JNA Sep/ Oct 2021

DESIGN 38 | JNA Sep/Oct 2021 Her clients are promised a finished product that is one of a kind, endearing, ethereal. “My clients know that they will get something exceptional from the Anna Hu brand. They are either looking for bold and inventive designs that no one else has or expecting to find gemstones of the finest quality in my collection,” remarked Hu. Customers often seek her innovative ideas when conceptualising meaningful designs that are likely to be kept as family heirlooms. Her creative process involves spending time with buyers, getting to know their ideals and the principles that matter to them. “It is a collaboration process in which clients tell me what they like or the story that they would like the jewellery to tell. They provide the design direction and I translate it in my jewellery,” she continued. The unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses and people’s lives cannot be discounted. It has, in many significant ways, affected consumer behaviours and the way they perceive the meaning behind products and services. Buyers, for instance, have become more pragmatic in their choice of consumer products. Beauty is no longer the primary consideration when buying jewellery; the piece must be both attractive and functional. According to Hu, post-lockdown trends point to a growing need for jewellery pieces that can be worn on multiple occasions and in a multitude of ways. As such, versatile creations that can be donned as a necklace, brooch or ring have risen in popularity. “Consumers would like to get their money’s worth,” noted Hu. “This is why I have always designed my pieces to be multifunctional. My creations double as a necklace or brooch, for instance. Clients also love the fact that with the same investment, they receive the value of ‘more than one’ jewellery.” Intricate details that reside in Hu’s designs, which add a dose of versatility and fancy in her creations, are also popular among her clients and is considered her signature style. Future of jewellery design The award-winning jewellery designer recently donned her creative cap once again to work on a resplendent collection, Enchanted Lily, which places the finest rubies, sapphires and rubellites at the centre. The jewellery pieces embody her exquisite brand of sophistication and personalised touch. The star of the collection is a brooch adorned with a 265-carat rubellite, inspired by the tiger lily in a painting by Giuseppe Castiglione aka Lang Shining titled “Immortal Blossoms in an Everlasting Spring.” “Taking influence from the tiger lily in the painting, I strong-armed my interpretation of the flower by studying each curve and line, and the flower’s parts and structure. I then gave the lily creations a splash of colour by setting the piece with various shades and tones of gemstones interlaced with diamonds,” explained Hu. Considering buyers’ ever-evolving preferences as well as new developments in many different aspects of the business world, Hu noted that a combination of elements between arts and technology is inevitable. “I see the future of jewellery design as only becoming more versatile in terms of materials used, and the form that the jewellery is shaped in. Jewellery artists will become bolder in their creative process – there will not be any rules confining their creativity,” shared Hu. Monet’s Water Lilies necklace 莫奈睡蓮項鏈 All jewellery pieces by Anna Hu 所有珠寶均來自 Anna Hu Petales d’Amour ring "愛情花瓣"戒指