#Interview: meeting with our designer Joanna

It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to Joanna, our designer who designed our entire collection.

Joanna, our designer

1. What is your background in a few words?

When I was young, I used to design a lot of dresses as a collection. One day, my mother asked me if I wanted to be a designer. I understood then that it was a profession and I then did everything I could to make this dream come true.

I did a BAC in Applied Arts which prepares me for the various design professions and then joined the fashion school Studio Berçot in Paris. I then worked for various Parisian brands as a trainee, and it was at this point that accessories became a natural choice for me. For almost 15 years, I have had the chance to create and direct accessory collections for beautiful brands, all very different and inspiring.

2. How do you find inspiration for your creations?

Inspiration is everywhere. Often, the eye finds itself what the instinct is looking for. I like to see people moving in the street, they give like a "tempo" that gives rhythm to the collections.

For bag volumes, for example, there are trends that emerge naturally each season. I also work with vintages for details and metal parts. Then, everything is a source of inspiration: a painting, a lamp, a jewel, a landscape... I literally devour tons of images which are then digested and adapted according to the brand and its universe.

The inspiration of our designer Joanna

3. Why did you choose to specialize in leather goods / shoes?

For several reasons. First of all, I love leather. This living material that has many lives and goes through time. Then, whether it is a bag or a pair of shoes, they are above all objects with a real utility. They have to be practical, well constructed, attractive at the same time. I like to work on the volume, the finishing touches. I also like the idea that the accessory does not need to adapt to a certain morphology. I don't have a body that meets today's criteria, but a jeans, a t-shirt, a nice pair of shoes, an elegant bag and that's it! You feel beautiful!

4. What particularly appealed to you about the Rive Claire project?

There was the meeting with Audrey, the founder. I was taken with her and the common values that seduced me, in addition to our Alsatian origins.

Then, the project: a pretty, elegant, trendy, timeless and above all eco-responsible brand. We can no longer consume as we did a few years ago and Audrey has understood this very well. For my part, I also have a strong desire to move towards projects that accompany this new dynamic of change, which is more than ever a priority!

5. What are your tips for keeping an open and creative mind?

My phrase: "Feet on the ground, head in the stars."

You have to dream like a child and set no limits to your imagination. Travelling is also an inexhaustible source of inspiration... craftsmanship, colours, materials... Then, "feet on the ground" is the part that allows you to translate this imagination into a product in line with the times, the universe of a brand, a manufacturing reality and a set of specifications.

Whether it's in decoration, professional projects, my private life, the creation of accessories, I'm a hyper active person with a thousand questions and a thousand desires. In the end, my job is a bit like my pressure-relief valve!