Interview with Philippe Vergez

Philippe Vergez ("PV") interviewed on Sunday, 25 May.

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

PV : 30 years in the design field, Eyewear and Jewelry. I’ve been creating under the name VERGEZ for several years now, following a path that blends storytelling, emotion, and form. I come from a multidisciplinary background and have had the privilege to collaborate with master craftsmen, including my partner Evgeny Sukhov, a jeweler and gemologist. Together, we've brought to life pieces that are as much about identity and memory as they are about technique.

How did you become a designer?

PV : It wasn’t a straight line. I’ve always carried a need to express myself, through words, shapes, and symbols. Design became the language that tied all of these together. I started sketching pieces that told stories, often inspired by music, love, and travel. Over time, I realized that what I was doing wasn’t just decoration; it was the preservation of feeling, rebellion, and truth. The real turning point in my career came when I lost my hearing. It’s crucial to mention because it marked the beginning of a profound shift in my creative process. Losing my hearing altered the way I interacted with the world, and my other senses intensified. This change in perception became the foundation of my designs. It forced me to reconnect with my work in new ways, giving me a deeper understanding of emotion, form, and connection. From that moment on, my work evolved, fueled by a more intimate sense of what it means to experience and create.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

PV : Emotion first. Always. Then clarity, then contrast. I sketch by hand, using a pen and pad, and once the essence is clear, I move into Illustrator and Rhino for digital refinement. I don’t chase perfection, I chase resonance. I want the piece to vibrate with its own energy.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

PV : There’s a kind of obsession at first, the need to get it out. Then comes a quieter joy, a sense of sculpting something eternal. My favorite part is the translation: when an inner impulse becomes an external form. That’s where the magic lives.

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

PV : I’ve always loved words, rhythm, and solitude. Those things shaped me as much as any formal skill. I think empathy, patience, and curiosity are as important as design software. Also, living in places like Bayonne, Hong Kong, and California gave me contrasting energies to draw from.

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

PV : My next collection, AMORAE, is my most complete to date, born from centuries of passed lives, battles, and loves. Looking forward, I want to create fewer pieces, but with greater depth and purpose, and continue connecting them to causes, like the One Gaia Foundation. My dream? Designing something that one day ends up in a museum, not for its beauty, but for its story.

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

PV : Stay curious. Don’t fake rebellion, live it, if it’s in you. Don’t chase trends. Be okay with silence, with slow progress. Protect your instincts, and never underestimate the power of knowing what not to do.

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

PV : Design with conviction. Make things that matter. Take time to walk alone, think, observe. The biggest mistake I see is designing for approval. That’s not art, it’s noise. Stay focused, stay honest.

What is your day to day look like?

PV : Sports, motorcycle ride, spending time with my loved one, virtually or in real life. Pen on paper before screen. Then I review ongoing pieces, either alone or with Evgeny. I don’t follow a rigid schedule. The rhythm is intuitive, but always anchored in creating, refining, and remembering why we do this.

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

PV : I don’t follow trends. I pay attention to what moves people, but my work is driven by personal narratives and timeless symbols. If a trend happens to align with that, fine, but it’s never the starting point.

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

PV : Good design feels inevitable, like it always existed, and we just revealed it. It speaks without shouting. It leaves room for the wearer, user, or viewer to complete the story. It has presence and silence at once.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

PV : When the piece says what it needs to say, no more, no less. I usually feel it physically. There’s a stillness in the process when the design is complete. But yes, I do revisit past works and evolve them when they call me back.

What is your biggest design work?

PV : The Roaring Lion Choker is one of my most significant pieces. It carries layers, personal, political, spiritual. It was made for Qymira, but it speaks to anyone who’s had to fight quietly, protect fiercely, or carry their voice with pride.

Who is your favourite designer?

PV : I admire designers who break rules with grace, like Alexander McQueen, for his emotional violence and beauty. I also respect architects like Tadao Ando, who understand silence as form. And if I could have spoken to one designer from the past, perhaps René Lalique, for how he merged light, emotion, and nature.

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

PV : I live between places, Bayonne grounds me, Hong Kong sharpens me, and music runs through everything. I always carry On the Road by Kerouac. I believe good design stems from a good life, honest, soulful, free. Culture is not a backdrop. It’s the pulse behind the form.

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

PV : Our business philosophy is built on trust, mutual respect, and a refusal to compromise on intention. I only collaborate with people who care, deeply. It’s not about speed or trends. It’s about truth, craftsmanship, and legacy.

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

PV : We support One Gaia Foundation, founded by Qymira to help children in need, and The House of affection, an orphanage in vietnam. We give a percentage of each sales to these two organizations. My goal is to continue creating meaningful pieces that serve a greater purpose, and to make sure design always remains connected to compassion.

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

PV : The A’ Design Award gave the Roaring Lion Choker visibility beyond what I imagined, and connected our mission with a wider audience. Three key benefits: recognition by a respected international community, connection with other driven creators, and a reminder that great design can, and should stand for something.

Philippe Vergez Profile