Interview with the designer of Innan: the jewellery like an architectural dream 

If you have ever entered Tranoi at Paris Fashion Week, you know, for sure, that’s a very hard thing to notice just one thing or one collection. But I did, this year. When I saw the architectural pieces from Innan Jewellery collection, I knew I had to meet the designer. “The people I meet represent the inspiration for my pieces of jewellery. And their stories are here, with me, in my designs”, said Inna Nechyporenko (pictured above). I loved the silver pieces, with their very architectural forms, and I talked with the designer of Innan (innan-jewellery.com) about art & fashion, collections to come and inspiration from the interesting people.

Innan Jewellery collection could be find here – innan-jewellery.com. 
You could buy the jewellery from Hotoveli (New York), Shelter (New Zealand), starting from this summer in Korea. It is possible to contact us order our customised pieces through the webpage innan-jewellery.com, delivery worldwide.

Where do you get the inspiration from?

I get my inspiration mostly from people. Berlin is such a melting pot of cultures and characters! I am a very social person and somehow that is reflected coming across my muses into jewellery pieces, kind of shape memories in metal. Sometimes when I meet a lot of people at once, I do not even remember the names of all, only what jewellery design I’d make based on this or that experience. I do not make photo shootings with models to present my work, but photograph people met along my way. All portraits are taken by Belgian photographer Tim van den Oudenhoven – an extremely talented artist who I am proud to be collaborating with. All muses we photograph come from different backgrounds, live different live stories, but all are inspirations for certain designs and remain connected in the portrait Gallery on my webpage.

Why do you choose to work with this architectural shapes?

I love graphic silhouettes with a twist: adding a texture detail within the clean shape or setting gemstones in a discrete way. By the way, I am actually a big fan of the brutalist architecture. I mean, I grew up in Kiev and now live in Berlin… both cities have a lot of it to show. I think there has been so much done already within the classic jewellery shapes… I belong to the modern generation and enjoy to create my own vision, not to repeat what was done already. This is the way I see avant-garde elegance of my time.

Which materials are your favourite? 

My own personal choice is silver. I absolutely love working with yellow gold for my private clients, but do not wear it much myself. At least for now.

How many hours do you work for a single piece of jewellery?

It depends on the design. Usually I start developing a sample in brass and then when satisfied with the outcome, construct it in the final material. Some pieces take a few hours, some can take a few weeks to develop.

Where art and jewellery meet? 

Handcrafted jewellery is art. I see every jewellery piece as a little sculpture. It is not only a wearable accessory, but also an object for admiration. It is timeless.

Your dream collection ever would look like that… (the shapes, the materials, the city)

I’ve never been to Tokyo. I would love to show my collection there. I have a great respect towards Japanese culture and dream about visiting the homeland of Wabi-Sabi – Japanese aesthetics centred on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. This is how I also understand beauty. I’d create different delicate variations of my signature chaotic pieces, modest and deep.

What do you love / what do you hate on street style looks in the modern world (in terms of jewellery)? 

I appreciate the value of craft and when it comes to accessories, find it much more sophisticated to own a few handcrafted unique pieces rather than a hundred of mass-produced low-quality ones. That is why when in general I see someone who looks like a Christmas tree decorated with meaningless accessories, try not to look.

Inna, for short…

I studied sociology and social work at the university in Kiev and afterwards moved to Berlin where started learning from my German goldsmith teacher. I created INNAN in 2013, but the first full collection was presented last summer in Milan, Paris and Berlin.

We could buy Innan Jewellery from… 

Hotoveli (New York), Shelter (New Zealand), starting from this summer we will be also selling in Korea. It is possible to contact us order our customised pieces through the webpage innan-jewellery.com, we deliver worldwide.

Photography: Tim van den Oudenhoven / Innan

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