Jewellery design with Clare Pardoe

August 13, 2012

Meet my friend Clare Pardoe, entrepreneur, designer and founder of Phioro www.phioro.com, a luxury jewellery label based in Dubai. At the early age of 16, Clare knew she wanted to be a designer and run own her own company. Clare achieved that dream and puts her success down to being fiercely independent and driven. Yet when you meet Clare all you feel is warmth and calm. Here she tells us how self belief and truth in her designs has aided her success…

Clare, tell us about your studies in jewellery design from the beginning?

I’ve always loved jewelry and object/product design even as a young child, growing up in Dubai I was always in awe of the beautiful jewels that I would see the women wearing. So I went out in search to find the course which would teach me the tools to be a world class jeweler. Then I discovered jewellery design at Art Foundation level in the UK, I pursued this through to Jewellery & Silversmithing at degree level and graduated with a silversmithing collection which was organic, sensual and inspired by the female form and by pregnant women.

Clare is it fair to say that women have always been an inspiration for your work? Yes, absolutely.

What happened next?

I was then fortunate to be awarded a place in Design Space (a haven for designer makers that fosters creative, entrepreneurial spirit and provides a rent free workshop, business training and mentoring for one year.) Design space acted as a springboard for me to start producing my first collection, with a business plan in place and without the huge overheads.

How would you describe Phioro today?

Phioro has evolved over time to become the brand that it is today. The ethos and vision have stayed the same; fine jewelry for the modern woman, with every piece being designed with a meaning behind it. My true passion is to create custom, one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces which have a meaning that is truly personal to the client. I aim to create treasures that will be handed down for generations to come, along with the story that inspired their design.

What gives you inspiration for your designs?

I gather inspiration from everything around me: magazines, internet, quotes, women’s style that I see on the street, National Geographic, films, you name it! I like to research each concept in depth. For example, if an animal were to inspire me, I would research all its quirks, its natural habitat, any culture associated with it, spiritual meanings etc. So all this information can lead to further development of the idea and designs. I also take inspiration from brands that I aspire to be like. They don’t directly influence my designs, as I wouldn’t want to copy anyone, but their size/concept/price point etc all make a difference to where I am positioning myself in the market place.

Is there a person who has had the biggest influence in your life so far and why?

I think my father (pictured above) and his father both had a huge influence on my confidence. They encouraged me to believe I could be anything I wanted to be and to achieve anything I could conceive. They are both avid believers in positive thinking and self belief. I have a very holistic approach to life, and I include meditation, visualisation and goal setting at every step.

What was the moment you felt you made it as a designer?

A couple of months ago, I was offered the opportunity to style Michelle Rodriguez (an American actress) with my jewellery for an OK! Magazine shoot. From all the other jewellery brands selected, she chose to wear my jewellery on the red carpet and absolutely loved it. She commented on Phioro by saying “I’m not into jewelry, but this girl gets me!” Perfectly enough, the piece that Michelle adored was inspired by one of the films she starred in: Avatar. The Venus pendant is inspired by the amazing, fantastical creatures within the movie. I wanted to create pieces that were simply out of this world – from another time, or place. Whenever a client loves my work and can’t wait to share it with their friends it leaves me buzzing and reaffirms that I am following my heart and my life’s purpose.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever given and to whom?

I think it would be to love and respect yourself, I say it to a lot of my friends. As women we are naturally very giving in nature, and often sacrifice our core values for the sake of others without even noticing it. I really want every woman to really, truly see her value and if she can achieve that, she will never put up with anything other than true respect – which is what we all deserve!

For a woman wanting to be a designer, where would you suggest they begin?

The most important thing is to understand yourself and what you want to say with your work. Once you know that, all decisions become easier. Make sure that you take the time to research brands that you love and really work out what your own values are and what target market you are aiming at. These will guide every step you take with your own brand. The second thing is to just start sketching and find someone who is capable of producing the first few designs. Always haggle, and don’t take the first price, and don’t be afraid to learn as you go along – we all start somewhere.

What work do you love doing?

Oh thats easy, I love when I am approached to design engagement rings, its such a special time in a couple’s lives and for me it’s a honor to be part of creating a lifetime symbol of their love.

Personally I can affirm that Clare works from the heart and it has been inspiring to meet someone so talented and so willing to share her story with other women who would like to live their dream. Clare’s speciality is designing custom-made, heirloom pieces and of course engagement rings. To view the Phioro range or contact Clare, visit www.phioro.com. Please take a look below for more beautiful images of Clare’s creations.

Pictured above is the Liana Necklance.