Before we get into the interview, we must point out that jewelry making is an exciting craft and Annerose Muyombano makes it look so easy. Annerose is the founder and designer behind the luxury jewelry label MUYOMBANO Jewelry and even though she operates in Europe, she still connects with Africa ‘the land of her birth‘ via her collections and designs. We had a beautiful chat with Annerose to talk about fashion and life as a designer. 
Annerose Muyombano is the founder and designer behind MUYOMBANO Jewelry
Zen: Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from?
Annerose: I was born in Burundi to a German mother and a Rwandan father though I grew up in Germany. I love travelling, exploring new cultures and I am a very curious person.
Zen: At what stage in your life did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?
Annerose: It wasn’t a specific moment. It was rather a process. Just a few years ago, I finally listened to my inner voice and realized that I wanted to do something special for myself. I wanted to create something unique and have an impact in the world. Designing felt so natural to me and I love every moment.
Zen: Take us via the process of creating an item. How many days or hours does it take to create a fashion piece?
Annerose: Coming up with a new design is very exciting. Sometimes, it takes minutes while other times it could take a few days to know what the next collection will be like. But once I am happy with the design, the scheduled work begins. Finding the perfect material, looking for the right producers and starting with the first prototypes. This is the most complex part because I am a very detail oriented and I keep making changes till the final piece is impeccable. It can take weeks or months to produce the perfect prototype.
Zen: You have a new collection out. Which items have people being buying like crazy?
Annerose: The rings and the necklaces from the PURE Collection are some of our top items people buy. These are statement pieces you can wear all day, every day. The “NAYA Double T Special” chain is another must-have item for my customers. NAYA is a fun collection. This year we will introduce 3 new collections and I am quite excited about it.
Check out a few images from the PURE Collection
Zen: Where can our readers buy your jewellery & what is the best way to wear them?
Annerose: We only sell in selected shops worldwide so the easiest way is to buy the pieces online at www.muyombano.com. What I like most about the jewelry is that each piece can be worn in many different ways. Depending on the length of the chains, the colors or your outfit, you can go from hippy style to pure sophistication. It really depends on the mood of the client.
Zen: What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers?
Annerose: In my opinion, the most important thing is to follow your intuition, be persistent, curious and work hard. Do not try to please everybody, just be yourself.
Zen: How would you define your personal style?
Annerose: My style depends on the way I feel at a certain moment. Most of the time, I opt for a classy and minimal style adding a twist to it with jewelry, accessories or make-up. But I also like to experiment and try different, more casual styles. I love very casual and hippy inspired fashion during summer time.
Zen: Any fashion tips you would love to share with our ladies his month?
Annerose: I can’t get enough of my black leather pants, white shirt, black sneakers and fake fur vest right now. I think every lady should have these key pieces. For the evening, I combine the outfit with fancy high heels and a more fashionable top. I would also experiment with new, totally different makeup styles and definitely get some colourful sneakers as well.
Zen: Where can our readers find out more about you and your work?
Annerose: On my blog, on facebook and on the website. All the details are listed below.
Check out a few more items from MUYOMBANO Jewelry
Zen: What’s the most challenging part about being a designer?
Annerose: I think the most challenging part about being a designer is been able to stand out from the mass, inspire customers via the trends we create and give them what they need before they even know they need it.
Zen: How has fashion impacted your life?
Annerose: Working in fashion is very thrilling and tough at the same time. It showed me how important it is to stay true to myself and not get dazzled by shiny things. I have had the chance to meet fascinating men and women but above all I realized that my work has a deep impact. Therefore, I recently started a new project called “MUYOMBANO 4 Rwanda”. The first step is to create a MUYOMBANO Jewelry Rwanda Collection & a MUYOMBANO accessories collection. The collections are being produced in Rwanda with local materials by local women. We train the women to produce high-end pieces according to international standards and sell them worldwide with the goal of giving those women a stable work and a platform for a better, self-determined future. The next steps will be jewelry and accessories projects with Rwandan street kids as well as a foundation focused on education and health projects. For me fashion is not just about looking good, it is an important tool to make a difference and give back.
Designer Monica Armani pictured with Annerose in Milano. Both
women are wearing pieces from the PURE Collection. Monica the
PURE K2 necklace in Stainless Steel while Annerose is wearing the
PURE O2 earrings in Stainless Steel Gold.
For more details on MUYOMBANO Jewelry, please visit: on their page on Facebook: Muyombano Jewelry
Follow on Twitter: @MUYJewelry
Published March 5th 2014 ZEN Magazine
Follow
