Solange Azagury-Partridge

Entering the penthouse of Martin No 38 condominium, there’s a squad of women busy unpacking Solange jewellery, and are especially excited about the gorgeous necklaces and rings that have arrived earlier that morning.

The designer behind these beautiful pieces is none other than Solange Azagury-Partridge, who was in Singapore last week for a special by-appointment-only showcase after a three-year hiatus. On display are some of her many collections, including new additions to her Everything line. “It’s a celebration of 25 years in jewellery business,” says Solange.

Her interest started after completing her language degree, she tells. In need of a job, she worked at London costume jeweller, Butler & Wilson and the experience opened her eyes to the wonders of jewellery. Solange proceeded to antique dealer Gordon Watson before Tom Ford recruited her into Boucheron in the early 2000s where she was the creative director.

“[Jewellery] has to feel accessible and you have to enjoy it when you’re putting it on.”

Later, she set off to design her own engagement ring because she couldn’t find one that “spoke to her”. She adds, “I wanted something unique. It was my first ‘real’ piece of jewellery and I never really had one before that. When I designed it, I had to think about who I was, what I wanted and what the ring signified — it was my first design challenge.”

It didn’t take long for Solange’s love for bijoux to go wild. “It was like: ‘Now that I have a ring, I’ll need earrings, necklace…’ and it progressed to more pieces,” she laughs. “The desire for jewellery never ends and that’s how I keep on designing.”

When it comes to organising her own jewellery, she prefers to keep them within reach and certainly doesn’t mind a messy dressing table. “I’m embarrassed by how I store them,” she confesses. “I took a photo and I was going to Instagram it, but one of my guys who’d worked with me for a long time stopped me. We’re always telling our customers to keep their jewellery safe and tidy so that they don’t get damaged. But also, it has to feel accessible and you have to enjoy it when you’re putting it on.”

Scanning through her whimsical designs — from the enchanting Secret Garden to best-selling Hotlips rings — it’s hard to imagine these creative creations came from a self-taught designer. When she first started, her challenge was mainly finding the right manufacturers. “A good idea is nothing without beautiful execution so the production was my main challenge. It took me a while to get into my stride and I think I started doing collections instead of individual pieces around 1999; it took me about seven years to develop a rhythm.”

“The jewellery market has changed and become more like fashion so it’s very fast paced, but my jewellery isn’t. I see my pieces as what you’ll own and enjoy forever in different moments in your life.”

Today, one of her most famous collections is Hotlips, which a lot of her customers are obsessed with. “It’s like a musician wanting people to notice a new song, but people are always requesting for the same old song. But I like it. It’s got plenty of life in it. There are more of new Hotlips coming out this year.”

Besides designing for women, Solange also has a men’s line called Alpha and she updates it with new pieces every year. “A lot of men don’t wear jewellery but my son loves wearing them, so he’s my muse. He wears multiple rings, earrings and chains. Maybe it’s because he grew up seeing me wear them. He enjoys it.”

For all Singapore fans, it may be some time before she returns for another trunk show and there are no plans in setting up a boutique here for now. “It’ll be nice to come back every few years and show my customers and friends what we’re doing. The jewellery market has changed and become more like fashion, so it’s very fast paced, but my jewellery isn’t. I see my pieces as what you’ll own and enjoy forever in different moments in your life. They are something that you add to your collection overtime.”