We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Cedric Chevalley ("CC").
Cédric Chevalley is a "creative-addict" . he got famous while creating in the jewelry fields for more then 17 years, but this didn't let him fall in laziness, on the contrary, that motivated him to get back his first dream as to create, create, create, art, design and whatever he feels constructive to build .
Cedric Chevalley Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Cedric Chevalley.
Designer Interview of Cedric Chevalley:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
CC : During my childhood I was seeking for aesthetic. My parents were even very afraid about my willing to become an artist. They advice me to choose a more lucrative job, and it's why I was first oriented to a technic filed which I could get completely rid of it around 27 years old when I have started the jeweller school.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
CC : I have lauch my brand cbijoux in 2001 directly after my jewelry study, I directly worked on my own, was my purpose to build my own path then following one .Then I have launched several brand also. But always stayed connected to jewelry .
DI: What is "design" for you?
CC : Design means Object with function. It's a innovative usefull creation.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
CC : Mostly jewelry and accessories
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
CC : For me It's actually the winner bracelet "upsk8" it's very far of anything expected from any of it's aspects : shape, matter and also the concept of giving a new life of used materiels.On the side of the public, my best design is far above the very trendy rings called Mood Collection, a simple and minimal design, but that allows to each wearers to personnalise it on billions way, you can check this on www.yourmood.net, since 2013 this brand is managed by friends of mine.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
CC : i never worked for a 3rd part
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
CC : Now I'm really very exited about recycling the skate's wood
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
CC : After exhibtion, after having talked a lot abut my work, usually on the way back home, when I'm in the need to proceed a "rebirth"
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
CC : What the object will print on the public, what will be the reaction seing and/or wearing and/or using it.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
CC : I feel very self critics, I have always to get the completion to validate or invalidated my work.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
CC : when It's a win on my point of view I get the best feeling i could experience, it's an amazing state of mind.
DI: What makes a design successful?
CC : It has to be very well thought, very well made, and being something that suits to people. Then the very important last point it that has to be undesrtood and adopted by the public. This last point is not the designer job, but this can be a usual fail
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
CC : The innovative features and the aesthetic. And how this will change the life to the user.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
CC : he is, as an artist creating a brighter futur, he needs to be smarter then common people.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
CC : I feel that changes are smaller, like we don't have huge changes. Or this happen every 30 years. We will see. Rn the electronics gets the main attention.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
CC : In May 2018 in Milano for the "No Matter matters" exhibition curated by A/dornment
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
CC : The best is mostly to "dream" of fantasy, I can create very freely in my mind. Then I have to manage that to keep its integrity while land it on the ground.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
CC : I wanna bring joy and excitement, and a higher conscious to my congeners, we lost a lot about who we really are and how powerful we can be. We are, in the era, so low on our own scale of ability and self-confidence.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
CC : Switzerland, I don't feel so, but I guess that all we live affects us, even if we are not conscient of it.Pro in my country is that I got a great open minded public for the new style of contemporary jewelry I have designed, I feel very, very grateful for that, and want to thanks each of my customers who allow me to pursue my way. The cons is that in switzerland i never got any help from the state or the taxes or any association, we are in this country on my point of view, very much on our own. (meanwhile I wrote that I'm not even sure about the fact that's a "cons" I wouldn't change anything, maybe taxes... lol)
DI: How do you work with companies?
CC : I don't
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
CC : no comment
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
CC : Briefly : I dream of something, then I draw by hand and then I'm very very excited to process to concretise the dream.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
CC : I fight to wake up, have a shower, then I squeeze lemon, make gymn, skateboard and study while eating my breakfast. Then usually I can't break because randomity of my company, and it's why I like to work in the night to be rid of any exteriors request.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
CC : Yeah , with pleasure. Never listen to the "nein sager" . Be really very, very smart and wise to choose to whom you will listen the advices.Best exemple will maybe not be the best teacher. Always follow your heart, not your purse and never give up in the way you wanna go !
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
CC : The positive points are only to people who are done to create, there are other kind of people who will be happy having assurance and habits. I see the designer as an artist, the artist need to be very strong because there are always so many opportunitie to get down, to doubt and to fail. The artist is often in a state of unbalance because if you create something really new what will confort you about instead of your own faith.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
CC : Always being genuine with ourself and being our best friend.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
CC : To be able to create in an abstract way then being able to report it in the real life.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
CC : hardware : Paper notebook, pens, . Macintosh, and CNCadobe creative suite
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
CC : Usually I create during travelling out of the normal daily schedule.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
CC : How could I get those idea ?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
CC : to work on my own since 17 years
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
CC : mostly objects with use and meanings
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
CC : To enhance the impact and the notoriety of my creativity to allow me to create greater and greater .
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
CC : I PREFER NOT
DI: How can people contact you?
CC : By mail would be the best
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
CC : there are many aspects of my works could be seen on several website like :www.cbijoux.comwww.cedrichevalley.comwww.diirt.netwww.yourmood.net