Hirotaka Takes On High Jewelry
Using one-of-a-kind gemstones, the creative debuts Maison Hirotaka in Japan and online globally.
Japanese jeweler Hirotaka Inoue's namesake brand Hirotaka already has a well-established following and now he is expanding with the debut of Maison Hirotaka, an exclusive boutique showcasing his first high jewelry collection.
“Since my career originally had its background in high jewelry, it was a very natural development for my brand,” Inoue explained, adding that his customer is maturing and ready for more sophistication and luxury, which he aims to provide.
The new retail flagship opened in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo, and is an addition to his eight stores across Japan, including recent openings in Osaka and Kyoto. Maison Hirotaka begins with the Bird of Paradise collection, using precious large sapphires of various colors, emeralds for necklaces and rings, tzavorite and rubelite to express "the joy of the incredible colors of exotic birds.”
In precious gemstones Inoue said his creative excitement comes from encountering the right gemstones. "It is like a finding a great friend in life. When you find the right size, clarity, color, and cut, the design idea flows into my creativity effortlessly," he said.
A second new collection channels a sentimental memory for the designer with
his Bricolage Collection, drawing from the French concept of bricolage, a type of "do-it-yourself” creating. For Inoue, it's rooted in a similar chain necklace he made for his mother 20 years ago with snap hooks. “After several years, she asked me to make exactly the same chain and she connected them to make a very long necklace, and each time I saw her, she added to it different old rings, charms, pearls, or coins in a very playful way," he said, adding that the necklace was almost never the same each time. “I loved the way one chain creates different stories and never goes out of style since it becomes one's very own personal style.“
Inoue debuted his brand in 2010 with a small trunk show in New York City with pieces that would go on to become brand signatures: ear cuffs, arrow earrings, floating earrings. His design ethos plays with ideas of form by abstracting nature and space to create clean, modern — often asymmetric — pieces that take on unique ways of interpretation based on the customer. It quickly became a hit with buyers and stylists and grew from there.
In fact, New York is still a source of inspiration today: “What I love about New York City is that people stay true to their originality and have their own undeniable style that transcends trends. It's strong and effortless and resonates with my aesthetic philosophy — I'm not here to follow trends but to be comfortable in my own skin," he said.
His creative process begins with sketches with the theme often "coming later, and sometimes, some words or shapes would be a strong trigger for some sketches. I am drawing things all the time," he said. "I cannot live without pen and paper."
Inoue still styles all the models for the brand's social channels and look books to give ideas of how to interpret his jewelry. “I want my customer to feel free to explore their own comfortable style, but my advice would be to go asymmetric. Destroying the 'perfect' balance right and left adds some dissonance, and that creates eye-catching character,” he said.
Maison Hirotaka ranges in price from $5,000 to $100,000, and Inoue considers it to be high jewelry because of the rarity of stones and materials. “I see the real value in the opportunity these more precious materials give us to craft pieces that are more bespoke and individual,” he said.
“In that sense, I'm taking a different approach to high jewelry and Maison Hirotaka's high-end collection brings effortless luxe to daily occasions and more casual settings,” he said.
While only in-store in Japan, there is a selection on hiro-taka.com for global clients, and the designer is looking to partner with stores that align with Maison Hirotaka and bring the Bricolage collection to the United States.