Can We Still Talk About Creative Freedom in Jewelry?

Luxury creativity exhausted. Creativity and performance in conflict. Creativity as brand storytelling. Creativity compressed by the luxury economic system. The opinions that have animated this debate in recent years, namely whether creativity in luxury is still alive, have been many, but all converge on one point: it is not a problem of lack of talent, but of how much space is given to risk. This is the opinion of Vanessa Friedman, who, in The New York Times, spoke explicitly of “creativity forced to operate in an increasingly restricted space. A system that no longer allows creativity to develop because when risk becomes a threat to turnover, innovation is automatically excluded.” She was echoed by Imran Amed, founder of The Business of Fashion, who emphasized the concept of aesthetic stagnation, stating that “fashion continues to talk about novelty, but in reality it moves in circles. The constant recycling of archives and codes from the past has become a safety strategy, not a creative choice.” In 2025, the focus on this issue has shifted slightly from “creative crisis” to “creative compression,” whose critical issues are mainly found in production speed, algorithms that anticipate taste and forcibly “guide” creativity, and the obligation of brand recognition. And while fashion remains constantly under the spotlight of public opinion, jewelry, although more low-key, does not escape criticism and constructive comments. When asked to respond to our somewhat provocative question — is creativity in jewelry dead? — Darren Hildrow, founder of The Jewelry Cast, a mentoring and consulting initiative for emerging designers, offered us a more reassuring point of view. «I do not believe that creativity is dead, there is a lot of great design out there. The main issue is oversaturation and the constant pressure on designers to produce something new.» Tamara Platiša, Head of Jewelry at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London, adds: «I believe creativity and imagination are very much alive in contemporary jewelry. We see this clearly through artists such as Paris based Sylvain Rieu-Piquet and Thibault Hazelzet. Their work demonstrates how inspiration often emerges from the act of making itself — through chance, playfulness, experimentation, trial, error. These elements shape the final piece in unexpected and meaningful ways. Rather than approaching design as something purely functional, we view jewelry as a space for craftsmanship, research, and poetic expression, resulting in sensorial objects that engage both the body and the imagination. Keeping creativity above purely commercial standards therefore remains a challenge that the jewelry world is still able to meet.»
However, Hildrow points out: «There is huge pressure on designers to create a new collection every 6 months. If they do not produce they will not get orders from the retailers. It is completely unrealistic to expect a fine jewelry designer to “reinvent the wheel” twice a year so, in order to keep up with demand, they naturally look around and “take inspiration” from other designers. They see a trend, follow it and, to a degree, copy it. When multiple designers start producing similar things, people get bored. We saw it years ago with rose gold, enamel or the Marie Lichtenberg style pendants. Same materials, similar designs. It may be born from a lack of creativity but it often comes from the pressure to survive and stay relevant. Having said that, there are a plethora of wonderful, original jewelry designers out there. Not always in the mainstream, very often going under the radar. One just needs to hunt them out.» Tamara Platiša echoes him: «One of the most pressing challenges designers face today is the fluctuating cost of precious metals, which has a direct impact on material choices and production decisions. However, challenges are not necessarily negative; they can be productive constraints. They encourage artists to rethink processes, push boundaries, and arrive at inventive solutions that may not have emerged otherwise. Our jewelry designers are artists first and foremost, and their most valuable asset is an unrestricted creative vision. That vision must remain the starting point. Designing solely in response to perceived market demand risks flattening creativity and diluting meaning. The process of translating a pure artistic idea into something wearable and viable for the market comes later — and that’s where people like us come in. Our role is to help bridge that gap without compromising the integrity of the artist’s work. Ultimately, creativity stays alive when artists are trusted to lead with imagination, curiosity, and conviction», she concludes. Darren Hildrow, with his The Jewelry Cast, is also following suit: «The Jewelry Cast was created to give opportunity to young bench jewelers, those who design and make their own jewelry but do not always have access to top consultants and industry professionals. The other side of The Cast is “The Directors”, a group of 11 professionals from within the industry. Each person is very well respected within their field, specialising in design, PR, business, sales, branding, digital creation, editorial, manufacturing and sustainability.
As a group, we are able to help someone take an idea from concept all the way through to sales. Each designer has access to free consultancy from each of The Directors, helping them to get advice from industry professionals who they would perhaps otherwise not be able to afford or have access to. The purpose is to give designers a platform from which they can move forward. Castro Smith, for example, does not need too much help. His brand is going from strength to strength, but he joined to give support and recognition to the project and to the other designers. What has been so encouraging about this project has been to see how enthusiastic people are to give their time to help. There is a lot more goodwill out there than people think.»