Noguchi Bijoux

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. YOU ARE WELL KNOWN FOR YOUR DISCRETION AND WE FEEL VERY HONOURED THAT YOU HAVE AGREED TO ORGANIZE THIS EXHIBITION OF YOUR COLLECTION IN OUR WHITEbIRD STORE IN MONT-THABOR, AN EXHIBITION THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY DELIGHT YOUR FANS, WHO ARE UNCONDITIONAL COLLECTORS OF YOUR WORK.

1. Could you tell us more about yourself and introduce your work to clients who aren’t yet familiar with it?
Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by the clothes, hair, and make-up of the adults around me, as well as the architecture I saw. After graduating from a fashion college in Tokyo, I went to Italy to study. In my twenties, while searching for a way to enter the fashion world, I began making jewellery by teaching myself through observation. The first ring I ever completed was a gift for my grandmother, who was renting me the second floor of her house at the time.

I later launched a brand of men’s silver jewellery, but at the age of thirty, I decided to move to Paris. I spent a period of quiet reflection living in an apartment near Canal Saint-Martin. Freed from the Japanese way of thinking, “this is how it should be,” I began to ask myself, “What do I think?” and “What feels comfortable to me?” What may have been obvious to French people was entirely new to me as a Japanese person, and my life in Paris allowed me to look at myself more deeply.

After two years in Paris, I returned to Japan and founded Noguchi Bijoux with my wife. The glittering jewellery I had always seen seemed, to me, to carry an element of vanity, so I wanted to create something different: jewellery that could be worn like an accessory, yet made from fine materials, to quietly complement everyday clothes.

2. How and where do you create your jewellery? Do you have a team of artisans that you have trained yourself? Do you have any work rituals?
I live in Kamakura, an ancient town surrounded by temples and the sea, and my studio is about ten minutes from my home. After breakfast with my family, I usually leave around 7:30. Lunch is a bento packed with leftovers from breakfast, a main dish of meat, and miso soup in a jar. As I start work early, I also try to return home early, and I treasure evenings spent with my wife and our 10 year old daughter.

We also have a design team in our Tokyo atelier, and I encourage each member to pursue their own way of creating. I am self-taught in jewellery, and I feel that copying others can interrupt my own creative flow. Of course, I am always there to advise when needed, but I prefer to let everyone develop their own style.

3. Your jewellery is unmistakeable. Can you tell us how you came up with the idea of applying the very special patina that reduces its shine?
As I mentioned earlier, I have always felt uncomfortable with overly sparkling jewellery, and instead sought out textures and forms that harmonize with the wearer. By experimenting with different proportions of gold alloys, I arrived at an ideal 14k blend that conveys a subtle sense of shadow and a natural, gentle shimmer. 

This formula has remained unchanged since the brand was founded. However, as both I and my close family members have grown older, I began to feel that the traditional finish could sometimes appear a little too subdued. As a result, some of our more recent designs carry a touch more brilliance than before.

4. Tell us about your inspirations… What are your influences in terms of jewellery, art and design? Are you attached to any particular objects? If yes, which ones?
The inspiration for my jewellery, which continues to this day, comes from many sources: the clothes and personalities of the people I meet, as well as the details I notice in the streets around me. Rather than sketching ideas on a blank page, I prefer to imagine how a piece will look when worn, and explore new forms from there.

When I was sixteen, I inherited a Rolex automatic watch that had been given to my parents by their relatives as a wedding gift. As a teenager, I longed for something bolder, like a diver’s watch, but I have worn this Rolex ever since, taking it in for maintenance when needed. Its simplicity and timelessness have had a strong influence on my design approach. I am also fascinated by its endurance—keeping time and being passed down for over sixty years.

5. Can you tell us about the lines “VSL Collection” and “profumo di noguchi”?
The VSL collection represents a new standard of beauty, created to embody maturity and elegance. This will be the first time it is presented at WHITEbIRD. Compared with the more delicate and casual BIJOUX collection, VSL offers greater volume and higher quality. It combines refinement and sophistication while still fitting seamlessly into everyday life. At this trunk show, the VSL collection will be available exclusively at WHITEbIRD for purchase and order.

“profumo di noguchi” was inspired by the way a fragrance can instantly evoke memories, something I found deeply compelling. At the same time, I felt uncomfortable with the conventional division of perfumes into categories such as “Homme” or “Femme.” Instead, I created the category of “Human,” based on the traditional Japanese concept of 知 (knowledge), 情 (emotion), and 意 (will) — the three elements that make up a person.

I wanted fragrances that could reset or elevate one’s mood, to be enjoyed casually and intimately at any time. For this reason, I chose to create solid perfumes. I travelled to Florence to collaborate with Lorenzo Villoresi on the compositions, while the silver cases — which I designed myself — are handcrafted in our Tokyo atelier.

At present, Profumo is available only in our Tokyo stores, but ahead of its wider launch we have prepared a limited number of pieces especially for this trunk show. I am very much looking forward to people experiencing the fragrances firsthand.

6. Finally, what would you say to a young designer who wants to make a start in the world of jewellery?
I would say: create something that is truly your own. I was entirely self-taught in jewellery design and making, so although I sometimes took detours, I was never constrained by the conventional idea of “how it should be.” I believe there are no absolute right answers in creation. When I went to Italy, I realised that the techniques of fashion-making I had learned in Japan, precise down to the millimetre, were completely different from those used there. Of course, a solid foundation can expand what you are able to do, but for me the real joy lies in discovering your own way of making things.