In the world of design, there are two types of people; those who always stick to the conventional and produce mediocrity and those who are not afraid to tread the boundary between senseless obscurity and innovative creativity and end up with something truly special. After familiarizing myself with her latest jewelry line, I believe that Morgan Mallett is a designer who belongs in the second category. The ambitious jewelry designer launched her line Design + Conquer two years ago and her work have since been featured in a variety of fashion events and exhibits all over the world. Drawing inspirations from pretty much everything she finds riveting, Morgan Mallett’s designs are eclectic, organic and idiosyncratically charming. When I heard that her fall/winter collection was inspired by 1980’s movies, I was immediately intrigued and couldn’t wait to find out more about her as an artist.Xu: Please tell me a little bit about yourself as a designerMorgan: I’ve always designed—used the materials around me to visualize my ideas. My first degree was in painting, and my second in graphic design, so I’ve consistently been drawn to creative fields. I officially branched out into jewellery in 2008, as I was craving designs that I wasn’t seeing in stores. I’d also been accepted into the London College of Fashion for Fashion Design a few months prior, but couldn’t afford to attend. This frustration led me to push one my favorite parts of my portfolio—my jewelery design—and see where it led.Xu: Other than jewelry, do you design or are interested in designing anything else?Morgan: I’d love to design clothing, and/or collaborate on a collection with a fashion designer.I’m building my pattern drafting skills, and would love an opportunity to express myideas in this medium. I’m also interested in art direction for film and television, as wellas music design. I directed and produced DESIGN + CONQUER’s Fall/Winter 2010teaser video last season—it was such a thrill to create. I really do believe that thedifferent design realms are more closely related than we label them to be. Collaboration across different specializations excites me.Xu: Why have you decided to design jewelry instead of other forms of design?Morgan: I’ve been experimenting with different materials since I was little—making jewellery issomething I’ve done informally for years. I don’t see it as a black-and-white designchoice, excluding all other forms. It’s what I’m focusing on, but I’ve always got my eyeon other design fields, as no field can exist in isolation.Xu: Your new line is inspired by sci-fi movies, is that because you are just a huge fan of sciencefiction? Or is there more to the inspiration?Morgan: I wouldn’t say that I’m your classic sci-fi fan—I’m more a fan of the atmosphere andaesthetic of some movies in the genre, than I am of plot. Sci-fi-related movies havemore license to push the envelope in terms of visual design and atmosphere, and thisinterests me. I also find it fascinating watching old movies about the future—eachgeneration has unique ideas of what the future will look like, which often reveals a lotabout that particular generation.

Xu: Other than movies, where do you draw your inspirations from?Morgan: Many sources—whatever I’m exposed to…I’m constantly compiling references. Recent influences have been musical—I have a ridiculously varied music collection, and thatoften fuels my ideas. I often have musical cravings!Xu: I am especially impressed by the minimalistic approach to some of the pieces (earringsand necklaces) but when I saw the firewall necklace which looks like a set of protrudingvertebrae, I was immediately captivated by its uniqueness. Please tell me a bit moreabout that particular piece.Morgan: Thank you! The firewall design came together as I experimented with another design on the dress form…it morphed from there, and I kept making the design longer and longeruntil it sat comfortably on the back. It was only after the fact—when I reflected on thepiece in an interview—that I realized that the Firewall necklace may have been asubconscious celebration of my recovery from a back injury I’d sustained in December.Xu: What is your favorite piece of jewelry of your latest line?Morgan: Hmmm…it would have to be the Falkor headpiece—it was one of the first designs that I visualized, and it helped flavour the rest of the collection. The seeds of my Fall/Winterwere, ironically, planted when I was flying out to LG Fashion Week in Toronto lastOctober. I’m not a fan of flying, and for some reason I was compelled to sketch on theplane. The geometric shape that came up with formed the basis for the majority of myFall/Winter 2010 collection.

Xu: If you weren’t doing jewelry design, what would you be doing?Morgan: Designing something—anything! I’m compelled visualize my ideas, and if that had tobe in another design area, I’d be open to that. It would be stifling not being able tocreative problem-solve. I think I’d get bored if I worked in a field that didn’t involvethis. That, or working in a field that promotes animal welfare—it pains me to see thesuffering that humans inflict on animals. I’ve donated some of the proceeds from mycollections to the Calgary Humane Society and the Humane Society of the UnitedStates, and this has been incredibly rewarding.Interview by: Xuan WangPhotos provided by designer