Make It The Best & Sell It To The World - BOULO

q:“Make it the best and sell it to the world” - Can you tell us how your grandfather inspired you to pursue your dream? a: I didn’t spend a lot of time with my grandfather because, unfortunately, he passed away the year I was born; but he influenced me and my family so much that we all do business and act with the culture and the set of values he practiced. He was a very wise businessperson, he started his career with trading, which then turned into manufacturing of the items he was selling. The point where he decided to manufacture those parts, he told my father that they can do this the best and sell it the world. He believed that if you dedicate yourself to your craft and do the best you can, people will find you no matter what. Therefore, with that philosophy in mind, I never thought about cutting corners when it comes to quality. It’s just not in my genes. That sentence has a very strong reference to BOULO’s establishing values. q: Having lived in so many different multi-cultural cities, what is the most important thing you’ve learnt? a: The most important thing in life is freedom. When you stay in your comfort zone too long, you lose the perception of your real self and what you can achieve. New beginnings are always a challenge, no matter how great they are. When you embrace that challenge, you also get to know yourself better. Getting to know yourself is always the beginning of the path to freedom. And there is no greater privilege than freedom. q: Where does the name BOULO come from? a: It comes from Youtan Poluo’s Poluo, which is a flower in Asia believed to bloom only in every 3000 years. I tweaked a little and changed Poluo to Boulo that sounds more phonetic in my opinion. It felt so relevant when I learned about this flower, as it felt like 3000 years before I finally started building what I've always dreamt of. The flower, according to Buddhist scriptures, symbolizes immortality. q: Can you tell us a little about your design process? a: It starts with an image that I envision, such as a woman wearing a statement piece, looking almost sculptural. I don’t force or limit myself whilst sketching, I don’t design an earring while designing an earring, I start with designing an emotion and ultimately, what is reflected in the sketch becomes wearable. Movies help me a lot. Some take me to a whole new world, where everything and anything is possible. And in that world, you can even wear a meter long necklace! Then I also try to optimise the designs so that they are ergonomic. I would never want a customer to feel that heaviness, especially for earrings, to the point where it hurts. q: Why does finding the right local craftsman so important to you? a: First and foremost, it’s directly related with the quality of the products. There are many people who can do the job, but only a few do it with enough care and attention. Grand Bazaar has a legendary reputation as the ancient producer of the finest crafts with family heritage traditions and techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. It is such a privilege to call this city my home, and I feel like it is my duty to pay tribute and give back to my home country. By working with the finest local craftsman, I feel I pay respect to this legendary reputation and heritage. q: What is your favourite design so far and why? a: This is very hard to choose! I am indecisive between the Lucid Dream earrings and the Shapeless earring. But if it had to be one, I believe it would be the Lucid Dream. It's such a unique and bold statement piece that I feel it reflects BOULO in the most striking way. It is very authentic, not only in design, but in the feeling of it as well. Whilst designing, I even thought about the sound the stones rocking under the earrings will make when they move. q: Any new collections we should know about? a: I will be launching a fine jewellery collection this year, which really excites. I feel it will take BOULO’s aesthetic to a whole new level, where fun meets high-end jewellery.