L’Officiel Malaysia – July 2019

L’Ofciel Bijoux 68

Boom Goes The Dynamite

We sit down with acclaimed jeweller to the stars Stephen Webster

to talk all things jewellery—what appeals to Asian women, the ever-

pivoting industry, and his latest politically charged creations.

BY NIKITA NAWAWI

Ambling into the room in a polo tee, khakis and high-top kicks,

Stephen Webster, at first glance, does not strike as someone

at the helm of a booming jewellery. This casual, phlegmatic

persona of his is, in a way, the catalyst of the Stephen Webster

marque, which made its name by subverting the conservative

nature of the fine jewellery market with new ideas and bold

experimentation in materials and designs.

The British designer and his wife, Anastasia “Assia” Vatnitsky,

had flown in to present the latest Dynamite collection.

In an impromptu exchange with Assia, she shared, with a

beaming smile on her face, the excitement over their first

trip to Malaysia—where a chilli crab excursion, courtesy of

Habib honchos Dato’ Sri Meer Sadik Habib and Datin Sri Zarida

Noordin the night before, was the first thing that came up.

The conversation then turned to her husband’s singular vision

and designs, and it was hard not to notice the Fly by Night

Crystal Haze earrings on Assia, and a necklace from the same

collection that Zarida was wearing. It’s somewhat interesting to

note how women from dissimilar backgrounds ultimately find a

mutual liking for the same jewellery—a point that seemed apt

to kick-start the interview with.

How differently do European and Asian women perceive

jewellery?

I think Asian women particularly love gold pieces. They want

to know the value of the items they’re buying and that’s

reasonable. But that also means that some of the materials I

use wouldn’t interest them. I guess it’s about understanding

that sometimes my jewellery has its own purpose—not that it’s

got no (intrinsic) value. Jewellery can be a lot more exotic and

broader by definition.

Has that line of thought changed since you launched

your brand over 40 years ago?

Beyond recognition. When I first started, jewellery was something

you get for engagements and weddings. The shops were only a