February 22, 2024 |
BLINGIN’ IT IS TEN’S ONLINE SERIES WHERE WE SPOTLIGHT THE INNOVATORS AND CHANGE-MAKERS OF THE JEWELLERY WORLD.
Everlasting mystique married with a prevailing industrial softness encapsulates the celestial aesthetic of Parisian jeweller Colombe d’Humiéres. Compelled to fill a gap in the industry, d’Humiéres core ethos at her eponymous brand surrounds elevating artisanal techniques. By adapting these practises through an eco-conscious lens, steering the bespoke jeweller away from the industry’s growing need to greenwash, her pieces are an accumulation of charmingly dainty piercings including, hoops and studs for any part of the body that pleases you (yes, that means the nipples too) alongside strikingly sculpted rings, bracelets and necklaces.
Founding the brand in 2020 amidst the pandemic – which proved life-altering for the metalsmith – the start of her journey has been fruitful, with the jeweller gaining recognition from esteemed names like Arca, Caroline Polachek, FKA Twigs and Shay, who proudly don d’Humiéres designs. Each powerful piece is either adorned in melted glass or laboratory stones, infused with captivating shades of amber, plum and mauve, the perfect palette for a candy-like feel fit for a mythological fairy – or you, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Everything d’Humiéres does, from tantalising chains to heart-broken lockets, is designed and meticulously crafted in house. At first this was simply out of convenience. But, as the brand began to bloom, after collaborating with Chopova Lowena on its SS20 show (where she sculpted intricate belt buckles which adorned Lowena’s signature pleated skirts), it’s only increased that treasured level of trust between seller and consumer, who appreciate the authenticity and exclusivity in-house production offers.
The ethereal jeweller graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2017 and wasted no time in moving her tools to Paris, all the while retaining a point of view whereby she likens her process to that of an artist. d’Humiéres crafts her jewellery in a way where it expresses ideas about time, memory and the human body, all at once, while viewing her creative journey as an explosion of energy. She takes inspiration from both random objects and original artisanal creations which has allowed her to collaborate with prestigious industry names. Alongside the Chopova Lowena link-up, d’Humiéres has also fashioned a collection of chunky, gold jewellery for Yeezy Season 8 which made its debut in Paris, and for Paolina Russo’s SS24 show in Copenhagen where she created silver spiral earrings, layered wooden laced necklaces and belts decorated with vintage stones. D’Humiére has also worked on a jewellery collection for Etudes spring/summer 2021.
D’Humiére’s heavenly assemblage focuses on two lines of silver jewellery, encompassing a mixture of classic designs and unique pieces with an essence of couture. D’Humiére’s latest autumn/winter 2023 campaign, shot by Mark Luckasavage and styled by Samia Giobellina, showcases fastidiously sculpted pieces which exude timeless elegance, positioned around an angelic dove. Both the ring and the stud feature that same dove, and are bedecked with clouded, considerably sourced stones. Here, we catch up with d’Humiere, discussing everything from her humble beginnings and what truly inspires her, to the exciting new ventures she plans to embark on!
ON D’HUMIÉRES BEGINNINGS
d’Humiéres: “I’ve been doing jewellery since I was a kid, just like lots of kids, but I was very dedicated and sold it on the market down my street. I saw my parents working all the time, and I thought to myself ‘oh if this is what it is being an adult, I need to do something fun!’ Also, I think the question ‘what do you want to do when you’re older’ always terrified me, so I chose to do the same thing. I was lucky enough to be supported in this choice and came to realise early on that this would be possible if I worked hard enough.”
ON THE brand’s Aesthetic
d’Humiéres: “Powerful softness? Impactful soft touch? It’s hard… I can really relate to the soft and brutal aspect – it’s my Scorpio energy! I want to do super delicate pieces in 2024 with diamonds and colours.”
ON HER INSPIRATION
d’Humiéres: “I really want to be a Parisian glamour ‘maison de bijouterie’, making custom jewellery, boxes and objects like cutlery, door handles and new types of tiaras but within my aesthetic. My inspiration is a crossover between contemporary jewellery from the ’70s – Bernard Schobinger for instance – costume jewellery from Lacroix, YSL, Chanel (the first jewellery that women could afford buying for themselves AND for fun, not just for social display and being family heirlooms) – antique jewellery, and of course the techniques and style behind Art Nouveau jewellery like Lalique or Vever. But above all, my inspiration comes from what I want to wear and my feelings at a specific moment, and also, what my friends want to wear. Often, the pieces I do for the people I love become best sellers.”
ON ACHIEVING BALANCE BETWEEN INNOVATION AND TRADITON
d’Humiéres: “To me, traditional craftsmanship is natural, but for three years I’ve been very busy with running a shop and starting the ‘classic line’ in 2021 (what one could call more ‘everyday’ jewellery, more accessible, but still with the core aesthetic of the brand), all while making bespoke orders, collaborations, unique pieces and trying to balance everything economically. I’ve been doing bespoke and unique pieces since 2017. Innovation takes time and funds, which I lack most of the time, but it’s going to change!”
ON d’Humiéres Magic
d’Humiéres: “Personally, I believe all jewellery has a spiritual and mystical aspect to it, although, maybe mine is because I put spells into them, hehe. Generally, I think doing a piece for someone, while thinking about them, really adds an effect. It’s what is sometimes called in material culture the agency of the object, when the object has ‘intentionality’. The best compliment to me, is to create an almost spiritual object one needs to hold on to.”
ON D’HUMIERES’ Creative Process
d’Humiéres: “I need to have the vision in my head to start making the model. Usually my wax models are nicer than my drawings and I show a 3D model to my clients. Then once casted (transformed into metal), we work at the jewellery bench, perfect the shape and set stones if needed.”
“Then seeing strong women that I admire and that listen to, wearing my jewellery and empowering them is really a dream… I love when they order custom made pieces!”
“Brands too are like clients with a precise aesthetic, brief and deadline. I really loved doing it for Chopova and more recently for Mainline Rus/FR/Ade, Paolina Russo, Etudes, and Yeezy. Moving forward I’d like to do more pieces for architects, and interior designers – i’ve been doing house accessories lately like jewellery for walls!”
ON STAYING SUSTAINABLE
d’Humiéres: “Sustainability of stones is an easier subject than metal. With stones, it’s easy to know where they’re from and to have an idea of the fairness of the extraction, and carving behind it. But most of time it’s not very rejoicing, usually it passes through a big rotating plate in either Dubai, South Africa or Russia for diamonds and precious stones. So either I have to trust the regulation or decide to only use synthetic stones.”
“With metal, my ideal philosophy would be to only use metals that we’ve already extracted then remelt it indefinitely. Metal is per-se ‘recycled’ all the time, we can’t say for sure where it’s from because that’s physically impossible… at least today. Every source of metal gets mixed up in the end, so it’s almost untraceable. I personally don’t want to use ‘eco’ labels yet. I prefer to address the problem head-on and to be transparent with our client, to have a discussion within the industry.”
Photography by Mark Luckasavage.
