Launched in 2004, New York based fine jewelry line, Bochic, evokes a feeling of romance and timeless glamour. Each Bochic design highlights cultural influences around the world.
The strongest element in each piece is exhibited through the stone, and its setting, which is expressed by layering opaque gemstones and diamonds together. Elite Traveler had the pleasure to sit down with designer and founder, David Joseph, to learn more about what makes the Bochic brand so special. We learned how it all started, what inspires, where they are now and what the future holds.
Elite Traveler: Your background is quite unique coming from the music and film industry. Can you please tell us a bit about this?
David Joseph: I was in the music management business in London where we scouted and signed talent. My job was to get the most talented record deals. My partners and I ran a privately owned company,. I left after three years to study film at the New School in New York. My family always had a jewellery manufacturing business, therefore I grew up around this and knew it well. It wa s a natural transition when I decided to head towards jewellery design.
ET: How did you meet your partner, Miriam? What is her background?
DJ: We met in New York. Both Miriam and I have jewellery backgrounds, however, this wasn’t the grounds in which we met. Miriam was a civil engineer and decided to go back to school to study psychology. In order to go to school she began selling fashion jewellery and was discovered by a show room, selling fashion jewellery to Barney’s, Neuman Marcus.
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ET: You have a strong celebrity loyalty. Please tell us about your celebrity following.
DJ: Our clients consist of very talented individuals including Sandra Bullock, Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Lopez to name a few. When we met Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt they bought a few of our pieces. Angelina wore Bochic to the 2007 Golden Globes which helped put us on the map if you will.
ET: What was your inspiration behind the first collection? How was that evolved?
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DJ: We were very much inspired and influenced by India in the beginning, as many of our travels took us to this part of the world at this time. The culture, jewellery, designs, fabrics, colours were all very inspiring and allowed us to tap into a very special creativity. We were one of the fist luxury companies to bring this Indian look into America. In the beginning we started by purchasing vintage jewellery, changed it, gave it a modern twist, and then started designing and manufacturing our own pieces. The Indian culture is a still a source of inspiration, however we are constantly influenced by cultures all over the globe. The old Orient is a major inspiration for us, including Asia and parts of the Middle East, Turkey, Morocco and so forth.
ET: How about for your new clutch collection, what is the inspiration here?
DJ: The exquisite clutch collection unveils a voyage back in time to the 1950’s film noir, as well as the darkly sophisticated glamour of the late 40’s eras. This collection is edgy, captivating and fiercely sexy in a very powerful way, yet never losing any femininity.
The initial collection offers three styles: Alicia, Gilda and Madeleine. The philosophy of the
designs remains the same as the company’s inception to design and create jewelry that mirrors the Bochic woman, and they all manifest an expression of strong personality, individuality,confidence and zest of life. Combining inspiration from the timeless icon, Ingrid Bergman and her role as Alicia in the Hitchcock film Notorious, the “Alicia” clutch embodies various key elements of the American spy thriller: mystery, suspense, and enchantment. The handle of the clutch also depicts the iconic purloined key in the movie in its structured design aesthetic.
ET: Who is the Bochic woman?
DJ: The Bochic woman travels to exotic destinations. She is seeking adventure and has very high social awareness. She is stylish and chic, but not in an uber kind of way. She has her own sense of style. We follow what she does, where she goes and where she gets her inspiration. The Bochic name came from that idea, someone who is genuine and chic in her own way.
ET: Do you have an e-commerce presence?
DJ: We do not sell online ourselves at the moment, but we do have online partners that sell Bochic, including sites like Editorialist.com and Marissa Collection. We have more upcoming luxury partnerships about to launch, so stay tuned here.
ET: Where are your key markets?
DJ: Across America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Russia, Kazekstan, and Dubai
ET: What does your future strategy include?
DJ: We plan to have our own boutiques. We are paying more attention to taking the brand to be a lifestyle brand. We are currently launching a clutch line in Paris, which we manufacture in Florence, Italy.
ET: Very exciting, congratulations on everything. As always, we love the new collection. Thanks so much for your time, and we look forward to watching your continued success.
