After a long break without new articles and ‘Face to Face’ sessions I would like to continue now with a dear friend. Slavka Habardova lives in Slovakia, near the capital, where I had my bead shop for six years. She was a happy customer and most importantly a very good student. As for a teacher, the most rewarding moment are those when you see somebody not only being able to repeat what you show them, but to develop their own, distinctive style.
Slavka’s delicate, feminine beadwork combined with her organic shapes made of Art Clay Silver are a beautiful example of hard work, creativity, talent and eagerness to learn and experiment.
You will find here interviews with beaders, jewelry makers and fashion designers every second week.
Together with them I wish you a pleasent time reading!
Erika
Please tell us about yourself and your brand a bit!
I like to talk more about my jewellery than myself, so I would like to talk about that rather 🙂 My brand was born a long time after I started to design jewellery. “Finimi” is an abbreviation of the most precious jewels I have: my family. I have my own feelings about my brand but I like asking others how do they perceive it.
How did your story as a designer begin? Do you remember the first piece you sold?
The first “real” piece created is written in my mind stronger than the first one sold. It was the beginning of my designer career. I beaded my first cabochon with you, Erika. I truly could not sleep for three nights! I started to create beaded jewellery after this workshop. Than I discovered “clay, which can be turned into silver”. It did not catch my attention as I did not like the pieces shown on Internet that time. I just passed it as an interesting info to my husband. Few months later I received from him a gift for my birthday: everything needed to start working with Art Clay Silver. I had no other choice, I had to start and I fell in love with the silver metal clay.
Please tell us how does your average day look like! It’s so exciting to get to know more about the lifestyle of a designer!
I am not a full-time jewellery designer. My favourite part of the day is early morning, when everyone still sleeps and I can take the time just for me and my creativity. Then the daily routine starts. In my life I need to connect my job from an international environment with jewellery making. I feel that only designing jewelry or only working in non-artistic environment is not for me. I tried both and the combination of the two works best for me.
What makes your designs stand out of the crowd of other designers? Which are your favourite colours, shapes, materials etc?
I love leaves and floral motives, and I like to combine them with pearls or stones. I like making tiny little flowers, which I have learned from Anna Mazon of Drakonaria Jewellery. I mix these ingredients and am looking for my own way of combining them in my designs.
For what kind of occasions can we wear your pieces? What’s the woman who wears your design like?
I think that people wearing my pieces have similar souls like me. I suppose that they are creative, prefer hand-made, love nature and spend a lot of time outside. My jewelry can be worn every day as well as for special occasions. It depends on how you combine it with your outfit. And I would like to add, that I created some pieced of jewellery for men, too.
Where does your inspiration come from? Do you have some rituals to boost your creative energy?
Nature is the main source of my inspiration.
Do you have a piece of jewellery you made, that is somehow special to you?
The first pair of wedding rings, which cannot exist without each other. And the Frozen Leaf Necklace that combines my favourite jewellery making techniques: Metal Clay and Beading.
If you could design something for a well-known person or maybe a fictional character from a film or book, who would it be, and why?
I cannot name a particular person nor a novel character but I love to watch the shining eyes of the happy owner of a piece every time. I imagine people wearing my jewelry to be excited about the new treasure they found – similarly to my students, when they burnish their freshly made piece and go home proudly wearing it.
What kind of clothes and accessories do you wear? Who are your favourite designers and why?
I am usually dressed sporty, and do not decorate myself a lot. There are many designers who inspire me more or less. I try to use this inspiration and develop my own handwriting.
What is your goal in the future? Where would you like to see your brand?
Together with my sister we are currently preparing a new project and my brand Finimi should be part of it. I cannot tell more at the moment. I hope that Finimi will be more than a brand for my jewelry in the future!
Where can we see and buy your designs?
Some of my designs are currently available in Slovak e-shops. You can see the complete gallery of my work on my Facebook fan page: Finimi – Handmade Jewellery by Slavomira Habardova. For me it is interesting to watch there my own history and the development of my skills.
Thank you very much for answering my questions, Slávka!
I wish you all the best for your journey as a jeweller!
I know this a long shot.. but I am searching for a woman named Slavka who lived in or visited Bratislava in 1995. She also was a an exchange student in Snellville, Georgia, USA in 1994-1995. She was my friend & pen pal.. but I lost her address and then only received a couple of postcards after that.. she quit writing because I had also.. but could not. I came across one of the postcards I managed to save.. and figured it was like a needle in the haystack but I have to start somewhere. I appreciate any help you’re able to offer.