Mischievous, playful, inventive, smiling, bold, different and "guilty" of unique jewelry. Designer Erika Felicijan is hiding behind Patsy. She exchanged regular employment and gray everyday life for following her own creative path. In addition to pampering five-legged friends, Patsy helps promote the Theater for Babies and Toddlers and is active...
Mischievous, playful, inventive, smiling, bold, different and "guilty" of unique jewelry. Designer Erika Felicijan is hiding behind Patsy. She exchanged regular employment and gray everyday life for following her own creative path. In addition to pampering five-legged friends, Patsy helps promote the Theater for Babies and Toddlers and is active in many other projects of this and that variety.
Your hobby has become your job. Is creating jewelry any less enjoyable?
Quite the opposite. I'm not so stressed anymore and I have the best boss in the world. I am my own boss, I have no problem with vacations and all the little things that come with working in an office. I work a lot, because with independence comes some uncertainty. From time to time, the worm of doubt creeps in and I start to wonder if I will have enough orders this month... However, for the sake of the freedom that this kind of work offers me, I survive even a brief bout of doubt with a smile. I enjoy my work, and that is the most important thing in my creation.
Who is Patsy?
Patsy is a young lady who doesn't show her age. She loves nature, loves colors, is fascinated by India. He tries to be himself. It is not artificial and follows itself.
Is there a lot of similarity between you two?
My middle name is Patsy. Years ago, friends assigned me this partisan name after a character from the Absolutely Fabulous series. Patsy is me. In my logo, designed by Gregor Žakelj, Patsy is depicted as a five-legged giraffe. The giraffe is a tall animal that stands out from the crowd because of its long neck. In my younger years, I was burdened by my own height. The giraffe comes off as a bit of an awkward animal because of its height, and I'm more of an awkward person myself. I'm actually noticing the similarities between us only now.
Love of jewelry - is it inherited or learned?
I've always liked putting things together. A colleague, who we met in the Andaman Islands, warned me that I had been making jewelry years ago. When I create, I start from myself. I have never done this before and I learned everything myself, through experience. I don't plan my jewelry in advance. When I have an idea, I realize it. I only attended a course for making silver jewelry.
How from idea to implementation?
I use very different materials. Elves and butterflies are made of wire, fabric and various accessories that make them unique. I really like it vintage style. Hence the frames on my earrings. Patsolines are made of modeling clay. There is a lot of painting, gluing, sewing... People who wear my jewelry say that they can feel my energy through the jewelry. This means a lot to me.
How do you know a piece of jewelry is finished? That nothing is neither too much nor too little?
I work by feeling and intuition. I have loved to draw and combine colors since I was a child. Everything shows that the gift of interesting color combinations has remained with me since then, because people like my products. When I'm happy with the product, it's finished. Before, it doesn't leave my studio and my hands.
You invest a part of yourself in your products. How do you separate yourself from them?
I had this problem in the beginning. Especially with patsolines. It may sound funny, but I talk to them during the creation process. When I see where the patsolinka is going, it is easier for me, because I see that it is going into good hands. patsolines bring joy to the girls who wear them. I have already received messages that they are taking their patsoline to the sea, a walk, a show... And that is my goal. That my jewelery comes to life and is not just a decoration.
Who wears your jewelry?
The customers are very different from each other, both in terms of age and character. But it is mainly bought by those who believe in children's eyes and imagination. Those who dare to be different. An interesting order was for a wedding, where they decided that the wedding guests would wear elves in their buttonholes instead of flowers. It was my pleasure to make a bride happy on her special day, and I hope to do so again.
You travel a lot. What is your favorite destination?
For a while I claimed that this was India, which I visited three times. I keep coming back to India, because it serves as an immense source of inspiration. There is a new movie every day, every day is different and every day you learn something new. I like contact with locals. In recent years, I have also started traveling to other destinations. I was filled with very strong emotions in Jerusalem. I began to ask myself things that had never occurred to me before, and I also got answers to some questions that I didn't know I already had. I hope to be able to visit my friend in Venezuela and visit India again this year.
