Jeweller Morgan Mallett of Design + Conquer

Inspired by the unique and futuristic architectural designs displayed at Canada’s Expo 1967, Design + Conquer owner Morgan Mallett fashioned her latest line of jewellery to similar groovy effect.

Mallett combined industrial and organic design elements and worked with materials that are sturdy yet malleable to achieve the desired look. “I like non-traditional materials like plastic space polymer and industrial tubing,” says Mallett, who uses mostly custom-fabricated, bendy plastics which she hand sets.

Mallett’s two current lines of jewellery — called Venue and Exhibit — feature turquoise and orange forms that mix clean lines with organic textures. The necklaces and earrings appear weighty, but are actually very light and flexible, and the translucency of the material allows light to permeate and produce an airy quality.

The juxtapositions that exist within her designs seem to also exist within Mallett herself. The bubbly, imaginative designer is also an astute businesswoman. A couple of years ago, Mallett created a small line of jewellery as part of an application to a fashion and art school. She ultimately decided to forgo more schooling (she already has a bachelor of fine arts in painting from the University of Calgary and a bachelor of design in graphic design from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) and parlay the jewellery line into a new career.

“To design and conquer says a lot about my creative process, brand and business sense,” she says.

Design + Conquer’s first collection debuted during Vancouver fashion week in 2009, when American designer Joseph S. Domingo accessorized some of his models’ runway outfits with the jewellery.

The brand has also appeared in the National Post, ELLE Canada and Fashion magazine. Mallett was also recently invited to promote her jewellery with a video on gossip guru Perez Hilton’s fashion website cocoperez.com.

Mallett currently juggles a day job as a graphic designer with her jewellery design, but she says she’d like to eventually make Design + Conquer her full-time job and incorporate other creative ventures like clothing design into the mix. “Jewellery is just one expression of myself,” she says.

With her hands-on approach to the jewellery biz, Mallet also hopes to continue creating new opportunities for her creative design ventures. “It’s fascinating how a career in this type of industry can evolve,” she says. “It’s important to reflect on and enjoy your successes, but, at the same time, it’s always changing.”

Mallett’s pieces are available for purchase at AG Plateria Silver Boutique in Fashion Central and at designandconquerjewellery.com