THE name will certainly be familiar, but the work is likely to come as a surprise. Alexis Le Brocquy is the son of artists Louis Le Brocquy and Anne Madden, but his creativity has taken him in another direction. After being involved in the French fashion business for a number of years, he has lately started designing his own line of jewellery. Now he is building up the same kind of discerning list of admirers as his parents.
Paris based Alexis worked for the house of Givenchy during the 1980s creating accessories but, having decided to learn specific tailoring and cutting skills, he secured a place at the fashion college run by the Chambre Syndicate de la Couture, where he spent three years. After graduation, he went back to fashion but "I saw no real style coming through of my own and felt blocked". Looking for an alternative direction "I started designing jewellery on my own and it was a revelation; I immediately felt freer."
For the past two years, he has been working on both a portfolio of designs and a client list; the two are starting to look equally impressive. Individually commissioned pieces have been made for him by J Byrne & Sons of Dublin; soon, he plans to create a range of cast designs which would reduce costs to create a cheaper line. He uses both sterling silver and 18 carat gold, with a wide variety of stones: garnet, amethyst, tourmaline, topaz, ruby and rock crystal. While prices vary, a pair of elaborately worked gold earrings set with gems would average £400.
Inspiration for the work comes from sources including early Celtic and Russian art. Many items have a particularly sinuous line. "I like things to look organic," he explains, "because they tend to follow the lines of the body better. I love shapes to be coiled, even around a stone. Geometric shapes are very difficult to harmonise and enhance a woman." Marine forms - shells, sea urchins and jelly fish, frequently turn up in stylised form, as do plants and animal horns. "I'm trying to create a sense of infinity. I hope there's a feeling to my jewellery which is timeless; I can't stand fashion because then it will go out of favour.