Today we have a great opportunity to have an interview with the Vice President Sales of the luxury Spanish brand MAGERIT, which makes one of the most amazing and extraordinary jewelry, Mr. Jose Carrera.

Mr. Carrera, many thanks for finding a gap in your precious time for the interview.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my passion for Magerit with you.

If we were to say to a bunch of people, who know you well, “Give me three adjectives that best describe Mr. Carrera”, what would we hear?

Sociable, dynamic and pleasant.

How would you describe Magerit in three words?

Bold, daring, unique

You have a great and diverse experiences working in different companies. According to the internet resources, you even worked in Thailand as professional diver. What is your vision and secret of success?

My vision is that no matter what you do, you must feel passion about it because only when you do so, you are in a position to give your very best. Enthusiasm and love must be also present in every task you want to undertake. Those are the three basic ingredients.

And we must keep on learning something every day, crave for knowledge. I just finished an Executive MBA degree in the prestigious University and Business School Instituto de Empresa, because I feel the urge to “recycle” my mind, deeper learn about some subjects, start from scratch about others, and improve my soft skills.

I was one of the oldest students in my class, and I have to say that spending 9 months with my classmates, so young, so talented, so exceptional, working as a team and bonding in such a way that we have ended up with the feeling of being like a family, it feels now like if I would have been swimming in the fountain of youth. Renewed, better, sharper.

We must look for daily learnings. We are surrounded by them.

When Magerit was founded in 1994, it was important to the creators to embrace the essence of Spanish culture. How did they manage to do that and what policies does Magerit implement to ensure company diversity?

Magerit is the ancient name of the city of Madrid. You can feel the resemblance of the sound of both names.

It is said it was named Magerit by the romans who invaded Spain around 1.800 and it means “matrix”.

When we named the company Magerit, we wanted to somehow point out the antiquity and long history of our country.

Although we are from Spain, a country with a long tradition in the field of the jewelry, goldsmith and silversmith, we have a global vision, an international vocation that is proven by the fact that we are present in 25 countries at this moment. Also, you can see this in the sources of inspiration of our collections: From the Babylon city in the times of the emperor Nabucodonosor, to the gardens of the palace of Versailles in the times of Louis the XIV, passing by the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet, Bizet’s Opera Carmen among others.

Regarding diversity, all of our manufacturing process is made in our factory in Madrid, Spain. Nowadays, more and more companies are outsourcing their manufacturing processes to other areas of the world, seeking to be more competitive in costs. At Magerit, we continue the Spanish tradition in goldsmith and silversmith. 

We teach our young artisans about different steps of the production process, so that they are familiar with the whole process. We are also mixing the purest tradition of the handmade process with the latest technology to ensure the best possible production and finishing. This gives us a unique, corporate culture that allows us to compete in a very changing, competitive “liquid” market if I may.

This changing market has taught us to be very flexible, and observant of the continuous flows and trends of it.

In order to do this, we do not only have to attract the best talent available, but also to nurture and keep it.

How long does it take the jewelry company to create a new product, from the very beginning until the production stage?

It takes almost a year to create a new Magerit collection. Until this year, we used to launch our new collection every year in March. Even though the design department has been discussing different themes for the next year collection during the year, it is not until the current year collection has been launched, that they decide the inspiration, the theme for the new collection, and start working on the new models.   

Who supports you in the further development of Magerit and whose opinion are of the most value?

We are a family owned company. The owners of Magerit actively lead key areas of the business: Design, production, finances, marketing and sales. This has created a team that stimulates the creation of synergies and a continuous flow of information. I have known the Calvo family since we were kids as both our families were partners at another great Spanish jewelry brand. And we actually started our professional careers at this company around 25 years ago. Needless to say, we can actually guess what the other is thinking just by the look in their face. We have travelled the world together, define company strategies together, and resist the last global crisis together.

There is a deep trust based relationship between the Magerit shareholders that reflects in the way we do business.

Our providers and retailers are also crucial in our corporate and competitive strategy and we work very hard on establishing a fully operational, integrated supply chain.

What is your favorite quote?

Well, there are many quotes from brilliant people from different ages and regions of the world. But one of my favorites is one wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein, but still brilliant for its simplicity: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Magerit is always developing new lines and presenting new collections. What are your personal favorites and why?

This is like asking me which one of my kids I love more… Impossible to answer. Each collection has a piece, a set, a concept behind that makes me fall in love with it.

Vitral, inspired in the gothic style, with its spectacular gargoyles from Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is astonishing.

Instinct, a reinterpretation of the traditional fairy tale from France “The Beauty and the Beast” in a completely different way has pieces, like the set “Encuentro” that have already become an icon of our brand.

Versailles, inspired in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles and its statues and fountains, in the times of Louis XIV has a ring so complex in its concept and production that it is one of my favorites of all times.

What are the hobbies and interests that inspire you? Maybe you are a collector of art or anything else? 

Actually, as you mentioned before, my hobbies and interest are not very aligned with my professional life.

My favorite hobby are my kids. They are 15, 5 and 3 years old. I love spending time with them and making them laugh, and I get absorbed just watching and listening to them while they play. Sometimes children think and express themselves in a way that grown-ups should try sometimes.

Besides that, I love riding my BMW Nine T, especially through the mountain roads of Asturias, in the North of Spain, where we scape to our family house as soon as we have a chance. I disconnect from everything by the sea, either sailing in the Mediterranean Sea and/or diving (In Similan Islands or Bali when possible).

I am learning to pilot gliders now, and I can wait to finish my course to fly “solo”.

Mr. Carrera, what would you like to suggest and to wish the clients of luxury sector and to the clients of BREGNER Luxury & Lifestyle in particular?

Be authentic. Be daring.

There are many new, small, amazing companies around the world offering new products to the luxury market. They ought to fight with the big brands and groups with very limited resources, the quality and uniqueness of their products, and the talent of their teams to find the way to compete in an increasingly competitive market.

By exploring these new companies and their products with an open attitude, final client may realize of their potential and their different offer. By purchasing their products, final client provides these new companies with a powerful leverage tool.

Mr. Carrera, many thanks for the interview, we do appreciate it. We wish you and your company every success in the future and all the courage and creativity!

Thank you for your time and interest in Magerit.