Australian jewellery brand, BIANKO, was born out of the Owner/Designer, Belinda Madonini's desire to make luxurious jewellery pieces fun, affordable and sustainable.
Belinda Madonini, Owner and Designer at BIANKO
We caught up with Madonini to learn more about how BIANKO came about and the inspirations behind her latest collection.
BIANKO launched officially back in 2016. Madonini's family own and operate a jewellery boutique in Perth, so she grew up surrounded by the world of jewellery and design.
"After working in the family business for some time, I noticed a gap in the market for beautiful, everyday jewellery that was both high quality and affordable. Hence, BIANKO was born," explained Madonini.
The Birth Flower necklace collection is Madonini's current favourite collection to date.
"What girl doesn't love flowers?! And if you're not into horoscopes or religious symbols, the birth flowers offer something personal and meaningful that anyone can relate to."
"Fine and dainty designs that can be styled up or down" would be how Madonini was to describe her design style for the brand. BIANKO pieces are versatile and timeless, allowing them to suit a range of personalities and personal styles.
BIANKO's latest collection is the petite version of the Birth Flower necklaces - created for young girls.
"I had a lot of customers asking for a matching piece to wear with their daughters/nieces/goddaughters, so I created a smaller version of the birth flower pendant to be worn on a shorter chain."
The Fleur collection, which was released before the petite version of the Birth Flower necklaces, was a collection inspired by Madonini's own wedding and her desire to create beautiful statement earrings for herself and her bridesmaids to wear.
"I wanted to design something that wasn't typically 'bridal', and that could be worn again as event wear."
All BIANKO pieces are crafted from a base of sterling silver, either plated in Rhodium or 18K gold. The process of applying a thick layer of gold onto sterling silver is called vermeil, and it is one of the highest quality forms of gold plating available. Thicker plating means BIANKO pieces will last longer but they also won't turn the pieces (and your skin) green like some other metals can. Further, all materials used are hypoallergenic, perfect for those with sensitive skin and ears.
We asked Madonini if she could give us her number one styling tip for accessories and/or jewellery.
"In the past, I would say less is more. Make your favourite pieces stand out and complement them by wearing other styles that enhance and not take away from your key pieces," she explained.
For example, a signature gold necklace worn with a fine pearl choker, or statement earrings paired with fine and dainty chains, a statement ring worn on its own - or at the most with a fine band on another finger.
"However, lately it seems more is more. Necklace layers, curated ear stacks, ring stacks, multiple bracelets, mixing metals and materials. Anything goes, and I kind of like that there are no rules. It's fun and it allows for your personal style to really shine through," she concluded.
When talking about ‘trends’, Madonini definitely keeps herself aware of them. However, as BIANKO is a slow-fashion brand, it’s impossible to truly ‘keep up’.
“As soon as a fashion icon posts a picture of themselves wearing a new earring style, for example, you can shop it from multiple fast-fashion outlets almost immediately.”
For BIANKO, it takes anywhere between three to six months for a design conception to become a shoppable product.
“Trends also come and go, whereas I look to more classic/timeless styles. I want my customers to be able to wear their favourite pieces over several seasons. I have customers who are still wearing items I released in my first collection!”
Currently, the brand has three collections in production which will be dropping over the next few months.
“I normally only work on one collection at a time, but recent lockdowns have left me more time to design so I’ve made most out of the opportunity.”
Madonini also loves working with other creatives and like-minded businesswomen. For example, she worked with Paige Tuzee for the Birth Flower collection.
“I am very keen to do this again. This is something I will work on over the coming months and hopefully have a special new collaboration ready to launch early 2022.”
For wholesale or stockist enquiries, email info@bianko.com.au.
