Luísa Rosas, jewelry designer and CEO of Luísa Rosas, inherited the art of jewelry by a strong legacy. Also a managing partner of David Rosas, a family company, this architect by training, has undertaken her own path in jewelry and, today, her creations are displayed not only in Portugal but also in the world. Having reached the spotlight thanks to a piece she offered actress Julia Roberts, Luísa agreed to talk to us about her journey and her jewelry inspired by Nature.
You are part of the fifth generation of a family dedicated to fine jewelry. What was it like to grow up surrounded by jewelry?
It was something very natural, part of my daily life. My parents used to involve us a lot in their work, their routines, their work trips, their trips to the factories, and even in their decisions.
The Boavista store in Porto was our base, where we were always going to and from. From an early age we helped and felt involved in this family business. Only much later did I realize the wealth of knowledge it brought me.
You followed your vocation and studied Architecture. Did you always think you would dedicate your life to the world of jewelry?
No. I always thought the opposite, actually. I studied Architecture by passion and I think also by vocation, which I still have, and until ten years ago I always thought it would be part of my professional life. In reality it still is, but not directly.
I designed my first collection as a response to a challenge posed by my brother, and at that time I was not thinking of leaving architecture. As the jewelry brand grew, I realized that one day I would have to make a choice. That’s what happened, and although it was very hard for me, I am now convinced it was the best choice.
What role has your education have in your family’s brand?
Actually, my training has helped me a lot in several areas of the company, and it complements my brother’s training field well, which is Management. For a long time the projects for our stores were my responsibility, and even today I still have other responsibilities within the company besides jewelry, mainly in what regards the more creative work, even if strategic.
Jewelry has always been the subject of great attention by women. What was it like to be catapulted to the forefront after designing and offering a gold and diamond bracelet to Julia Roberts?
It was a moment that somehow will remain forever in the history of the brand and was lived, of course, with enthusiasm. It was Julia’s decision to take it to the Instyle shooting; we found out about it when the magazine contacted us about the bracelet. The fact that it was something that happened spontaneously made it all the more special.
Luísa Rosas has established itself as a Portuguese luxury jewelry brand of great international success. What do you think is the reason behind all this success?
I think it is due to a number of factors, some more objective than others. I can point out a couple of them that seem to be more relevant, such as the fact that it is a brand with a strong identity and positioning, the visual/artistic language it uses both in jewelry and in all the aspects surrounding it, the care for detail and originality.
Your collections are inspired by Nature. Is it an inexhaustible source or are you thinking of going into other themes?
Nature is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. I won’t live long enough for it to run out. What interests me most in Nature are some specificities, like its structures, its patterns, the way it develops, and even within this sub-theme, the possibilities are almost endless.
When you create a piece, what do you base it on first?
My creative process crosses rationality with emotionality. In a first stage, I draw without any filter and very freely shapes of my own that I take from elements in nature and that seem to have potential. I have a large image base that I have nurtured for many years, where I keep images that interest me. This first stage involves a lot of experimentation, and little by little I narrow it down to drawings that could become jewelry.
When I believe I have designs with potential, I use a more rational approach, which has to do with the needs of the brand. Examples of this are the types of products that make sense for us or the price target set.
When designing jewelry, what kind of woman do you have in mind?
Intuitively, I think of determined women, with a strong personality. These are, probably, the only character traits I think about actually.
In 2017, together with Catarina Furtado, founder of the association Corações com Coroa (CCC), you presented Flying Seeds, your solidarity project and a campaign for gender equality. How important is it for you to serve causes?
For anyone living with minimum comforts, serving causes, being attentive to others, whatever the scale, it should be basic.
At the corporate level, I carry the same principle, given that social responsibility today should play a relevant role. CCC works on the same issues that we, as an institution, also believe in: it is the investment in education that will change generations. I strongly believe that no other tool has such a power. Sowing the seeds of education today will allow us to reap benefits in the future.
You have also created the House of Filigree to praise and promote one of the oldest and most prestigious techniques of Portuguese jewelry: filigree. How is this technique part of Luísa Rosas?
Filigree is an art that may have started in Mesopotamia thousands of years ago and that has spread to several geographies. Portugal was one of the countries where filigree had an enormous importance, especially in the last two centuries, and it is part of the country’s culture.
The four generations that preceded me had a major role in this art, which was also the reason my brother and I felt it was our responsibility to contribute so that this art continues to have a relevant role in the Portuguese DNA. It is an art that is on the verge of extinction – most of the pieces we see in shop windows are made by mold rather than by hand – and it urgently needs to be protected. The House of Filigree project was born with the mission of safeguarding manufactured filigree, because for me filigree is a magnificent and still contemporary art. The use of the technique in Luísa Rosas’ pieces allows me to show an art that while paying tribute to the past, it also belongs to the future.
In the near future, which projects do you intend to develop?
In 2023, we have several projects we want to develop, namely launching a sub-brand during the first semester of the year and consolidating B2B synergies in Europe, the United States, and Japan.
We began this year with a new and very relevant aspect for the brand and for the group, which is the manufacturing area, with the acquisition, at the end of 2022, of the biggest and best jewelry manufacturing company in Portugal, located in Guimarães. It’s a company that we have been working with for several years, known for its outstanding quality and which exports a good part of its production to major international brands.