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SOUTH
CHINA MORNING POST, Monday July 16, 2007 :
PUTTING ON THE GLITZ:
JOHN FERDINAND By Karen Ting |
Australian Mark Armstrong and Indonesian Perry Josito set up
men’s jewellery brand John Ferdinand last year when they couldn’t
find what they were looking for in boutiques.
“It’s hard for men to find nice jewellery,” says Armstrong,
who moved to Hong Kong in 1994 as a marketing and PR specialist
before setting up a marketing consultancy business. “We design
for the global nomad, like many of our friends who were born
and raised somewhere, but are living in another place or constantly
traveling. Being men, we understand men and what
they want.”
The brand’s name comes from the pair’s middle names: Josito
takes care of the sourcing and other aspects of the business,
while Armstrong focuses on the designs. Their debut collection
comprises six pieces, including pendants, cufflinks, and belt
buckles, all made of rhodium-plated silver (to avoid tarnishing)
and ebony wood from a sustainable plantation on the Indonesian
island of Sulawesi.
“We chose [these materials] because of the harmony and balance
between the ancient sensuality of wood and the modernity of silver,”
Armstrong says.
Inspired by his surroundings, Armstrong designed the first piece,
the Destiny pendant made of an ebony wood disc with a silver
core inspired by traditional Chinese jade pendants – in a café
in Wan Chai’s Star Street.
“I don’t like green jade, so I took the inspiration from an
iconic piece to make it contemporary,” he says. “I noticed what
men in different professions were wearing and started to draw
a profile of what they want and need.”
“We think jewellery is very emotional and what they’re lacking
in their lives is that grounding, so that’s where some of the
inspirations come from.”
The debut collection also includes the pebble-shaped Devotion
pendant inspired by a water-rafting trip on the River Au Yung
in Bali; the oval-shaped Opportunity cufflinks with silver inlaid;
and the rectangular-shaped Urbanity buckle made from one piece
of wood crafted into six pieces with silver inlaid, adding weight
to the piece.
“Our pieces are made in Bali. The silver part is cast, but there’s
a lot of hand-finishing involved and each piece has to be polished
by hand for a day,” says Armstrong.
The brand is expanding the Dreamer collection to include rings
and bracelets, and a second collection is scheduled to be launched
before Christmas.
Plans are also under way for leather goods and other products
for men.
“Our idea is to create a contemporary lifestyle brand for men,
but for now we want to learn more about our customers, who they
are and what they like,” says Armstrong.
The designer advises men looking to buy jewellery to find something
they an connect with.
“Say, you like the design, the shape or the materials,” Armstrong
says. “It could be a pendant that nobody else sees under your
suit, but it has some meaning to you. Whether it reminds you
of a place, a person, a time in your life or an emotion, it has
to connect with you.”
Shopping list
John Ferdinand
The brand will launch its first jewellery collection online tomorrow.
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