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Friday, February 15, 2013

In Talks With Pascale & Enzo, Designers of Les Néréides

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Les Néréides is a French label that releases exquisite works of art (I will not even call them jewellery) inspired by vintage fairytales, fruits, flowers and all things small and beautiful. I fell in love with their collection when I was introduced to them by Foxysales and was very happy when Pascale, one of the designers, agreed to do an interview with Naked Glory to share more about their inspiration and jewellery creation process.

Why did you decide to design costume jewelry and not other forms of design or arts creation?
We opened our very first shop in the 80's in Nice, on the French Riviera. We were selling accessories and jewelleries and we loved it. It was a very trendy place at the time. We started to feel creative and we designed our first jewellery collection. Since then we kept making jewellery as it became naturally our favorite way to express ourselves.

What does the name Les Néréides mean to you and why did you choose this name as your brand?
It is my grand father (Pascale Amaddeo's Grand F.) who chose the name. He was a painter and i had a great relationship with him. Les Néréides are sisters, they are the daughters of Nerée the sea god. they have mystical power. Mainly the power to transform in any shape. It was a very pretty and feminine symbol and perfect as the first shop was by the sea.

Where do you usually gather your inspiration from for each collection?
Everywhere. I love art, I love to visit exibition, books and of course vintage objects and markets. Travelling helps me a lot too. I get inspired very easily. Inspiration can come from a very small thing, a detail. I love that.

What is the jewelry making process like?
It starts with a precise idea usually, I can see the piece in my head even if it will always different at the end. I gather visuals, looks that fit this idea, colours and material. I make sure the jewellery tells a story to the public. My husband is on my side and we discuss making, techniques. We have very similar taste and sensibility.

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The team in their office during one of their meetings
Do arts and vintage play a very big role in the designs?
Yes I think so. As i said before they are a main inspiration. I love the craziness of Art and the beauty of old objetcs. It is fascinating. It can make me very emotional. When it is the case i know it will become part of my design at some point. It can be a colour, a material, a theme. What advice would you give to young designers starting out on their own label? I would tell them to be very original and surprise people. Give strong emotion through their designs.

Finally, how do you wish women over the world to feel when they wear a piece of jewelry from Les Néréides?
I would love them to cherish it like a treasure and wear it with a lot of style.

These are definitely pieces that I would buy and hope to pass to my daughter and have my daughter pass to my granddaughter. Pieces with a story behind its creation and a connection with the women that put them on. Heritage pieces. 

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