Designer Jewelry

Al Hadaf Newspaper

Date: 25/5/2002

Jewelry designer in love with crystals & exotic beads.

Fadwa Al Qasem: Fashion should be a woman’s servant and not her master

The world of jewelry is a world filled with imaginations, innovation & creativity. The designer Fadwa Al Qasem has been in love with all forms of art & creativity since childhood. She has sailed into this world, and has studied, and been inspired by, the history of semiprecious stones and beads throughout the ages, and her designs reflect this fascination. Her chokers seem to woven with history, music, poetry. She has participated in many exhibitions and her designs have received much praise & admiration.

We met Fadwa Al Qasem and had the following conversation:

• Can one truly feel without using the senses?

Life can be difficult and full of troubles, which need persistence and endurance. But, in between life’s hardships, there are always moments of pleasure which make  everything worthwhile, and which make us smile, and laugh at life and its troubles. We remember a small moment of pleasure that soaks up all moments of pain, past & future. This intense moment gives us the strength to continue, to endure .. for perhaps another wonderful pleasurable moment still awaits us.

• About your beginnings in the world of jewelry, who was your inspiration for your designs?

It is very difficult to pin point a beginning, I believe that energy bursting within everyone’s life is somehow woven into his very being, then there comes one bright sunny day, and all his experiences are reflected in the mirror of his being. It is at that moment when we seek to pave our own unique path that encompasses everything we are about. Pictures, memories, stories, legends, wishes and dream all gathered up in my hands as I picked up a handful of semiprecious stones. Once I expanded my knowledge by studying the history of beads, I discovered its profound effect on the culture of many civilizations.

 Jewelry & ornaments are not just pieces of decoration for women, for the stones used to make this jewelry carry within them the history of the culture that produced them & the history of the creative hands that formed them. The stones may be a labor of love, or a way to ward of evil, but they are always telling us stories about human nature, full of beauty & sensuality.

From this history, the history that is brought to us from the depth of our magical earth, from the spirit of the stones formed by ancient artists, from hope & the love of life, I endeavor to paint with semiprecious stones, exotic beads, and to travel down the path of jewelry design.

• Is it important for jewelry designers to follow up on fashion trends when creating their designs?

“This collection does not conform to the tight restraints of fashion, mainly because I believe that fashion should be a woman’s servant and not her master. She should chose what best suits her physically & spiritually. Anything that makes her feel comfortable, confident & happy. There are no hard rules for taste & style, no matter how much we read about them in magazines, style remains mysterious. Even though we are able to appreciate it, and feel it, style cannot be pigeon holed into a one-size fits all definition. I believe that women should not strictly adhere to the rules dictated by fashion, but rather to trust her own feelings of what suits her best.”

• Which stones do you use in your designs, where do your find these stones and do you face difficulties obtaining them?

All stones have a role to play within my designs, whether they are crystals, glass or semiprecious. What is important to me is obtaining beautiful, unusual stones of high quality and stunning colors. I obtain my stones from the UK, France, Italy, India, antique markets in Dubai and the UAE. I face difficulties at times in finding the exact color or shape I am looking for.

• What about exhibitions? And do you follow up on international designers?

I participated in many exhibitions around the world; Fashion Week 1998 in Dubai, Kensington & Ascot, UK, Four Seasons Hotel, Canada, to name a few. I follow up on Arab & international designers, and I admire many designers and a lot of their work.

• Do you create custom-made designs for customers?

Of course. This is done after studying the customer’s needs & requirements, and the overall effect of the design.

• www.fadwa.com - Why create a website?

My site on the web is a virtual gallery for my designs. Visitors from all over the world can browse the collections, make purchases, or simply enjoy the unique designs I endeavor to present to my customers.

I constantly strive to improve & develop the website, and my designs, and to offer my customers increased choices. Designing is like most things in life; it needs love, care, nurturing & human interaction so that it may grow and continue breathing. For this reason you will find a special page at www.fadwa.com for color combinations. This means that customers can help create their own designs with the colors that they chose.

Through the guest book I am able to remain in touch with my customers & visitors alike.

At the moment orders are placed by email. I am looking at offering online payment in the future. My customers also have my assurance that they may exchange their purchases or return them if badly received.

• In closing, what advice do you offer to women upon choosing a piece of jewelry?

Simply to enjoy the process of choosing. And to Arab women I say chose what you like, and what suits you … and enjoy your choices!