Journal
Roses bloom in the dark - Fashion designer Anni Ruuth describes the creative design process of the Summer Night Rose jewelry line
When Kalevala Jewelry contacted me a little over a year ago and asked me to design a collection for Kalevala, I thought that I had received the message by mistake. My first, spontaneous thought was “Why me?”, as I have never before designed jewelry. Would I have anything to contribute in this area of design?
Together with team Kalevala towards the best outcome
Since jewelry design was a completely new area for me, I decided to approach the design process differently, not in the same way as I usually do: instead of pen and paper, I wanted to carry out the creative design in a more concrete way, to see directly which forms work and which do not. I looked for compositions and shapes directly in nature – the blooms of the white rose bushes known as Midsummer Rose in Finland, and the way they settle in relation to each other, turn, lean and make room for yet another bloom. I studied the flowers in detail, the shape of the petals in particular, and drew patterns based on them, which I then folded into shapes the way I wanted, utilizing various materials.
What was particularly wonderful in designing the Summer Night Rose line was how I felt I had somehow found my lost connection with nature just by observing it. Last summer, I pottered about in our garden, barefoot, just photographing the blooms and collecting them. It was wonderful.
As to design, I was given free rein and no-one interfered with the visual design in any way. I was only guided towards the best possible outcome. The Kalevala team openly accepted my ideas and started looking for ways to implement them open-mindedly. It was inspiring to see how relentlessly they sought the vintage sheen I wanted and just the right tone for the jewelry, through a number of experiments.
“I started the design process by diving deep into the world of Kalevala Jewelry. I got to explore jewelry archives over many decades, which was truly inspiring. In the archive world I was particularly fascinated by the mysticism and Finnish folklore.”
I share very similar values with Kalevala Jewelry and this made working together even more lovely. One of these values is domestic production. I sigh with delight every time I get to walk through Kalevala’s production department and witness the jewelry being created before my very eyes. That makes the Summer Night Rose particularly special and meaningful for me.
The intense sensitivity of the Midsummer rose inspires.
That confluence was found very close - actually right around me: In my roots and my own history. In this time that we live in now, the importance of the home has certainly been emphasized for everyone. For me, home symbolizes warmth, security and love. Midsummer rose blooms in the yard of my grandmother and our own home during the summers of my childhood, and there is something comforting and homely in that scent. That flower really fascinated me and I had the feeling that it had a story to tell.
The midsummer rose has a certain kind of strength, which I also see in the Kalevala Koru, but it also has a fragile beauty, which as a designer I feel is characteristic to interpret. This is how the midsummer rose wrapped its roots around me and Kalevala Koru and made my inner world blossom in a completely new way.
The Midsummer Rose has a certain powerful intensity that I also see in Kalevala Jewelry, but it also has fragile beauty that I feel is characteristic for me to interpret as designer. This way, the Midsummer Rose wrapped its roots around me and Kalevala Jewelry and made my inner world blossom in a whole new way.
Throughout the inspiration process, my mind was set in the early 1900s and I also read poetry set in that time. I immersed myself particularly in the work of Saima Harmaja. What particularly inspired me about Harmaja's poems is the way she describes the great themes of life, such as love – forcefully and yet subtly at the same time. Harmaja's poems describe and express emotions through nature, which enables you to sense them at many different levels. One particular poem and verse from Saima Harmaja's poem “Intimacy” served as the driving force behind the whole process:
“In my room here, it is still spring. The rain falls in torrents, and roses bloom in the dark, and the nightingale sings. Stays with me.”
The line in the poem, “roses bloom in the dark”, is an apt description of the time in which the Summer Night Rose line was created. The poem allowed me to create and enjoy beauty even in difficult times. It reminded me of that even in the darkest of times, or actually right then, it is important to focus on the small, good things in life.
“Oh don't go!
It's still spring here in my room.
The rain thunders and the roses bloom in the dark,
and the nightingale sings. It's up to me."
My starting points in life have taught me that nothing in this life should be taken for granted. Designing the Summer Night Rose line has been the greatest honor for me and I am grateful to Kalevala Jewelry for their trust in me and the opportunity they have given me. I would also like to thank Kalevala Jewelry for their work in maintaining Finnish production and handicraft traditions.
In the creations under her namesake brand, fashion designer Anni Ruuth interprets the sensitivity of classical art and ballet. Her first jewelry line, the Summer Night Rose designed for Kalevala Jewelry, emanates the same sensitivity. The collection abounds with lavish and intricate details in a highly three-dimensional manifestation of the designer’s vision and eloquent design language.
As a designer, Anni Ruuth is inspired by the techniques, skills and materials used in creating traditional Haute Couture pieces. In Anni’s hands, minimalistic silhouettes are combined with top-quality silk and delicate feathers – and now with jewelry too.
Author of the article: Anni Ruuth
