Paris-based designer Helena Thulin is inspired by the botanical world for her oversized, feminine jewellery. Her delicate flower creations string together glass beads and glass crystals for elegant pieces that tremble on the earlobe and send crystal vines tumbling down the neck.
Thulin, who trained at Studio Berçot in Paris, went on to work at Chloé, Sonia Rykiel and Simone Rocha, where she honed her modern and feminine silhouettes. Her oversized proportions are a chic foil for her delicate materials, adding a modernity floral jewellery sometimes lacks. This year, Thulin has built on these romantic associations, marking Valentine’s Day with new collection Honmei. ‘We’ve created three flowers with strings made using an ancient beading technique that alternates two beads with one,’ says Thulin. ‘They can act as a fluid link, joining two people together.’ The traditionally childhood pastime of stringing beads is given a grown-up spin in the jewels, which are assembled in the Paris atelier.
The capsule collection is rich with romantic references. The ‘Aster Caritate’ earrings – from the Latin word caritate, meaning ‘in love’ – reference delicate hybrid flowers that only bloom during the Valentine’s season. The ‘Honmis Amora’ earrings trail ivy tendrils, their exaggerated forms grazing the collarbone. ‘The ivies are both vivid red and crystal clear, symbolising a young or a more mature love,’ adds Thulin. §