Amalia Aranguren wears the Cosmos Brooch
The founder of London creative studio Antennae on archival research, material culture, and why she keeps going to the London Library on weekends.
Amalia sent me a selfie wearing the amber Cosmos brooch and told me she'd found an art deco jewellery book at the London Library that she thought I'd love, having spotted it by accident while deep in a section on Polish folk costume. That felt like a good enough reason to ask her some questions.
Archival Digging
Those art deco brooch references you sent me, what were you looking for when you found them, and does that kind of archival research feed into how you build visual identities for your clients? They were such beautiful references, they immediately made me think of your pieces, in the way the stacking and colour combinations work. I recently became a member of the London Library, and I often spend weekends there getting lost in different themes. I try to intentionally explore areas that feel, at least on the surface, unrelated to graphic design.That day, I had been looking at Polish folklore, lace and traditional costumes. It’s interesting how these seemingly disconnected references always find their way back into the creative process. I actually came across that book in the jewellery section almost by accident and as we had seen each other the night before, your brand was already on my mind and I thought you may love it. I was also really drawn to the graphic design of the book - the layout felt quite distinctive and unexpected for its time.
The Tactile and the Physical
Printed matter, typography, packaging - is there a tactile quality to that work that draws you in, similar to how I'm drawn to working with glass and pearls? I fell in love with graphic design through its tactile qualities. I’ve always loved books, and early on that was what I was most interested in making. I’m drawn to books as physical objects but also to their structure, having a clear beginning, middle, and end, which feels harder to contain in digital formats.
More recently, we’ve been doing a lot of work in hospitality, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing how an identity can exist both digitally and physically. With a restaurant, there are so many touchpoints where the brand can come to life: from menus and signage to the more subtle elements like napkins or the way the bill is presented. It becomes about shaping an entire experience: from first noticing the space from across the street, to entering, sitting down, and interacting with every detail throughout a meal. I find that interplay between materiality and experience so interesting.
Multiple Identities
Your work is about giving things a visual identity: when you put on a piece of jewellery, what does it say about you, or what do you hope it says?
I think I have multiple identities when it comes to jewellery. I tend to change things depending on my mood. I’m drawn to both quite expressive, “extra” pieces, as well as very minimal ones that I might wear on their own. In a way, there’s a parallel with the work we do at the studio: creating identities that can adapt to different moods, contexts, and moments in time. Jewellery is something you carry throughout your life, while your personality and sense of self evolve, so it’s interesting how certain pieces can remain constant while still accommodating those shifts.
What's on Your Desk
Books are clearly a big reference point for you. What's on your desk right now, or what have you been returning to lately? Recently, I came across a book collection from the Shanghai Museum, a series of eight books, each focused on a different material (Chinese bronze, jade, ceramics, Ming and Qing furniture, coins etc). It’s been fascinating to dive into. I’ve never been to Shanghai, but I feel very drawn to that history and material culture. Alongside that, I’ve been reading a collection of poems by Rumi, which I’ve been finding incredibly beautiful.