Buddhism and ancient engraving techniques, art and Thailand, symbolism and jewellery. These are the ingredients of AWKN1, a French brand that derives from the words Awakened One. Behind this ambitious program is the founder and designer of AWKN1, Anne-Marie Le Flanchec who, as she points out, has a focused interest in art and spirituality. She grew up in Paris and followed her passions for art history, interior design and jewelry. Before founding his brand, he worked in the jewelery sector for 25 years, before finally settling in Thailand, in Bangkog, which is one of the great jewelery manufacturing centers in the world, although he spends part of his time in Paris and Los Angeles.
But it is in Thailand that the designer works, also thanks to the skill of local artisans, who have revived refined techniques such as guilloché, in which an intricate geometric pattern is mechanically engraved, used together with flinking, to create a butterfly on the engraved surface. A technique that was also widely used in the past by Peter Karl Fabergé. Alongside pendants and engraved metal, with the addition of small pavé diamonds, AWKN1 also uses the weapon of irony, as in the case of the gold pendant in the shape of a tube. In short, spiritual symbols go hand in hand with a pop representation of consumerism.
