Want jewels like Dua?

You may not have heard of Bea Bongiasca, but you will have definitely seen her playful, colourful jewellery on THE FACE cover star Dua Lipa.

The Future Nostalgia singer was spotted flexing her joyous creations on the set of the disco-inspired Fever video. With a killer mani to match, these twirly finger ornaments are simply unmissable.

During a year in which daring accessories have taken centre stage (see: Miley Cyrus’s favourite fantastically plastic label La Manso, the amorphous, diamanté-studded Blobb rings and Beepy Bella​’s cottagecore masterpieces), the Milan-based designer’s profile soared over 2020. But Bea Bongiasca ain’t no newbie.

“I decided to launch my own brand instead of working for others in 2013 because it was always my end game,” the 29-year-old designer, who started working on her eponymous label straight after finishing her BA in jewellery design at Central Saint Martins, says. Of course, it still took her a year to get her ducks in a row: ​“I’m a bit of a perfectionist,” she admits. But when she was off, she was off.

Her first collection, No Rice, No Life – a celebration of East Asia and symbols of western consumer culture – dropped at 10 Corso Como during Milan Fashion Week in 2014, to a steaming hot reception. Just a few months later, Bongiasca was invited by the prestigious Art Basel to showcase her wearable works of arts, with the lacquered enamel, jewel-encrusted pieces quickly selling out.

From the release of her Kawaii-inspired Happy Go Cola capsule, to the more understated Golden Lesson and most recently, You’re So Vine that emulated all things botanical, Bongiasca has since continued to push her brand to an upward trajectory, even against the odds.

“Our atelier [in Milan] was closed down because of the coronavirus because jewellery is not an essential business,” Bongiasca says. ​“It was shut for nearly two months and that was one of our greatest impairments. No production, no jewellery.”

Still, the hustler pushed through, and she’s now preparing to unveil her latest capsule ​“Flower Funk” inspired by the psychedelic ​’70s. Mum’s the word on what it looks like exactly, but our bet is that you’ll be catching a glimpse on Dua Lipa’s socials soon.

“Honestly, being able to do what I love every day is something that I don’t take for granted and I am really grateful to have found what I love so early on in my life,” the designer says, when quizzed about her career highs. ​“That being said, opening our own boutique in Milan, having a show at Design Art Basel in Miami and Dua Lipa wearing loads of my rings has been pretty cool.”

You can say that again.