Inspired

Zimmi diamonds is a luxury brand that specialises in jewellery, made with carefully sourced diamonds of the highest quality available. To design the company’s overall identity was a gift of a brief – sheer indulgence!

One of the great things about being a designer is that wonderful desire to collect and surround yourself with a multitude of things that inspire you. At the beginning of every project I pour over my book collection – my favourites are by Patrick Scott, John Rombola, Ellen Von Unwerth, Ann & Paul Rand, Brancusi, Candida Hofer, Fornasetti, Sarah Moon and many more… I also take off to VV Rouleux and buy a selection of ribbon swatches – it’s a fantastic way to find inspiration for a project’s colour palette. But I also draw inspiration from what is on my walls at home. One particular piece is by Katja Strunz and she played a significant role in the Zimmi identity.

Strunz’s wall piece resembles a folded paper object, (but in fact they are made of wood). They look like animated pieces that have been frozen in time. Light and shade, and height and depth change, depending on your viewpoint. The intimate folds or creases of the structure hide internal spaces.

It is this stark and ambiguous nature that gives the piece immense spatial presence in my room. And it was these fabulous qualities that fuelled me when doodling the first sketches for the Zimmi identity. Thank you Katja, and to all artists who feed us, the commercial artists!