Homegrown jewellery label Denise Chong Adornments hasn’t been one to shy away from collaborations. Having done a collection with Korean jewellery designer Sooyeon titled “Denise Chong X Momental” back in 2022, the brand continues to push creative boundaries. The latest testament to this? The highly anticipated DCA x SAFFY collection, a partnership between the local brand and Singapore internet personality, Saffron Sharpe.
Unveiled on 11 June, this captivating collection showcases an array of items, including rings, earrings, a customisable necklace adorned with charms of your preference, a trendy baby tee, and the standout phone flask, all elegantly packaged within a chainmail bag. This collaboration not only showcases Denise’s unparalleled skill in beadwork but also highlights her ability to seamlessly blend it with Sharpe’s distinctive style. GRAZIA Singapore spoke to Saffron Sharpe about her experience and the creative process behind her first jewellery launch.
When asked what her inspiration behind this collection was, Sharpe mentioned that she gathered a lot of her inspiration from independent jewellers that she adored such as Justine Clenquet, a French eponymous brand that confronts gender confirmities through their mixed-style designs. “They have one of my favourite necklaces that I wear all the time since I was like 18 or 19, so that inspired the chains.” quips Sharpe.
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Also Sharpe’s favourite piece within the collection, the customisable necklace grants the wearer the freedom to express themselves. From choosing between a full silver chain or a half and half with both silver chain and sterling silver beads to 10 different types of charms to embellish your necklace, the customisable necklace is essential for your everyday. “I wanted the collection to be something that you can dress up or down, that’s why we involved the creation of addable charms.” Sharpe remarks.
The myriad of charms was a play on her quirky aesthetic and bubbly demeanour, “We gave a huge variety—there were balloon hearts and balloon flowers but my favourite charm is the “SLAY” one because I like to say slay a lot, so that’s the main charm of the collection.” And when asked what was 3 words she would use to describe the collection, you guessed it: Y2K, Fun, and SLAYYYYY!
“Coming into my spirituality this year, I’ve taken more emphasis on my star signs and play into that energy. We wanted to incorporate that into the collection so we create a [series of] star sign charms.” Sharpe notes. “You could buy your star sign or the star sign that best fits you—we wanted the collection to be very personable.”
Of her experience working with Chong on this collection, Sharpe revealed that she really wanted to collaborate with her because she was an intuitive and creative designer from our shores, “I would like to spotlight talent in our country and support young creatives.” Sharpe also voiced that the collaboration with Chong was reciprocal, as Chong made her realise her creativity in creating jewellery while she pushed Chong to be more colourful in the designs.
“Working with her was such a pleasant experience, we’ve bonded on so many different levels [and] I really want to work with her again. So, P.S. Denise if you’re seeing this, collection number two is on the way!”
We can’t wait to see what else the duo has in store for us.
Watch the behind-the-scenes here: