FELIPE SENA OF SENA NEW YORK

Sena New York is a new collection of men's jewelry designed by Felipe Sena and inspired by New York City.  Working with his colleague, product developer Jonathan Larrazabal, Felipe imagined the sterling silver and vermeil rings, bracelets, and neck pieces as a man's identifying objects reflecting his personal taste, style, and status.

They call their inspiration 'Industrial Chic,’ which utilizes masculine textures and simple forms that a man will find understated and fashionable. The heavy weight and quality of the silver, as well as the designs themselves convey a sense of confidence and luxury. Bold, sleek, and daring for the man with an edge, this artisan brand is all about design.

FELIPE, TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
I would describe myself as a very passionate person, I like to follow my dreams and make them a reality. In Uruguay, I remember walking on the beach and dreaming of being a designer and working in a big city. With a lot of hard work and some luck, my wish came true and here I am, living my American dream, learning and growing constantly. 

I am inspired by the people around me, the idea of creating things, to see that other people are moving forward. I like to evolve and always improve myself and my work.  Design and Art also inspire me, my work is always very commercial. I like to do simple, clean designs, but with impact.

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN FOR SENA NEW YORK?
I work as a Creative Director, designing perfume bottles at Marc Rosen Associates, a famous company in New York. Marc was my mentor from the very beginning. He taught me how to design products by finding inspiration in antiques and jewelry. To be honest, I was not interested at all originally, but I started to see antiques and jewelry in a different way. 

Now, when I am trying to find an element of design that could be the cap of a perfume bottle, or the neck, through the shapes and textures... it becomes a fascination. One day, my current business partner Jonathan Larrazabal, who I met through a cosmetic project, proposed the idea of creating a jewelry brand. I had no doubt and I said, Yes!. After one year of development, we launched Sena New York.

WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR PROUDEST MOMENTS FOR SENA NEW YORK?
I have always worked hard to make my vision a reality...I really love watching the process of my ideas materialize. For me, it is always a creative process. It is difficult to choose my proudest moment because I am perpetually proud of what I am doing with Sena New York. From the beginning, it has been the most creative process and I have been learning immensely. The feedback we have received about of our jewelry and branding is amazing. I am very impressed by how people really like it. It really makes me feel very proud.

TELL US ABOUT A CHALLENGING TIME IN YOUR JOURNEY TOWARDS SENA NEW YORK?
The most challenging moment was the original development of Sena New York. It was the first time in my life I had to invent an entire brand. When you create a new brand from scratch the branding could go so many different ways, so it was very challenging to have the right approach. I decided to have a very clear image, white and black, including the digital art. I don't want just to show a product, but as a designer, I want to give a quote of art. It has been great working with Jonathan, my business partner, he is the engineer behind my designs . We are a perfect combination between DESIGN + ENGINEERING. We really work great together and it is fun.
 

WHO ARE YOU COLLABORATING WITH RIGHT NOW?
On Monday, July 9th, Sena New York had the distinct honor of partnering with fashion designer, Carlos Campos during CFDA's New York Fashion Week for his collection Spring Summer 2019. Our jewelry was featured in the show on several of the models. The collection was amazing and it was a great match with our jewelry pieces. Carlos is very talented.  In September, we are going to be featured in GQ British and Vanity Fair Italy. We really look forward to extending Sena New York internationally, as well as many more collaborations ahead.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR EMERGING ARTISTS?
My advice for emerging artists and designers is to think outside of the box. You really need to be confident in your design, marketing, business, PR and most important, plan your execution. I think quality marketing makes a huge difference. There are so many talented people right now and we live in a very competitive market, so it is very important to find the way to highlight and make your work and product visible.

FELIPE SENA
SENA NEW YORK

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