Hand embroidered necklaces from One A Day taken at Zen Garden. PHOTO | CHARLES KAMAU
What you need to know:
Between the curls of silk, they sew Swarovski crystals, exquisite Italian glass, colourful ceramic with elegant vintage metal details, romantic natural Shiva shell and elegant cabochons. And still have the advantage of being light weight despite the size of some of the designs.
Made using the soutache embroidery technique with patience and precision, One A Day earrings and necklaces are glamorous and anyone who wears them ‘walks tall’ as this hand embroidered jewellery makes a statement in both size and colour.
Swarovski
One A Day was born out of a friendship between two Italian ladies, Francesca Stame and Teresa Di Micco de Santo and every day, they are able to make a pair of earrings each.
Between the curls of silk, they sew Swarovski crystals, exquisite Italian glass, colourful ceramic with elegant vintage metal details, romantic natural Shiva shell and elegant cabochons. And still have the advantage of being light weight despite the size of some of the designs.
“This is not ethnic jewellery, we like to think of it as an alternative,” says Teresa. “They are rich in design and colour. We usually just use three colours.”
The embroidery follows the shape of the stone which ultimate determines the design, shape, colour and size of the piece. Depending on the design and stone, the price range for a pair of earrings is between Sh10,000 to Sh20,000 while the necklaces go for between Sh30,000 and Sh35,000.
“We came to know each other as we both appreciated handicraft as an art form rather than a work piece, inspired by the loveliness of the hand embroidered art,” says Francesca.
Since her childhood, Teresa has been influenced by the women entrepreneurs in her family who are active in the world of fashion. She grew up among fabrics, colours, clothes and trends, and has developed a natural taste for beauty with an original twist.
While art is a life-long passion for Francesca, she went to the European Institute of Design in Rome. In the course of her studies, she fell in love with a wide range of handicrafts, from wood to ceramics, from glass to fabric-making.
Collections
Although they started making them four years ago in Italy, the pair brought their creations to Nairobi last year. So far, they have introduced their product at the Spring Valley craft fair, Fashion High Tea at the Zen Garden and now, the upcoming Soko Soko Fair.
The two come up with different collections often naming them after their inspiration. Each pair of earrings has a name. Under the cities collection, they have a Paris, New York or Nairobi pair. They have so far been inspired by flowers, countries, birds, colours, seasons and so on.
Since they make to order, someone has the flexibility of choosing the size and colour they want. It usually takes two to three weeks to make one depending on the style and size.
“No two pairs of earrings are made alike in order to ensure that each remains truly original,” says Francesca. Each piece comes with its own box for storage, they are not to be kept with the rest of the jewellery as they are delicate pieces.
