“I didn’t really prepare a press release for FW16” Alan Crocetti makes plain when I request one. “I wanted the collection to speak for itself, and also because everything about it is more personal to me than referential, but I can say the collection is about a man’s journey through passion, delusion, pain and survival.”

It was whilst under tutelage at Central St. Martins that London-based men’s jewellery designer Alan Crocetti developed an eye for precision and detail. It was also here at the esteemed college, that his interest shifted from womenswear to jewellery, before being spotted by Lulu Kennedy at Fashion East, to whom Crocetti feels “extremely thankful.” After brand defining MAN shows with both Fashion East and Bobby Abley, Crocetti stepped out on his own, with a clear focus in tact: to subvert the traditional notion of men’s jewellery design.

While in the past we have watched the London-based designer take his cues from American subculture – and perhaps most memorably David Fincher’s 1999 classic Fight Club – this season his inspirations are somewhat less tangible, although cinematic references do remain a constant. Titled ‘Endurance’, FW16 sees him work with photographer Pierre-Ange to evoke a heightened sense of ‘self’ — something Crocetti acknowledges, but refrains from revealing to me in total. Instead he draws parallels between the narrative of ‘Endurance’ and the book turned film Interview with the Vampire.

Elizabeth Coop: In your own words can you describe your brand?
Alan Crocetti: My brand is elegant and bold. The pieces are gender fluid, they are transient too. I like to think that they can not be defined by a space or a given timeframe — instead they transcend both in their fluidity.

EC: What ideas and questions ignited this collection?
AC: Susceptibility, sensibility, passion, pain and the struggle we face when trying, often fighting, to endure them all. I wanted to makes pieces that were romantic in form. In many ways the pieces in this collection are self-reflective — it’s a personal collection in disguise.

“We wanted to portray a modern Claudia (from Interview with a Vampire), forever young, forever damned and forever fascinating.”

EC: What piqued your interest in men’s jewellery?
AC: Jewellery has always fascinated me, but there’s more than that. When I was young I could never really grasp the reason why men wore jewellery and this question is one I have explored almost obsessively since then. The men’s jewellery offering (at a commercialised level) is so incredibly diluted and I feel a that there is a deep-rooted sense of frustration arising as a result of this. Cuff links, leather wrap-around bracelets — are these really the only options, still? I’m definitely not in opposition of men’s jewellery in this traditional sense, but I do oppose traditional minds that are trying to stop something else, something more current progress or evolve.

EC: How would you say you have grown as a designer since your season with Fashion East?
AC: When you are part of a college like Central St. Martins, you are pushed to find the pinnacle of your creativity, so when I left and started with Fashion East I was more concerned about telling a story without any thought for commerciality. When you step out as a designer on your own, this mentality changes, it has to — it’s suddenly not all about you.

Fashion East was my first real jewellery collection post-graduation from CSM in womenswear. I had been experimenting with jewellery in my final year, but I didn’t have much practice. Jewellery design isn’t something that runs in my family line, I haven’t ever even interned with jewellery as a specialism. I simply loved the intricacy of jewellery making, the beauty of the materials and so I guess I taught myself how to push these materials into formation in a non-methodical way. Fashion East gave me a platform and the time to practice this. I have grown a lot since then and I feel like Fashion East schooled me in many, many ways and I am very thankful to Lulu Kennedy and everyone involved.

EC: Tell me more about the film Interview with a Vampire and how this influenced the collection?
AC: For those who are familiar with the film/book, the characters of Lestat, Louis and Claudia all play out in this collection. The sex appeal of Lestat, the vulnerability of Louis and Claudia’s all-consuming misery. And, if you haven’t seen the film, go watch it.

EC: How did you find working alongside photographer Pierre-Ange?
AC: Very easy going. Pierre-Ange has a strong raw vision. Working with him is zero bullshit, it’s all about the moment and less about trying to create or stage a scene and that in itself is very refreshing. We wanted to portray a modern Claudia (from Interview with a Vampire), forever young, forever damned and forever fascinating. He manages to keep it modern and fresh.

EC: Did you design this collection with a particular person in mind?
AC: I never really do, I simply try to make beautiful pieces and by doing so I am attempting to reach everyone, from potential customers to contemplators. Still, I am not selling myself to everyone’s needs. I want to make people desire what they still don’t know they want.