Building Emi & Eve was never primarily about commercial success, it was about testing a concept: can stigmatised waste carry genuine premium value, and if so, how do you build a brand story around that?
That question has led to invitations to speak at various universities and at Loupe, Chow Tai Fook’s Art Foundation.
Chow Tai Fook commands approximately 7.6% of China’s highly fragmented jewelry market, making it the undisputed domestic market leader. They launched Loupe in 2017 as a creative platform in PMQ, (my favourite corner of Hong Kong’s Soho) an exhibition space, jewellers’ work shop, public education programme, boutique and tea house rolled into one. I led a brand identity workshop for their resident mentees, around a dozen designers from across the world.
I was also able to spend two weeks on my own work bench being mentored by Chow Tai Fook’s master jewellers, and was invited to tour their factory in China. I delivered a keynote to their trainee staff, then watched, and was instructed to try myself, every stage of professional jewellery making: wax carving, stone setting, casting, plating, polishing.
My time at Loupe enabled me to mingle with the artists in residence and exchange ideas. It was an invaluable two weeks of learning, peer friendships and inspiration.
