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Morgane Lay, fashion photographer

To coordinate with our engagement ring launch, we spoke with photographer and ultimate french-come-londoner cool girl Morgane Lay, who takes us inside her jewelry box to show us her most sentimental pieces.

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Morgane LAY

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Hey Morgane, thanks for taking us inside your jewelry box. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hey I’m Morgane Lay. I am a fashion photographer based in London and I was born and raised by the sea in Biarritz, France. 

You work with your fiance, so what’s it like working with your partner?

It’s fun! But can definitely be challenging, as spending so much time together has its ups and downs. It’s very unusual to have a quiet day at home without feeling the need to do bits and pieces of work. Therefore we have to make a conscious effort not to drive each other mad talking about, or doing work when at home. And we definitely need to make clear plans of how to spend our non-work time together. But working with your partner also means having someone to rely on, to support you without any competitiveness since we both trust that we want the best for each other. 

What’s the first piece of memorable jewelry you received?

One of my best friends gave me a gold chain ring for my 21st birthday which I had had my eyes on for years. I sadly lost it in the sea 4 years later and tried to keep it quiet but she eventually realised, and surprised me again with the same ring for my 30th birthday!

Do you keep your jewelry on all the time, or take it off at night ?

I keep my engagement ring on all the time, but I take everything else off at night.

Yellow, Rose or White gold?

Yellow gold – ha it’s quite obvious!

What does storytelling with jewelry mean to you?

Every piece of jewelry has a story behind it, so it's nice to be reminded of that every time you wear it. You remember the person who gave it to you, how you felt when you received it and even if you bought something for yourself, it reminds you of that particular time of your life when you felt like you had achieved something and wanted to treat yourself.

What's your favourite piece from Kimaï?

It’s a tough one! I love loooove the custom ring they made for my wedding band, but also the soul, unity necklace and semi hoop earrings.

And you're engaged, congratulations! How did you choose your ring? Is there a story behind it?

Thank you! I didn’t choose it, my fiancé had it made and he designed it himself – which I think makes it even more special. It’s so beautiful and timeless.

What's it been like having a wedding planned during quarantine?

It’s been a bloody nightmare! We actually planned it before this whole pandemic happened, having no idea we would have to reschedule twice! But luckily it only was a small family affair and hoping we can make it work for next year.

Has it made your think any differently to what you'll do when you can rearrange it?

Not really, luckily we always wanted something small and intimate, so we are just going to keep it that way.

As you know we’re launching engagement rings, what does modern love mean to you?

I guess modern love today is about accepting challenging times and realising how important you are to each other when it feels like the whole world has been turned upside down...

Thanks for speaking with Kimai!