Jewelry

Jewelry Diversity: A Taiwanese Designer at a Finnish Brand - New York Times

Designing for Lapponia has afforded Ms. Kuo a chance to focus more diligently on her time-consuming private work, a series of intricate pieces in which she uses Keum-boo, a painstaking ancient Korean technique. It involves depleting silver with several applications of acid, until the silver has a snow-white finish, and then gilding it with 24-karat gold foil.

“It is definitely quality time for me, to be with myself, creating these works that may or may not be sold, but that are important to me,” said Ms. Kuo, who describes the gold and silver pieces she produces for Lapponia as “a simpler version of my artistic work.”

Lapponia was started in 1960 by Pekka Anttila, a Helsinki silversmith. Mr. Weckstrom joined him in 1963, producing a small line of chunky, modernist pieces whose unconventional designs were inspired by the frozen lakes and snowy landscapes in Finnish nature. The collection led to Mr. Weckstrom’s reputation as a pioneer in avant-garde and experimental jewelry.

“I wanted jewelry to be not just a symbol of wealth; I wanted it to be a symbol of culture and art,” said Mr. Weckstrom, who lives in Helsinki and Pisa, Italy. “The rich people were staying with their diamonds. The middle classes were the ones who wanted something different and new.”

By 1970, his work had won several global jewelry awards and in 1977, Carrie Fisher wore his Planetoid Valleys necklace in her role as Princess Leia in the final scene of the first “Star Wars” film, still considered Lapponia’s greatest moment of fame.

The brand still sells Mr. Weckstrom’s designs on its website and at retailers worldwide. While his vintage pieces remain highly collectible — easily selling at auction for several thousand dollars and more — the Lapponia of today produces jewelry for a wider customer base at a lower price. (Kalevala Koru Oy, which doesn’t break out Lapponia’s results, reported total sales of 13.7 million euros, or $16.2 million, for its 2017 fiscal year, the 12 months ending in March.)

In the competitive global market, the company has sought to maintain its image as a modern, environmentally conscious Finnish brand: Its pieces are handmade from recycled metals in an energy-efficient studio in Helsinki.

“It is reproducing many of the best-seller pieces from the 1970s, in addition to delivering new designs created by current designers,” said Ana Palmeirim-Vayrynen, whose blog, finlandjewelry.com, is devoted to contemporary and unconventional jewelry. “They reflect its artistic identity while maintaining its relevancy in today’s competitive market.”

Mr. Weckstrom said he had at times felt disappointed as Lapponia evolved into a more commercial brand that has, in his mind at least, put profit and overhead costs ahead of artistic innovation and quality. While he does not agree with every design decision it has made, he praised the work of Ms. Kuo, who he said had been a valuable addition.

“Chao is making very good jewelry,” he said. “I wouldn’t say she’s so inspired by my style. But she’s good, and she’s been a fresh input for Lapponia.”

Ms. Kuo — who is of Taiwanese heritage and uses Korean techniques in her work — described her designs, which are inspired by flowers, trees and plants, as “more Scandinavian or Finnish than Asian.” An idea might come while walking to her atelier, or at a family summer house she visits with her husband, Eero, with whom she produces jewelry for a separate line called Chao & Eero.

Ms. Kuo did not immediately find her footing as a Lapponia designer. Her first collection, a series inspired by bamboo, had lukewarm success. Her second collection, Summer Romance, of petal-shaped textured gold and silver pieces has sold relatively well in Lapponia’s largest markets of Germany, Holland and Britain, Ms. Huuhtanen said. (The collection’s bracelet in gold, for example, is priced at 2,898 euros.)

For Summer Romance, Ms. Kuo took inspiration from dandelions, and how their summertime hues delight in contrast with Finland’s long, dark winters.

Ms. Huuhtanen discovered Ms. Kuo while working with Design Forum Finland, a Finnish design organization. “I think she has really developed her design language for Lapponia based on the feedback she’s got from the market,” Ms. Huuhtanen said. “And I think one big influencer here has also been Bjorn. He exchanges ideas and discussions with all our designers.”

Ms. Kuo came to the job prepared: In addition to earning design-related degrees in the United States and Finland, and a goldsmith degree at the Institute of Design in Lahti, she studied commercial design in Taiwan, where she also designed watches.

The experience, she said, taught her how to navigate the often-tricky territory where art and commerce intersect.

“It’s like, how do you design the piece that you want?” she said. “But it still has to be designed in a way that they can produce it, so there are always compromises to be made.

“And also of course, the company has to be able to make money.”