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Estelle Lagarde
Full-time gouache artist and dealer of colour
How does one create jewellery? By depicting it first, of course. This is where Estelle Lagarde comes in, a freelance jewellery and watch render artist, who works for some of the biggest brands out there. Based in Geneva, she confirms she’s exactly where she’s always wanted to be.
In this close-knit industry, it’s almost impossible not to know who Estelle Lagarde is. She works with some of the biggest jewellery- and watch-making brands to transform their ideas into hyper-realistic (and extremely precise) renderings, which become the basis for their creations. She spends days workings on minute details, with a panache that requires highly technical skill and exceptional artistic talent.
She built her self-made empire on social media, where she details both her professional life and her mental health recovery journey (after suffering from depression).
Now in her 30s, this young woman from Savoy hasn’t always had an easy life. She didn’t enjoy school and would have failed as a teen had she not found a “super cool” internship with a local artisan who specialised in SavoieCross pendants. It was a turning point in her life, followed by training at a specialised school and an apprenticeship at Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris. Precious jewels sparkled in her eyes, and she was offered a full-time position — an offer that cannot be refused. She honed her gouache skills in Paris, and then her watch dial enamel skills in Meyrinat the then brand-new Campus Genevois de Haute Horlogerie, where her employer had moved some of its workshops. Thus began her connection to the city of Geneva and her path towards freelancing.
Welcome to Geneva
Close to where she grew up (and still lives) in Haute-Savoie, Geneva helped Estelle flourish. She explored the length and breadth of city, looking for (and finding!) inspiration on the quais — the paths that run alongside the shores of Lake Geneva — near the Pont de la Machine bridge. Her favourite spot is a simple bench in the Jardin Anglais with a view of the lake. “Whenever I stop there, I feel replenished”, she said.
As time passed, her network of watch industry contacts grew, feeding her inspiration and learnings further. One person in particular has marked her more than others: François-Henry Bennahmias, the former CEO of AudemarsPiguet and her “guardian angel”, as she calls him. Sweet, shy Estelle wanted everything to be perfect when she presented her work to him in Brassus, so she created a monumental work of art as a surprise. With tears in her eyes, the artist recalls the phenomenal moment she gave it to him. “I could tell he knew that I had a difficult past,” she confided. The caring CEO was touched by her work and encouraged her to fight for what she wanted. “It felt like he believed in me and what he said about my work really boosted my confidence. It was exactly what I needed to hear to keep pushing myself to new heights!”
