Despite its small size, jewelry is something that holds significant power with the magical ability to tell a story, adding emotional value to a look that otherwise would have been as simple as a graphic tee and jeans. You might think of classics like golden hoops, pearl earrings or crystal studs, but Panconesi — the jewelry label helmed by Florentine designer Marco Panconesi — goes beyond, approaching jewelry as small sculptures on the body.
His eponymous label isn't the only thing Panconesi is working on. Building on his fashion design degree from Polimoda, the creative has worked at houses such as Balenciaga, Givenchy and Fendi before joining Swarovski as Design Director, simultaneously running his brand since 2018. With inspiration from all aspects of his life — his design career, education in Latin and Greek studies, his summer holidays and so much more — the designer reimagines traditional jewelry pieces, giving hoops and ear cuffs his very own modern twist.
For the Fall/Winter 2023 season, Panconesi translated stories of transformation, creating oversized earrings with swirly serpent-inspired shapes and cuffs revealing gems in unexpected positions on the ear, adding a balance to the mix with minimalistic silhouettes.
Ahead of Panconesi's first-ever launch on HBX, we caught up with Marco Panconesi to chat about his new collection, his latest inspirations and more. Continue scrolling to learn more about the designer and his namesake jewelry label. Panconesi's FW23 pieces are now available on HBX.
Aurora wears the Pierced Hoops, Kismet Ear Cuff and Three Point Ear Cuff, all in gold. Ari Top is by Miaou.
Tell us how you've been spending your summer. Are you a summer person or a winter person? What is your go-to destination or activity at the moment?
I’m from Florence, Italy. So of course I’m a summer person. When I’m in my city, Paris, I like to go on walks with my dog Rajah at the park. On the weekends, I try to escape to the countryside for some alone time.
Top 3 songs you've been listening to?
“Limerence” by Yves Tumor, “Lovely Head” by Goldfrapp, and “We Float” by PJ Harvey.
Aurora wears the Serpent Hoops and Circle Cuffs in gold. Ombre Mesh Top is by OPEN YY and slip dress is by Paloma Wool.
How would you define the Panconesi brand in one sentence?
Panconesi is really about reconnecting people to the emotional qualities of what they wear.
Having built your career at some of the biggest names in fashion such as Givenchy and Balenciaga, what was the transition like moving from working for a big house to starting your independent label?
I started my own label out of the desire to freely explore the endless possibilities in jewelry design. It allows me to deep dive into the history and traditions of jewelry making to create pieces that exist in their own universe.
Collaborations with different brands and creatives have always been a big part of Panconesi. In the past five years, we have collaborated with Mugler, Peter Pilotto, GmbH, KNWLS and Gucci Vault. I like the challenge of fusing a brand’s identity with Panconesi’s design language.
Yukio wears the P Earrings in silver. Distressed knit vest is by C2H4.
What do you love the most about running your own brand? And what are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced so far?
What I love the most is the freedom to do whatever I want, to tell my own story. Not only creating the designs but also the visual identity and campaigns around each collection.
You're also the design director at Swarovski. How do you juggle everything? How do you find time for yourself and what do you do to de-stress?
I used to work on weekends but I don’t do that anymore. Keeping the weekends free for myself has been a big change in a positive way. And while Panconesi is a business, it started and remains a very personal project. It doesn’t feel like work to me because it’s an outlet for creativity.
Aurora wears the Famiglia Stellar Earrings and Crystal Stellar Ear Cuff in silver.
Let's chat about your FW23 collection. Your website states that your work is inspired by your interest in archaeology and background in Latin and Greek studies. Was that the case for this collection as well? What were some additional inspirations that helped you build these designs?
I am always inspired by stories of transformation. I think what lies beneath every collection is the desire to play with materials and forms to create objects that are imbued with new meanings. The starting point for every collection is to look at the past. We find ways to interpret traditional jewelry and give them a new shine.
In the end, we believe in the magical bond between the maker and wearer. Jewelry should bring you happiness. That’s always our focus.
Aurora wears the Kismet Serpent Hoops and Crystal Stellar Ear Cuff in silver. Bustier top is by Hyein Seo.
What is the overall theme of the collection?
For the FW23 collection, we played a lot with different proportions. The technique used to “blow up” metals create a unique silhouette on the body. The lightless in weight allows the wearer to stack earrings and rings as they wish to form their own body architecture. Some of my favorite pieces are the Blow Up, Serpent Hoops and the Famiglia necklaces.
Every season, I like to push myself to achieve a certain quality and eliminate the excess detail. With each piece, I always want a high degree of purity, for the designs to be quite essential and sculptural.
Yukio wears the Circle Cuffs in gold.
