May 2023
Honesty within the design
In conversations with Creative Director at Tom Wood, Mona Jensen, about her design process, the inspiration behind the Vault Collection – and more.
Morning, noon or night?
It depends. Mornings on the beach, Noons in the city and Evenings with friends around a table with great food and wine.
What is it about Brutalist Architecture that fascinates you?
The ability to shape something that is distinctive, strong and fundamental without any “fuss” has always appealed to me. Honesty within the design, when you can’t hide anything.
Do you have any favourite Brutalist buildings?
I find the Nakagin Capsule Tower built in 1972, with 140 small prefabricated concrete capsules stacked on top of each other inspiring. The tower offers housing to travelling businessmen during weekdays. Unfortunately, I have read that it’s now going to be demolished which I find sad.
Where do you find your inspiration for your collections?
My most creative moments are spontaneously and often out of nowhere. They tend to be connected to something I experience, see or discover by being close to nature and the real world.
How has technology changed the way you design?
We have recently invested in an in-house lab with amazing technical equipment such as scanners, 3D printers and laser engravers. While that might give us an advantage in terms of precision and efficiency, it has not changed the way I think or the way I create.
Architecture plays an important role in your life, what is it that attracts you to this way of designing and building?
I am lucky enough to live in an architect-designed house which is quite a brutalist in its exterior expression, but that feels warm and welcoming once you’re inside. The complexity of architecture as a practice and the way it’s meant to function from both a macro and micro perspective is impressive.
Mona's Edge house
What does the future of jewellery look like?
I believe that the future holds many new and more creative expressions within jewellery design due to possibilities brought by new technology and through more individual ways of wearing jewellery. Responsibility and ethical sourcing and production will become even more important as focus criteria. I am pleased that Tom Wood has been included as a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, which is the leading authority for sustainability standards in the global watch and jewellery industry.
Your favourite piece of the new Vault Collection?
I really like the Vault Triple combined with one of the Arch rings. It looks new and edgy.
Vault Ring Double
The ability to shape something that is distinctive, strong and fundamental has always appealed to me.
Brutalist structure meets historic silver
Read more about the Vault Collection, inspired by the history of silver and the hardness of brutalist architecture.
