Gioia Mia magazine interview

I'm really delighted to have been interviewed about my work by 'Allezom' magazine in the States!


Here is a transcript of the interview:

Jewelry designer, Sonia Tinagli-Macrae, is the designer and maker behind the label Gioia Mia. She makes all kinds of jewelry and accessories. Most of her work is for the bridal industry, so she makes tiaras, combs, fascinators, hairpins and co-ordinating jewelry. The label, Gioia Mia, has been trading for about four years now. Sonia wanted an unusual name that reflected her Italian heritage and encapsulated what designing and making means to her, as well as the approach she brings to her work. Gioia Mia can mean either my jewel or my joy in Italian.

There has always been a fascination for accessories with Sonia and a love of things that sparkle. It was a natural step to combine all those elements and later turn talent and passion into a business.

When asked who her icons were and if they influenced her personal style, Sonia first gives credit to her Italian grandmother saying, "Some of my strongest childhood memories are of looking through her wardrobe at her clothes and accessories. I remember that she had some tiny black lace shoes that Ferragamo had made especially for her in the 1950s, and an amazing collection of hats from the 1940s. Every time I go and visit her, she will give me another perfectly-preserved piece from her wardrobe that she had made for her. The fabrics and the cut are just stunning. The workmanship is inspirational. I feel much honored to be the custodian of these little pieces of history." Sonia also mentions the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Chanel saying "It's really amazing to look at some of the photographs of Chanel from the 1920s and 1930s she looks so modern. I love Lanvin's designs, Fortuny, Issey Miyake and all those countless hundreds and thousands of unnamed seamstresses that worked with such incredible skill and precision making clothes in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries."

These different elements have influenced Sonia's personal style as she love to mix old and new, to incorporate vintage or antique items into her designs. She tells aspiring designers to follow your heart and go with what excites and interests you. Be true to yourself in essence. Sonia markets and promotes herself through word of mouth. Visit www.gioiamia.net to see more of her designs.

The story behind a bespoke design

Hallo everyone

My business card features one of the many tiaras I have made over the years:

This is the story behind this piece.

Maxine came to me, like many brides, having just bought her dress - an absolutely stunning, floor length, oyster- coloured satin dress:

Photography by Graham Bell

She told me that she was going to be wearing her great grandmother's necklace at her wedding:

Photography by Graham Bell

She knew that she wanted a tiara to wear too. Her only specification was that she wanted a 'low tiara in a modern design'.

So I went away and had a long think about the various elements that went into the design of her heirloom necklace. First and foremost there were the materials: gold, garnets, pearls. Then there was the design: delicate, graceful, curving.

I carefully brought all those elements together, and over eight hours, created a unique piece for her:

And this is Maxine wearing her beautiful, bespoke Gioia Mia tiara on her wedding day:

Photography by Graham Bell

'After the excitement of her wedding and honeymoon, she emailed me to say that 'I didn't want to take off my tiara at the end of the day, and I'm currently trying to come up with another excuse to wear it (other than around the house!). I love the way it complimented my heirloom necklace and earrings, and the colours chosen really worked well together…I felt very elegant in it. Throughout the day I had many compliments about it...beautiful and perfect for the occasion. Big thanks.' Maxine xx

I am really grateful to Graham Bell for his photographs of Maxine and Pete on their wedding day. You can see more of his work on his website: www.grahambell.co.uk

Introductions...

Well hallo everybody

I've finally made it, long after everyone else it seems!

So, my lovely company Gioia Mia came into being about 5 years ago now, but I've been designing and making things for as long as I can remember...usually the sorts of things which would drive other people to distraction, but I love working on a really small scale.

I wanted a name that was different, and one which reflected my Italian upbringing. 'Gioia Mia' popped into my head, and refused to go away. Whatever else I thought of, I always came back to it. It can mean two different things in Italian: 'my jewel', which is good for a jewellery design company; or 'my joy', which is perfect, as it sums up what Gioia Mia means to me.

Five years on, I'm busy all the year round designing and making bespoke pieces. I work mostly with brides (I love the excitement of working with a bride!), but I make pieces for gifts as well. My work has travelled all over the world, and my my pieces have been featured in magazines both here and abroad.

I'm lucky to work from a beautiful studio not far from where I live. It's wonderful, inspiring place full of positive energy and creative people, working in a variety of media. It's not usually this tidy, but this is the space where I work from. It's set up for an exhibition (the yellow sunflowers were a gift from my amazingly talented web designer):