Yohan Rodrigani
Yohan Rodrigani | |||
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| Born | October 3, 1989 Cárdenas, Cuba | ||
| Nationality | Cuban | ||
| Citizenship | Cuba | ||
| Alma mater | Miami International University of Art and Design | ||
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Namesake Brand | ||
Yohan Rodrigani (born Yoan Rodriguez; October 3rd, 1989) is a Cuban-American designer and entrepreneur, best known for his namesake brand, Yohan Rodrigani.
Early Life
Rodrigani was born in Cárdenas, Cuba and migrated to Miami, Florida at the age of 2 on a boat along with his parents and siblings. His family resided in Miami until they relocated to Sebring, Florida. From a young age Rodrigani showed a gift for the arts, expressing his creativity in any way he could find. Manual labor was also a part of his life early on. As an immigrant he did not have the same opportunity as others that would have allowed him to grow his creative talent at a young age. Rodrigani believes this was a blessing because it encouraged him to experiment with many things. At the age of 6 he had his first glimpse of entrepreneurial life by convincing his father to begin selling their home grown Cachucha chile peppers at the local market. The opportunity to experiment is what led him from gardening to sports, eventually reaching the arts with drawing and music writing.
Education
Since his early days in school, Rodrigani’s peers chose to call him “Yohan” (pronounced, YOW-HHaaN), the spelling and pronunciation he later decided to adopt. Before graduating from high school, he was focused on writing, singing, and producing music, looking to build and own his own recording studio. At age 21, Rodrigani moved back to Miami to pursue his career in music production, enrolling at Miami International University of Art and Design. A year into his studies, the economic difficulties that came with the 2008 recession forced Rodrigani to drop out of school and begin working full-time as a valet assistant. He began to see his dreams fading, but he never lost hope.
Transition to Jewelry
In 2011, while working as a valet assistant he noticed a high-end bracelet piece worn by a guest, but when inquiring as to its price he quickly learned he did not have the money for it, especially with a salary of $5 an hour. Rather than forgetting about the bracelet, his curiosity and creativity brought him to jewelry making. Without any formal education in design, he started by attempting to recreate the same bracelet he had seen on the hotel guest. Rodrigani was inspired to create a Shambala-style bracelet for himself, which caught the attention and admiration of friends and co-workers, which later turned into requests. For almost a year he made and sold bracelets to friends and co-workers without letting them know he was the designer for fear it would affect his credibility. At this point, his career as a jewelry designer began.
Growing as a Jewelry Designer
From 2010 to 2015, Rodrigani focused on developing his skills as a designer and learning as much as he could on his own. He took on custom work which helped him begin to make a name for himself. He could not afford to get any formal education in design, so he put in the hours and taught himself all that he knew. Rodrigani spent his off time reading, learning, drawing, attending trade shows, and watching CAD design videos. During the day, he would visit master jewelers around Miami, asking them questions for insight. Many of these jewelers are part of his team today.
The Birth of the Brand
In the summer of 2013, Rodrigani met his wife, Onix Dobarganes. Like Rodrigani, she also possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, encouraging him to embrace his innate artistic talent and establish a luxury jewelry brand. Together they established the brand name, Yohan Rodrigani, in 2015. “Rodrigani” is the fusion of their surnames. In 2016, Rodrigani officially launched the brand online. The launch included his first iconic piece, the Cyrus bracelet, inspired by the Cyrus cylinder, the first declaration of human rights. Since inception, Rodrigani has focused on jewelry, mainly offering limited edition designs, with the option of bespoke services which he has done for a variety of celebrities.
Bespoke Jewelry
Since 2016, Rodrigani has created bespoke pieces for famed celebrities and athletes, including MLB players Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Luis Robert, Danny Jansen, Adolis Garcia, Connor Greene, as well as being the personal designer for Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr. Rodrigani has also created unique pieces for artists. In 2020, he created a one-of-a-kind ring for Randy Malcom, singer in Cuban Reggaeton band “Gente de Zona”, featuring the musical notes of their hit song “La Gozadera.” Rodrigani’s “50mg of Love” pendant was also featured in Sergio Elias’ “Solo Conmigo” music video, as well as a custom “Paperboat” pendant featured by Nesty in the music video, “Amantes a Escondidas.” In 2019, Rodrigani created “The Miami Pendant” to commemorate Miami Heat’s Franchise player, Dwayne Wade’s 16-year career. NBA player Kelly Olynyk sought Rodrigani to create the commemorative piece, which was gifted not only to Wade, but to the entire Miami Heat team. Along with the pendant, Rodrigani crafted a custom jewelry box that replicated the American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL.
Inspired by Art
Rodrigani considers himself an artist. To make his jewelry designs, he finds that he goes through a similar process to that of a composer whose lyrics are influenced by past or present events or feelings. Like a visual artist that is inspired by his environment, Rodrigani is inspired by everything that stimulates his senses, from what he hears and smells, to what he tastes. He is fascinated by modern architecture, sharp edges, geometric figures, yet he also appreciates the beauty of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical styles. When designing, he brings all these worlds to the table and allows his imagination run free. For example, the first bracelet designed under the Yohan Rodrigani brand was the Cyrus bracelet, inspired by the Cyrus cylinder, a piece that unveiled the first history of human rights. When designing the bracelet in 2015, various human rights issues were being discussed. All his designs carry the brand's trademark motif, which is the pairing of his initials. Inspired by Miami’s vibrant art and social scene, from 2017 - 2019, Rodrigani introduced an Artist-Designer collaboration, which he labeled the “Wynwood Collection,” focused on redefining the artist’s most iconic artwork into wearable jewelry. The collection featured limited edition pieces with international artists, Shawn Kolodny, Mr. Debonair, Rigo Leon, and Charles Edward Soto. In Art Basel Miami 2017, Rodrigani presented his first collaboration with American artist, Shawn Kolodny. Inspired by Shawn Kolodny's Fake Fulfillment Exhibition, which focused on consumerism and its addictive nature, Rodrigani took a different approach, embracing addiction as an inevitable part of human experience, giving attention and value to the most fulfilling drug of all - LOVE. After critical acclaim, Kolodny welcomed Rodrigani to present with him at ART Palm Beach Art Fair in January of 2018.
Yohan Rodrigani Goes Worldwide
In 2019, with the collaboration of his wife, Onix, they decided to expand the brand into the leather goods market. Rodrigani aspires to grow as an international luxury brand, which led to his official announcement in 2020 of his expansion into the Spanish leather goods market.
Philanthropy
In 2017, Rodrigani and his wife partnered with BB&T’s Lighthouse Project to renovate the family visitation playrooms at the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Miami-Dade. Rodrigani was the lead designer of the renovation project. To help communities in need, BB&T bank created the BB&T Lighthouse Project. It is a company-wide community service effort that brings together thousands of associates to impact the lives of millions. For this project, the organization brought together volunteers to help with the renovation project.
In the media
References
External links
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