Deflowered: Anissa Kermiche’s floral ode to female sexuality
Anissa Kermiche’s new jewellery collection pays tribute to the female form

Anissa Kermiche draws on the literary and cultural links between flowers and female sexuality in new fine jewellery collection, ‘Deflowered’. Kermiche was inspired by artists including Georgia O’Keefe, Robert Mapplethorpe and Edward Weston and the sexual undertones of flowers they portrayed in their work, drawing these same curving forms in sculpted gold and pearls.
‘Through the use of curves and folds, we strove to translate the same sensitivity we would give to the female nude into a sensual floral form,’ the jewellery designer explains. ‘The idea was to advocate for women's carnal desire but to do so delicately through the use of abstract yet provocative shapes. The sexual nature to the pieces was then softened through elegantly carved details and stone embellishment.’
The resulting pieces curve round necks and ears, casting the sensual silhouettes of flowers onto delicate, gleaming branches. ‘In order to transcend the classic femininity, we chose to play with the structures and mechanisms of the pieces and how they could be manipulated on the ear,’ Kermiche adds.
‘[In] the “Budding Romance” earring, for example, the flower stem goes in through the lobe and out the other side and can be turned and twisted in lots of directions. This flexibility of movement empowers the piece. We wanted to evoke a sense of wildness and liberty. The flowers move, nothing is stagnant. They are unashamedly brazen and one piece that really aligns with this idea is our “No Shrinking Violet” earring.’
Kermiche was careful to navigate a path between the explicit and the understated, opting to celebrate female desire without being crude.
‘We wanted jewellery that aligned with the female form but wasn't too vulgar, so that it would still be appealing to the eye. The goal was always to communicate our theme but achieve a subtlety in the final product – hopefully we managed to achieve this.’
INFORMATION
Hannah Silver joined Wallpaper* in 2019 to work on watches and jewellery. Now, as well as her role as watches and jewellery editor, she writes widely across all areas including on art, architecture, fashion and design. As well as offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, Hannah is interested in the quirks of what makes for a digital success story.
-
For London Gallery Weekend 2023, the mood is hardcore
With London Gallery Weekend 2023 almost upon us (2 – 4 June), here’s our list of must-see art exhibitions
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
Birkenstock celebrates its most memorable styles with colourful capsule (and matching socks)
Birkenstock marks the 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries of the Gizeh, Arizona and Madrid sandals, respectively, with limited-edition versions
By Jack Moss • Published
-
Zara Home and Vincent Van Duysen’s second collection is a hymn to conviviality
Zara Home+ by Vincent Van Duysen Collection 02 is the second chapter of the sophisticated collaboration and is focused on dining, featuring furniture, tableware and accessories
By Rosa Bertoli • Published
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a moment
We've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
By Hannah Silver • Published
-
Hair jewellery to covet and collect
Today’s hair jewellery is both practical and pretty. We're pinning our hopes on these simple and elegant accessories
By Hannah Silver • Published
-
Jewellery designers share their most precious personal pieces
A host of jewellers have given us a peek at the jewellery which has brought them solace this year
By Hannah Silver • Last updated
-
Eternity rings for the modern couple
Eternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
By Hannah Silver • Last updated
-
Alternative engagement rings with an edge
As the sales of engagement rings sky-rocket during lockdown, enjoy our off-kilter curation of edgy and unconventional engagement rings
By Hannah Silver • Last updated
-
CryptoPunks come to life on Tiffany & Co pendants
Tiffany & Co has partnered with blockchain infrastructure company Chain to create custom pendants and NFTiffs
By Hannah Silver • Last updated
-
Andreas Kronthaler’s costume jewellery for Vivienne Westwood is fun, flirty and fabulous
Andreas Kronthaler’s new jewellery draws on romantic and theatrical motifs
By Hannah Silver • Last updated
-
Fope’s flexible gold chains rethink a classic design
Elasticity meets elegance in Fope’s new jewellery collection, ‘Luna’
By Hannah Silver • Last updated