From Rio, By Hand: Meet the Artisan Behind the Zen:Z Rio Collection

A collection inspired by a city — and created through the hands of one of its artisans.

Rio de Janeiro has always been more than its beaches and skyline. Look beyond the familiar landmarks and you discover another side of the city — artists, makers, natural materials, colour and generations of craftsmanship.

It was here that we discovered the work of Manuel Alejandro Nolasco Vazquez, the artisan whose craftsmanship has become part of the story behind our new Zen:Z Rio Collection.

Alejandro works with marquetry, an intricate craft that brings different materials, colours and textures together to create decorative patterns and individual pieces. His status within Rio’s artisan community is more than simply part of our story: official Rio municipal records identify Manuel Alejandro Nolasco Vazquez within the Artesanato – Marchetaria category and connect him with Feirarte I at Praça General Osório.

Discovered in Rio

What initially caught our attention was the individuality of Alejandro’s work.

Natural wood forms the foundation, combined with colourful decorative inlays and patterns that immediately evoke the energy, landscape and artistic character of Brazil.

No two pieces feel completely identical.

That became important to the philosophy of the Rio Collection. Rather than trying to create jewellery that looked perfectly machine-produced, we wanted to retain the character of something made by hand and influenced by its place of origin.

Natural materials. Individual character.

The Rio pendant collection combines Alejandro’s craftsmanship with materials chosen to complement the wider Zen:Z jewellery collection.

Wooden surrounds are individually crafted and detailed with colourful inlays, while selected designs incorporate a genuine natural stone centre.

Depending upon the design, these stones can include materials such as Lapis Lazuli, Purple Jasper, Yellow Tiger and other natural stones selected to coordinate with our Rio bracelets.

Because both wood and stone are natural materials, variations in grain, markings and colour are not imperfections. They are part of what makes each piece individual.

Inspired by the neighbourhoods of Rio

Rather than simply numbering the designs, we wanted every piece to carry a little of the city with it.

The collection takes its names and inspiration from some of the places that give Rio its unmistakable personality — Copacabana, Ipanema, Botânico, Leblon and Selarón.

Each represents a different side of Rio: ocean and movement, sunsets and warmth, nature and balance, understated sophistication, and the extraordinary colour and creativity of the city.

Together they form a collection that isn’t simply Rio themed.

It has a genuine connection to Rio.

Where Alejandro meets Zen:Z

Zen:Z is about finding inspiration in people, places and natural materials around the world.

For Zen-Z, that means natural stones and a philosophy influenced by balance and mindfulness. For Rio, it means something different: colour, individuality, natural materials and human craftsmanship.

Alejandro’s work embodies that beautifully.

We have taken that artisan foundation and developed it into a coordinated Zen:Z collection, bringing the pendants together with complementary natural-stone bracelets and our distinctive Rio identity.

It creates something that sits comfortably between jewellery, craft and travel.

More than a piece of jewellery

In an increasingly mass-produced world, knowing where something came from matters.

The small differences created by natural stone, wood grain and the hand of the artisan give these pieces their character.

They connect the person wearing them with another person, another culture and another part of the world.

And that is precisely what we want Zen:Z to become.

ZEN:Z RIO COLLECTION
Designed with Zen:Z. Handcrafted in Rio. Inspired by Brazil. Available 1st December 2026.