A quick catch up with Catherine Marche
Tell us a bit more about your work and your journey to become a jewellery designer? We love your collections and unique French chic style coming through.
Thank you! I am not really sure where my jewellery designer journey started. I designed my first item, a gold cross pendant, aged 9, when going to the jewellers with my mother and kept designing and commissioning special items through my travels. Most people will bring back souvenirs from their trips, I brought back souvenirs and jewellery, sometimes especially designed when there was a skilled artisan at hand.
Following parental and teachers advice, I followed the classical path and went on to study maths, sciences and IT, while attending art and music classes on the side. I first worked as a maths teacher and then went on to use my computer sciences degree working as an IT consultant for international companies. After many years in the corporate world, and not getting any younger, it was time to think of starting a family. I realised I will not see the little ones grow if I gave all my energy to the City and started to analyse my options.
It was quite obvious I had to find a freelance job to allow me to spend as much time as I wanted being a maman therefore, why not choose something I enjoy too? I guess the need to create was always in me and suddenly the jewellery path appeared naturally as a great option. I never had enough jewels, was always fascinated by all aspects of jewellery. I just went back to college to learn the bench skills I did not have and am still addicted to the world of jewellery.
What are you most passionate about with it? Or most proud about?
The jewellery world is so vast. Through history, there are so many amazing styles. I am quite passionate about ancient artefacts from ancient civilisations and bygone eras. If you take me to a museum, I will start contemplating all little details of fashion or jewellery. Even when the piece is imperfect, there is beauty in it. Isn’t it amazing that along with art, music and dance, jewellery is the only thing you may find in every civilisation, however primitive or remote frrom early cavemen to Amazonian tribes, from ancient Egypt to king of the Occident. I think jewellery is a need, not a luxury and I am delighted being able to help people achieve their jewellery dreams by creating heirlooms of the future.
What’s been your biggest learning through Covid 19? What strengths and positive things are you drawing on for the future?
I think Covid19 has been invaluable in helping to reassess priorities and relationships. We have always been told you recognise your true friends in time of hardship and it has proven true. I have been amazed and grateful by the loveliness, resilience, helpfulness and gentleness of most people, and these are qualities worth celebrating on a daily basis. On another note, I have also discovered new recipes and great fitness workshops online.
Whats the biggest change you’d like to see in the world right now?
I think changes are already happening. Like me, a few of my friends realise they do not need to buy things we do not need or are now choosing where they spend our money more wisely to support smaller local independent businesses or people who have been more marginalised in the past. It also helps reducing global warming and pollution and every little thing I can do is a step, albeit tiny, forward to a better outcome for the future. The more people who start shopping locally, the better the air we breathe.
How do you factor in an ‘ethical’ ethos to your work or life?
I try to, although I feel like it is only a drop in a huge ocean. I use recycled precious metals which are sourced locally in London. I also re-use gold, silver or gemstones from my clients’ unworn jewellery. It is wonderful to give a new breath of life to something come from your family so that it matches my clients’ tastes allowing them to wear it with pleasure.
On a personal aspect, I tend to buy only natural fabrics or second hand , and also try to reduce my waste, I have a compost heap and recycle. During Covid 19, I made a few masks attempts by reusing material from clothes which had become too small for the children and old baby sheets.
