In conversation withEva Fehren
Designer Interview
14·06·2023
Delicate yet tough, strong yet understated; Eva Fehren's jewelry speaks to a wearer who enjoys adornment and wants to feel pulled together. There's a hint of rebellion in those sharp points and blackened gold angles; Eva is a born-and-bred New Yorker who is deeply inspired by her home city, channeling all its glitz and energy into singular statement pieces that never take over.
The first piece she designed for her own brand was the now-iconic X Ring, born of the patterns she observed in the urban environment around her. Two slim gold and diamond pave rings interlock on the finger in a perfectly balanced X shape, creating an easily wearable style that would become synonymous with the brand. Over the past decade, she has honed her aesthetic and grown her business, building a reputation for architectural 18-karat gold and diamond jewels that are resoundingly modern and unwaveringly cool.
We sat down with Eva, to talk art, jewelry, and just what it is about blackened gold that makes her heart beat faster.
Your work draws on the architecture of New York City. Why is it such a huge inspiration for you?
New York City is my home, it's the landscape that has informed everything about me. My heart beats for this city, and the aesthetics and details of my environment inform many of my choices as a designer. I love the culture, glamour, and grit of New York.
Tell me how your iconic X ring came about.
The X ring was the first piece in our collection and remains one of our bestsellers. When I first was thinking about starting my own collection, I began with the same basic building blocks I use in my overall aesthetic. I wanted to create something simple, iconic, geometric, and new. At the time, minimal and delicate fine jewelry was hard to find—everything was a statement piece. The symmetric geometry of the X Ring is what makes it really special to me. I sketched so many variations trying to figure out proportions and dimensions. I was really striving to create a piece that felt architectural, modern, and extremely delicate. When I finally figured it out, something crystallized, and my vision for the brand came together.
“ I am attracted to graphic, strong, linear geometry and extremely delicate and meticulous craftsmanship. “
How does your work as an artist inform your jewelry design?
Painting and Jewelry are two sides of the same coin of who I am. My artwork is expressive and open, and my jewelry is extremely meticulous and precise. I can express more of who I am as a person by exploring both mediums and don’t think I could do one without the other.
Blackened gold is a signature in your work, what do you especially like about this treatment?
I am attracted to graphic, strong, linear geometry and extremely delicate and meticulous craftsmanship. Blackened gold creates a strong contrast while highlighting the delicacy of our settings and silhouettes. It also adds attitude and toughness to my pieces. I love playing with that tension in my work - tough yet tender, romantic, and fierce all at the same time.
Who would you like to see wearing your jewelry?
Everyone! There is nothing more exciting to me than seeing the variety of strong women (and men) that wear my jewelry. I love seeing how Eva Fehren's pieces align seamlessly with people’s unique style.
Which piece of jewelry does a New Yorker never leave the house without?
The X Ring, of course!
