Marco Bicego, Italian creator and designer of jewellery of the same name, looks back over 15 years in charge of the brand.
When dreams and passion cannot be silenced, the result can only be posit ive. At the start of 2000 Marco Bicego reinvented the family jewellery business, already active for 50 years, and created his own brand. He gave it his own name and put his stamp on the jewellery, uniquely combining tradition with contemporary flair. “Jewellery has always been part of the family business and this inclination came naturally for me. However, I never thought that my future would also involve jewellery design,” Marco Bicego, brand CEO and designer, reveals when he meets up with Essential Madeira.
Gold is one of his chief allies when it comes to creation, as are precious and semiprecious stones, for which he owes his fascination to his father. “Gold has always been part of my DNA and the company’s DNA […] When I launched the brand in 2000, I realised that creating a jewellery brand wouldn’t be enough. We would have to think about marketing, about distribution, etc. It was important to pass on the brand values to consumers.”
Today, Marco Bicego is a prominent name on the international stage, primarily for preserving old-world craftsmanship in the creation of its pieces – as in the case of burin engraving, which gives the metal a satin finish, protecting it against denting, or the “guitar string” technique, a special manual twisting, which creates a wave-like aspect and which has become the hallmark of Marco Bicego.
Timelessness and versatility are other characteristics associated with the company. “Our main goal is to create timeless jewellery. I don’t like creating jewellery with trends and fashions in mind, because when you buy a piece, you buy it to mark special occasions. Gold has economic value, but more than this it has personal meaning. Handing it down from generation to generation: that’s how I see jewellery […] Our jewellery is also very versatile. We can uniquely combine pieces from different collections.” Produced in Italy and endowed with organic and imperfect shapes, Marco Bicego pieces reflect their natural source of inspiration. “
Everything appears unique and often different. Simplicity is the best thing there is and that can be done. Often the simplest thing is the hardest to do. I love nature that has perfect imperfection. We reinterpret and create pieces that are recognisable as being by our brand.”
With global business booming, Marco Bicego products can be found in 900 sales outlets, six own stores (Verona, Milan, Budapest, Istanbul, Crete and Mykonos) and six shop-in-shops (London, Manchester, Tokyo, New York and Boston). Seeing itself as a universal brand, the Italian house has managed to reach different cultures on an even level. “It’s interesting because we see the same collection being the bestseller throughout the world, from Europe to the Middle East. Our jewellery is modern and is liked by various cultures, and this makes me very happy.” Portugal is a good e xample of this. “Portuguese woman really like the gold and the tradition associated with the brand.”
David Rosas is the official representative of the brand in the country. “We started working with David Rosas ten years ago. Our connection has been excellent since the start.” Lunaria is the latest collection, which, once again, pays tribute to nature. 18-carat gold and organic shapes accentuate the brand’s concept. “I drew my inspiration from the Italian ‘lunaria’ flower [honesty, in English]. I adore all its imperfections and curves.”
This year Marco Bicego reached its 15th anniversary and the assessment its owner makes of this time is very positive. “We went through hard times, but they have been very intense years, rich with success […] I feel motivated and year after year I am investing more and more. I do this not only for the money, but also for the passion and to be able to make my dreams come true. I am a hard worker, but above all else I like what I do and this is the perfect combination,” he concludes.
