JeweLuxe Singapore 2018: Sarah Zhuang

Based in Hong Kong, Sarah Zhuang’s jewellery reflects the glitz and glamour of the cosmopolitan seaside city. With an eye for rich details, Zhuang’s pieces tell a story about an everyday woman who lives for love with a zest for life. From there, A-listers such as Cecilia Chung have become smitten with Zhuang’s designs.

We talk about to the designer about why Hong Kong inspires her, Zhuang’s favourite designs and the importance of celebrating womanhood.

The majority of your designs are heavily inspired by your roots in Hong Kong. What

aspects of the city inspire you?

Hong Kong is a city where East meets West and Old meets New, it has a very unique character, and, in my opinion, the most beautiful skyline in the world. The city is packed with iconic skyscrapers alongside very old buildings, it’s a beautiful mix, and the urban landscape really reflects the characteristics of Hong Kong. I’m very fascinated with Hong Kong landscape, it always gives me a lot of inspiration.

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You come from generations of jewellery designers. Was jewellery designing something you initially wanted to pursue?

My mother was in the jewellery business for over two decades, mainly in retail. The jewellery pieces that she used to sell were very traditional and simple, they didn’t really appeal to me, so I never wanted to be involved in the business. Eventually my sister took over the family business, and asked me to help her out after I finished University. That was when I started taking jewellery design courses and discovered my passion for this industry, ever since then I knew this was something I wanted to do as my lifelong career.

We also see that your designs reflect the different characters of a woman. Why do you choose to celebrate womanhood through your designs?

I’ve met a lot of amazing women that I aspire to, and I always get excited when I hear stories about women empowerment, they make me feel so motivated and humble. I created this brand to express my respect and admiration for women, I want to design jewellery that expresses their unique personalities, and I want every woman to feel beautiful and empowered when they wear my pieces.

Among the celebrities who have worn your pieces, who is your go-to muse?

Cecilia Cheung is definitely one of my top go-to muses, she is so versatile with her outfits and has so many different styles, and she is also one of the very few people that can pull off any look. On the other hand, I have a lot of respect for her. She is already so successful with her career yet is still working so hard, and at the same time spends a lot of time looking after her sons. Most importantly, she is gorgeous and looks stunning in all my pieces.

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You once said that jewellery tells a story. What is your most favourite piece that you've designed?

“Long Distance Love” is my favorite piece that I’ve designed, it tells a beautiful love story. When the rings are worn on two fingers, it symbolizes lovers separated from each other, when worn together a brooch, they are reunited. I think only people that have been in a long distance relationship will understand its difficulties as well as the joyful moments, I believe they can emotionally relate to the story of this piece.

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Since you won two awards, how do you feel about being an award-winning designer?

I always look at award-winning jewellery pieces and think “how did this designer come up with such an amazing idea?” Winning two awards have not changed that, I still get blown away all the time. The part I love most about jewellery competitions is that it gives you a chance to really be as bold and innovative as you can, which you can’t always do with commercial items. You’re given a chance to fully express your creativity, and it’s very interesting to see other designers’ interpretations of the same theme. Winning these awards definitely make me more motivated and gives me more confidence.

JeweLuxe Singapore 2018 will take place from 12 to 21 October 2018, at the TENT@Ngee Ann City.

For more information, visit http://jeweluxesingapore.com/