Tessa Chui Jewellery

Stockholm...a bit of Corbijn please

2012-03-10T10:49:23+00:00

Loving every minute of Stockholm, the city where Fika is the thing to do. Kelly & I paid a visit to Fotografiska (world's largest home of contemporary photography) and saw stunning images from Anton Corbijn and Martin Bleasedale. Both shot similar subjects (portraiture) but the nature of them couldn't have been more worlds apart.

Corbijn's Inwards & Onwards exhibition showcases a collection of freethinking creative individuals, amongst those including Johnny Cash, Nelson Mandela, Lance Armstrong, Damien Hirst & the late Alexander McQueen. He's renown for his up close & personal shots creating unexpected expressions in his subjects.

Throughout his career, Corbijn prefers to keep with the analogue tradition. His images are produced in B&W without assistants or lighting equipment making the most of the available light.

Each portrait contains an element or gesture, signifying the identity of the person depicted. One of my favourites was the image of Lance Armstrong showing his head above water. This image can be viewed as a visual metaphor, 'keeping your head above water'...meaning to survive. The image depicts his survival of cancer and then going on to win the Tour de France seven times. The image breaks the rules of conventional portrait photography. Corbijn has deliberately placed trees directly behind Lance as if growing out of his head. He is not interested in being perfect or creating composition according to convention. On the contrary, he prefers that these details stand out creating tension in the image.

On the other hand, Martin Bleasedale presents Stolen Children - a collection of images shot in northern Uganda focusing on the children captured by the Lord's Resistance Army and its forced recruitment of child soldiers, a group founded by Joseph Kony. The images are shocking and provoke endless emotion. Couldn't have been more fitting really given the recent social media outbreak and circulation of the Kony video. I won't go into too much detail given the nature of the images, apart from the fact that some of the emotions felt were anger and sadness. Certainly worth a visit.

The Inwards & Onwards exhibition is showing at Fotografiska, Stockholm until 15 April 2012.

Stolen Children is showing until 6 May 2012.

“The great thing about London is that it lives and breathes fashion" Todd Lynn

2012-03-01T22:00:26+00:00

Last week was all about London Fashion Week AW12. Held biannually within the imposing neoclassical architecture of Somerset House, the event was buzzing with buyers, press, and bloggers all curious about the latest trends for the season. Not to mention all the designers showcasing their 6-12 months' worth of hard work (no doubt involving many sleepless nights) all in the space of 20 minutes. London was heaving with bright colours and shocking patterns, apparently very different from the somber cities of Milan and Paris.

“The great thing about London is that it lives and breathes fashion. The street is still the best way to get a snapshot of London style.” This quote from Todd Lynn very much reminds me of how Scott Schuman (aka The Sartorialist) works the street snapping extremely well-clothed people all over the world.

Here I share some pics and music from the latest fete in the world of fashion.

Played at Fashion East, LFW: Dance Yourself Clean // LCD Soundsystem

Played at Alexander Wang, NYFW: Passin' Me By // The Pharcyde

Played at LF Weekend: 15 to 20 // Phenomenal Handclap Band

Even Karl makes an appearance

2012-02-12T19:21:23+00:00

I recently came up with a packaging concept for my pieces recycling my large stash of fashion magazines that I hate having to throw away. Each page has been specially selected and then turned into an envelope casing, somewhat special as no two are the same (emulating how my jewellery comes). Some show images of the English language or parts of, some show models sporting the latest runway wear. Even Mr Lagerfeld himself makes an appearance, if you're lucky enough to spot him.

Each packaged item will be a bit of a treat as every package is different. I have also added my own personal touch in using untreated paper and lace fabric elsewhere. Receivers will certainly feel somewhat elated when they receive their items.

Lost in Lace: concealed and revealed

2012-02-05T21:08:23+00:00

My fascination in lace works took me to the Lost in Lace exhibition at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Sorry for dragging you along Sarah!

The installations were captivating. All by different artists who present their own interpretation of what lace is. The most impressive was ‘After the Dream’ by Japanese designer Chiharu Shiota – a hall filled with thousands of strands of black string criss-crossing each other guarding some vintage dresses…not quite traditional lace as we know it. Slightly eerie and confusing, but it was Shiota’s interest in lines - the idea behind the intricately woven strings which he believes look like lace.

Another highlight was the collection of needlelace from the early 20th century. Stunning pieces of intricate lace showcasing the skills of the designer and lace makers. Point de Gaze, Burano needlelace, Chantilly bobbin lace…I was in awe.

The exhibition is displayed until 19 February 2012: www.lostinlace.org.uk

Eva & Lee collaboration

2012-01-28T21:07:47+00:00

I was fortunate enough to be introduced to actress and producer Eva Sampson who agreed to collaborate with myself and photographer Lee Garland and produce the following images. Thanks to both for making this happen.

