ILARIA LANZONI: Setting Hearts on Fire

Who is Llaria Lanzoni? This flamboyant, red headed Italian who has helped put the sparkle in so many hearts and continues to make headlines with celebrities sporting her designs? Deep down, she is still just a small town gal who had the vision, creativity and passion to follow her dreams.

I met Ilaria over a decade ago when we were both still trying to find ourselves in this world. We both lived in London and thanks to a common friend would meet up socially and dance the nights away. But that was the past. Fast forward to 2017 and Ilaria is now living in New York City and at the design helm of Hearts On Fire, one of the most prominent diamond manufacturers and jewellery design companies in the world. But that wild-haired girl with the infectious joie de vivre who I met years ago over a pizza still remains the same.

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Daniela Bonetto: How would you describe yourself?

Ilaria Lanzoni: Oh this is such a difficult question! To be honest, I am naturally shy (everyone will laugh at that, but it’s true!) but I also love excitement and adventure. I am passionate and creative, but also humble, intuitive and appreciative. Overall, I just feel so incredibly lucky. I am a woman/designer who is living her dream – and sometimes it feels surreal. I see my creations in top fashion magazines on the Red Carpet with celebrities every single day…and I am overcome by emotions every single time.

DB: How has the notion of diamond jewellery changed? What is the next trend?

IL: When it comes to diamond jewellery, the best thing is that it does not really change as much as other jewellery or fashion trends. Diamonds themselves are truly timeless and a classic investment that will last a lifetime. However, what we try and do as a brand, and myself as a designer, is pay attention to all of the other trends in the fashion world and see how we can connect our designs to those trends in a seamless way. This is a big change– just five or so years ago diamond brands were developing only very classic designs with little focus on more fashion forward collections. My goal since joining HOF has been to take the design to another level and truly connect with the trends women love around the world, but still keep the beautiful, timeless appeal of diamonds intact.

DB: How important is jewellery to an outfit?

IL: Jewellery, to me, is just as important as any other accessory. Your jewellery complements your outfit and allows you to quickly change your look from casual to professional to dressy and chic – all depending on the occasion or your mood. A pair of diamond studs is the most sought after investment piece for women around the world – they look good with any outfit and will last forever.

DB: Congratulations for Triplicity. How does this line marry diamonds with current fashion trends?

IL: Thank you! To be honest, this new collection – Triplicity – is actually the most “on trend” and fashion forward collection we have created. The triangle motif you see in this collection is fun, edgy and very modern, but the diamonds still give the designs a light, feminine feel. My goal with every collection is to find the on-trend inspiration in the fashion world, and seamlessly marry it to the classic and timeless appeal of diamond jewellery. This is not an easy task, but has been a challenge I have loved working on at HOF. Every collection offers a range of styles from simple, classic starter pieces, to more bold and modern designs (like you see in Triplicity), so there is something for every woman – no matter how conservative or fashionable she may be.

DB: Where did the inspiration come from?

IL: It all began when I moved from Boston to New York City. I always find my inspiration in my travels and in the world around me. When I moved to NYC, I immediately felt a new, powerful energy in the people, the culture and the architecture that is just so hard to describe. I wanted to share that with my designs, by bringing to life what I feel is the world’s most dynamic destination. The best thing about this collection is that it not only brings to life the passion of NYC and myself, but of HOF as a brand. For example, much like the Chrysler building stands out in a New York City skyline (a building that inspired my Golden Necklace and Cuff), Triplicity designs make a woman stand out in a modern and edgy, yet still timeless and sophisticated way. And, even with such a fashionable twist, each design maintains the beautiful, aspirational feeling that you get from wearing diamond jewellery.

DB: Which piece is your personal favourite from the collection?

IL: This question is so hard – it is like choosing your favourite child! I truly do love and appreciate all of them, because each and every design has its own unique story and inspiration behind it. But if I had to choose one…it would be the Triplicity Lariat necklace. It is delicate and modern, but sexy and feminine at the same. Just don’t tell my other designs!

DB: What flair have you brought to the HOF family?

IL: Besides my wild curly red hair and Italian accent? I like to think that my creativity and energy has brought a new approach to diamond jewellery. I have pushed to expand the limits and collections such as Triplicity would not exist without those boundaries being torn down. The result is true “timelessly fashionable design”, a new category of jewellery that I am proud to be connected to.

DB: How are you attracting the younger generations who can’t spend a fortune on jewellery?

IL: This is one of the most important things to HOF as a brand and me as the designer. Younger generations, especially millennials, are incredibly powerful, independent and opinionated – and they want to connect to the brands they purchase from in a different way than older generations. We want to show these generations that we are a brand who is relatable, passionate and real. We rely heavily on social media conversations (myself included – I love Instagram!) and other digital media to connect, and recently released an entire new brand campaign called “Ignite Something” that is again towards reinforcing this connection. While younger people may not have huge amounts of money to spend, they do have an appreciation of value and luxury goods. And specifically for a company like us, these generations are future engagement ring purchasers – which tends to be the first diamond jewellery purchase a young person makes.

DB: How is the jewellery market different around the world?

IL: This question is tricky. Jewellery trends are different all around the world – but working with HOF, I have learned that the appeal of diamonds is the same everywhere.

DB: I have noticed a lot of rose gold being used. How is rose gold having its moment?

IL: Rose gold is definitely a very “in the moment”, but actually, rose gold is a timeless fashion, more so than a trend. While its popularity has increased as of late, it is a style that has been around for many years. It is so popular because rose gold is beautiful and more subtle than yellow gold, and it honestly looks great on any skin tone. Additionally, rose gold is easy to mix and match with other metal colours or styles. Personally, I love rose gold and I am so excited to be able to bring creations to life in this beautiful colour!

DB: Who is the average jewellery shopper today?

IL: Today, the average jewellery customer is harder to define. While men are still the primary purchaser, women (of all ages) are much more involved in the process. Women do the research and many times actually are part of the buying process, even for engagement rings. Additionally, we find that there is a growing number of women who self-purchase luxury items like diamond jewellery… a fact that I believe is connected to the independence of women today.

DB: Anything else on the horizon?

IL: Sorry, but my lips are sealed! There is always more coming, and I have so many things up my sleeve for new designs and collections…but you will have to wait and see!

Written by: Daniela Bonetto