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Interview by: Kyra Brenzinger http://www.guide-joailliers.com/dori-csengeri-tisseuse-dor-de-lumiere/
Dori radiates excitement when she talks about her jewelry creations. “My collection is like a patchwork of mixed cultures, rich colors and sensuous textures” says Dori. “It’s my personal curated selection of all things wonderful!”
What was the starting point in creating your jewelry?
Dori Csengeri: In the eighties, during my studies of textile design at the Academie de Port-Royal in Paris, I was experimenting with collages made of textile materials. I used to wear the few pins that I made and my friends began to buy them. That made me realize that the jewelry path was the right path for me. From there on, the road to designing jewelry was fairly short.
Can we compare your jewelry to haute couture jewelry?
Dori Csengeri: Indeed, all the jewelry pieces are handmade from start to finish at our fair trade Tel Aviv studio. That means that our team of women artisans hand-stitches the textile cords that frame the Swarovski crystals (or gemstones for that matter), strings beads and applies nappa leather on the back of the jewelry pieces for added comfort. Some pieces such as my Camelot collection are made by cutting small squares of linen fabric and one by one applying gold leaf on top of them. Each square has a slightly different shape and a different gold leaf pattern. When I hand- stitch the linen squares together, I carefully match them. After all, God is in the small details….
How do you design your collections?
Dori Csengeri: The arts, the city views or even certain moods inspire me to draw sketches every day. About four months before the collection is due, I select the best sketches and the most appealing materials that I constantly source from all around the world. From this selection I create about 16 color themes, each theme includes small, mid size and large pieces (about ten styles for each color story).
Your new spring / summer collection is a true color-therapy!
Dori Csengeri: I wanted this collection to be bold and joyful. The red Fandago collection reflects the flamenco dancers costumes, movements and fiery spirit. The red color also adds a powerful and festive side to the collection. Green is high on the list of the spring 2017 color trends and is also very present in my collection. Malibu, Nuances and Elixir color groups explore the story of green through different tonalities and harmonies.
You also worked on night colors …
Dori Csengeri: It is true that Absolu, Nightlight and Cassiopeia have a darker appeal. I evoke the night theme with ‘star constellations’ compositions, mysterious ‘blue lights’ and materials that reflect to some extent the ‘aurora borealis’.
What are your favorite pieces?
Dori Csengeri: I feel that the Camelot line is very striking. Creating a mosaic of small linen squares studded with gold results in a strong three-dimensional quality. I was inspired by a Peruvian gold carpet and I think that this Inca reference gives the collection the virtue of timeless beauty. I also created very powerful pieces with dragons, inspired by the TV series Games of Thrones. Presently, I am involved in a new project of embroidered masks that I hope to reveal to you soon!