Eva is also the founder of How It Ended Productions. ‘Waterproof’ won the NSDF Commendation for Best Design award at Edinburgh Fringe 2011.

Lee is a Nottingham-based photographer whose latest project were candid portrait shots of none other than Labour politicians including David Miliband, Lord John Prescott, Andy Burnham, Maurice Glasman et al. Lee Garland Photography.

Not just for girls

2012-01-20T18:15:24+00:00

My first commission was to replace a necklace that Rhys had sadly lost as it had meant a lot to him so it was a pleasure to work together. Titled ‘Kings Cross’, the necklace is a way of expressing his views towards Sydney nightlife and its drug culture. Kings Cross is where he spent a lot of his time and wore the lost piece. The commissioned piece is merely a reminder to him of who he is and his stance against drugs.

“The piece that I had made by Tessa means a lot to me…[I]t’s like a tattoo that I can wear for as long as I like.”

Official website launched

2012-01-18T17:22:55+00:00

After months of hard work (and very little play in 2011!) I am proud to finally announce the launch of the TESSA CHUI website. The website showcases my designs and what I stand for and hopefully gets your tastebuds going as much as they do mine. Sorry, jewellery not food!

I'll be putting up new designs and regularly updating the blog to let you know what I have been up to, share my new designs & inspirations, share images & new finds, industry news etc. You can also view my designs either 'By Collection' or 'By Category' via the homepage.The website is your interactive hub (note music player on the blog page!) I might also be tempted to share some off-beat creative design news that you might find interesting but not necessarily related to jewellery. I just love design & culture generally.

With the help of some very special friends, I also took on a lot of the design responsibilities to get it this far - from the web design & layout to product photography, and from branding to communications to packaging design. Guess this is what has kept me so busy (not to mention my other full-time job!) Nevertheless, the process has been extremely rewarding.

It's an exciting time for TESSA CHUI. Thanks to all those who have supported me throughout this process, truly can't thank you enough. You know who you are.

Purple Valentino

2012-01-12T00:08:46+00:00

This has to be my favourite collection. Each piece takes on the texture of vintage (sometimes antique ie., over 100 years old!) lace found on my travels abroad, most likely found in an unused bottom draw at the back of a vintage clothing store. Well, that's where my latest piece was found anyway!

I love this collection as I am able to change the fluidity that lace fabric presents itself and transfer it to a precious metal which is rigid and the exact opposite. Lace can also be imperfect in many ways yet remain so beautiful.

As each jewellery piece is handmade, the silver takes on different parts of the lace meaning that no two pieces will ever be the same. The look created isn't always obviously lace - some have even said that the lace has taken on a 'snakeskin' effect. So each piece I produce is always going to be a surprise.

My latest find was in Paris last year where I made a special trip out to Porte de Clignancourt to visit the antique markets. It was bitterly cold that day but my eventual 'find' made the trip worth all the effort! I found the most beautiful piece of lace I'd ever seen...handmade and originating from Calais ('Dentelle de Calais') dating back to 1850. That makes it an official antique piece! Nonetheless, I can't wait to use it in my jewellery so I can share this beautiful imperfection.

The name for the collection is to credit two friends of mine who play sweet music in a band. Purple Valentino is the name of their band, which sums up my collection...eclectic and edgy.

View collection

Caring for your jewellery

2012-01-12T00:08:24+00:00

TESSA CHUI pieces are made using fine silver with sterling silver findings. A few tips for caring for your jewellery:

Wear your jewellery to prevent tarnish

Over time oxidation reactions can occur in silver jewellery, especially with sulphur and oxygen, causing silver to become tarnished. Wearing and handling will slow the oxidation process and keep your jewellery polished and shiny. Wear your jewellery like paint!

Use a polishing cloth

One of the best ways to clean your jewellery is with a professional jewellery polishing cloth. The cloth is treated with cleaning chemicals and not only will the cloth last a long time, it will give you an amazing shine each and every time. Silver polishing cloths are available at major supermarkets, jewellery and hardware stores. Polish your jewellery after wearing as this removes oils, fingerprints and dust, and will keep your jewellery in pristine condition. Regularly cleaning your jewellery will also help prevent tarnish.

Store correctly to minimise tarnish and scratches

Store your silver jewellery in tarnish prevention cloths or bags. The treated cloth slows down the tarnishing process and keeps the jewellery from rubbing against harder jewellery that might causes scratches. Keep your jewellery in a cool, dry place.

Avoid exposure to

Household chemicals
Hair products
Perfumes
Cosmetics
Perspiration
Rubber
Latex
Chlorinated water
Direct sunlight

Also avoid cleaning your jewellery with abrasive cleaning agents such as toothpaste, baking soda or any agents with chlorine bleach.