jewelry Art Gallery will offer all international designers the opportunity to receive worldwide recognition. Currently, I am looking for other altruists to realize the project.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

LZ : In my opinion, A’Design Award is a great competition, which provides emerging and experienced designers being recognized for their achievements. A’Design Award does not only discover, cultivate, and promote designers, but also mentor and teach designers how to improve their designs and themselves in order to reach your targets and receive an award of excellence. I feel a great honor being nominated as the Designer of the Day because it creates an additional positive impulse to my inspiration and my movement forward. It is a great opportunity for me to be noticed and promoted.

Larisa Zolotova Profile