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Alumni Stories - Naida Castel
Date: 17.02.2024
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Alumni Stories Entrepreneurship Career developement Networking Inspiración

Where were you born?

I was born in Lleida and grew up in a small neighborhood on the outskirts of Balaguer called Hostal Nou de Vallfogona de Balaguer, where I was always in contact with nature, outdoors, and with a lot of freedom. After compulsory education, I went to study arts in Lleida and then moved to Barcelona to pursue my degree.


Where do you live?

I've lived in Barcelona ever since, although I've traveled a lot and lived in other countries for short periods.


What did you study at Elisava?

I studied product design.


Where do you work?

I have a handmade jewelry brand, which I founded in 2019. They are designer jewelry with my design and manufacture in my studio in the Gracia neighborhood.


What has been your professional trajectory?

After graduating from Elisava, I began my career in the jewelry world, combining it with other jobs for a few years while exploring different places thanks to constant travel. Eventually, I found my first studio shared with Elisava colleagues, and there we created a community of designers where we grew, each in our direction, supporting each other.


Gradually, I started conceptualizing and developing my first collections, thus consolidating my brand. I went through different spaces where I set up my small workshop until I found the studio I am in now. Here, I have my workshop and a showroom where you can see the jewelry and where I can meet and exhibit my work.


I've combined this with a parallel music project, simultaneously managing the artistic direction and the creation of related merchandise.


What is design to you?

Design is a fusion of art and function. It's everywhere around us and not limited to just visual appearance. We interact through design; it facilitates access, makes understanding and use of objects or interfaces attractive, makes something we wear comfortable and durable, etc.


Through design, emotions are communicated and conveyed; it can improve quality of life, and ingenious design can be meaningful in solving specific, every day, or not-so-everyday problems.


Who inspires you professionally?

I'm very inspired by the creative people around me who pursue their creations daily, with freedom and determination, like my studio mates: the painting of Miriam Dema, the textile creations of Oscar enParaiso and Niadefer, or the biomaterial research of Ana in Sila. And on the other hand, recently, I've been very inspired by theenson, an artist work of Laura B who illustrates llustrations into wearable pieces and turns her i for the rawness and mythology in her creations. And the work of Sergi Roger, who creates textile sculptures, particularly his Textile Ruins.


How would you define your time at Elisava?

My time at Elisava expanded my perspective and opened my mind; it educated me in design fundamentals and the basic principles, understanding that everything needs to be updated periodically. Although my choice leaned towards the universe of jewelry, I have created the entire identity around the brand, covering everything from packaging design, artistic direction, communication, and marketing, among other aspects.


Exploring different design disciplines, such as interior and graphic design, during the degree gave me a more global idea when creatively approaching my project and personal brand.


What has impacted you the most from what you learned at Elisava?

At Elisava, I learned about discipline, efficiency, and conceptualization. There is a phrase that a teacher said once that stuck with me; he said: 'An idea, no matter how original, doesn't mean it's a good idea,' meaning that there is much more behind design than originality; you have to experiment, search, reflect, contrast, and test.


A piece of advice:

Respect your creative energy and time; protect it at all costs. It's yours and vital for developing your projects; don't postpone or reduce it if that's the path you want to follow.


A future challenge:

To be able to create jewelry pieces at different levels both in size and in concept.

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