24 Hours With Bea Bongiasca: How The Jewellery Designer Spends Her Day
The Italian jewellery designer finds her days are filled with doing what she loves most in life
A typical weekday begins at 7:30AM, I save lie-ins for the weekends! My secret to waking up refreshed is of course an early night but also Muji jersey bed linen. When paired with a fluffy duvet, it’s like sleeping in a cocoon. My room is pink and filled with lots of artwork. In fact, when people first see it they find it quite overwhelming because there is a lot going on – I honestly barely notice anymore. Before getting ready I have my first of three daily cappuccinos. I never drink espressos which as an Italian is definitely not the norm. I have breakfast, read the news, then start answering emails.
At 8:00AM I do my skincare – I am not a big nerd when it comes to beauty products but I love The Ordinary Niacinamide, Zinc Serum, the Rêve de Miel lip balm by Nuxe, and Aveda shampoos, conditioners and scrubs – all because they are transparent about their ingredients. I do, however, have frequent manicures because my hands are always on show with my rings! When it comes to deciding my outfits each day, I usually dress weather-practical. My style varies but if I were to narrow it down to two categories, it would be very relaxed, colourful street style or contemporary, black, and a little punk. They couldn’t be more different! A few of my top brands include Prada, Christopher Kane, Hyein Seo, Christopher Esber and JW Anderson.
Clothes are my favourite things to buy, I don’t care as much about shoes or bags – luckily I am set with jewellery! With that said, the most cherished items in my wardrobe at the moment are the Loewe rose heels that I still have not worn because they are just too pretty. I also currently have my eye on Prada’s mini soft padded tassle bag. My bags hold all of my daily essentials, including my phone, my Dogon Hermès wallet, keys, lip balm, notebook and there are always some jewels floating around.
Obviously I love jewellery, but because of my own brand I do not wear many other brands, minus those of my friends like Ananya, DYNE and Patcharavipa to name a few. Coincidentally we all studied jewellery design together at Central Saint Martins, so it means the world to me to be wearing their pieces.
One working day is never the same as the next but I try to be in the office by 9:00AM. My favourite days are those when we meet with production to review the new collections. I am very grateful that I have a job that I am so passionate about, to the point where it does not feel like an obligation but it is what I want to wake up and do every day. Of course it is not always easy, there are lots of responsibilities and hurdles, but there is always a way to move on and grow.
By 11:00AM it’s time for coffee – the office really loves Starbucks; it’s getting a bit out of hand! In Milan there aren’t as many coffee shops as there are in London or Dubai so it’s the only shop we can get flavoured, sugared drinks from. Our office space is similar to my room – saturated with colours, objects and art. I don’t even register it but if it was all empty space and plain walls it would drive me mad. I am worried that my passion for 1970s postmodern furniture design will take off at some point… my dream is to tastefully fill a house with as much of Memphis and ’70s design as I can. I’m always playing music on loop in the office (it’s the best way to learn the lyrics!) but out of respect for my colleagues, each month I will change it to a new song. I’m a very chill boss… I think so anyway! We work hard but we also laugh a lot. This year I will be travelling a lot to visit our retailers – after Covid, it’s refreshing to be able to meet clients in person, explore cities and finally be able to host events again. I clearly have two moods that I interchange all the time; sloth and adventurer.
Lunch is usually around 1:00PM. I try to eat as quickly as possible and keep doing what I need to do unless I have a lunch appointment. But I love food – and I will eat any snack!
In Milan, when my day finishes at 7:00PM, I usually see my friends for aperitivos or dinner. To fulfil the Italian stereotype, my favourite food is pasta and it is really the only dish I could never give up. When I am not out for dinner, I like to unwind by watching TV which spans from comedies to trash reality shows. As long as it’s entertaining, I will watch it.
By 10:00PM I’m ready for bed. I try to read but sometimes I wish I had an audiobook instead. Many ask if I keep sketchbooks on my bedside table but I don’t think I would come up with anything good at the end of the day because by the time I go to sleep I have given everything I have to give to jewellery already.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s April 2023 issue.