When jewelry designer Alp Sagnak arrived in New York City from Ankara, Turkey, he says he knew zero people, but now after 20 years in the U.S., and with a store in Soho, he says he now knows about a thousand people. He doesn’t just know these people, they are part of the creative process for Sagnak who uses the energy of the clients who walk into his store to fuel his own vision. And when you walk several steps down into his underground store, you’ll be greeted by Sagnak, often wearing all black, bejeweled with multiple necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings, working at the bench, creating jewelry that is uniquely designed and beautifully handcrafted in audacious designs with a rock ‘n’ roll edge often juxtaposed and softened with a message of love.
Reinventing Oneself
Sagnak’s fascination with jewelry began in his father’s retail store in Ankara. He liked watching the bench jewelers and even though he studied industrial engineering, Sagnak made the decision to join the business and start his own line. “YouTube was my teacher,” recalls Sagnak. “I watched jewelry making videos and learned.”
Diamond, ruby, 14-karat rose and white gold Coretta Scott King ring from the Art Deco collection.
It was moving to New York in 2005 that gave Sagnak the freedom to reinvent himself. “New York City allows you to be nobody, to be anybody you want to be, it gives freedom to everybody,” says Sagnak. “Once I realized that people were cheering on my wild side, I went in that direction with my designs.”
Living Loud
“I have a loud personality, but I think I can say more by being simple, being quiet, but still talking,” says Sagnak of his jewelry which tells its own story and has earned him the moniker, goldsmith of words. “I don’t like talking about the specs of a piece. I like to talk about the design and inspiration of a piece. I have a lot to say.”
Sagnak’s work is filled with skulls, blackened metals, black diamonds, bones, atoms, artificial intelligence and words, which he translates into talismanic jewels for those who like their jewelry to be a little edgy. Some of the collections in the line are deeply personal expressions of the changes and transitions in his own life. “I wanted to sell my life experiences. I made pieces based on that concept to see if they would sell and they did. Once that happened it steered me to my wild side,” recalls Sagnak, whose slogan is Luxury Gone Wild.
Jewelry Talk
His collection, The Word, is an unexpectedly hard, edged square shaped ring, contrasted with a curvy heart shaped hole for your finger, it transcends language and conveys love in all its forms, “It’s the simplest, but loudest design I ever made,” says Sagnak.
The You Say collection captures experiences and feelings through words written in diamonds, that combined make a motion picture with you as the star of your film. “Until I was in my forties, I needed compliments, that was what fueled me,” concludes Sagnak. “Now I have a following and the freedom to do what I want and now I want to create a beautiful future for my kids.”
By Amber Michelle
