CAMPAIGN IMAGERY Luna Lopez
Among all the slick minimalism and effortless practicality, Paolina Russo’s kaleidoscopic collection was a clear favourite of ours at this season’s Copenhagen Fashion Week. Presented in Nørrebrohallen, the SS27 collection, Lone Star, captured the brand’s playful approach to dressing, bringing together romantic florals, skate-inspired silhouettes, acid-coloured knitwear and handmade embellishments. Among the details that caught our eye were the jewellery pieces created in collaboration with Tétier Bijoux, with floral motifs made from repurposed skateboard wheels and upcycled plastics.
Founded by Florence Tétier, Tétier Bijoux takes an instinctive approach to jewellery design, working with found and upcycled objects to create one-of-a-kind pieces that take inspiration as much from fine art sculpture as they do from charity shop bargain buckets. Florence never formally studied jewellery making, instead developing her own process through thrifting, experimentation and following her creative instincts.
That instinct has extended throughout Florence’s career; she previously served as Creative Director of Jean Paul Gaultier, where she approached the house’s extensive archive through collaboration – inviting a wide variety of creatives to reinterpret its signatures through their own creative lens. It is the same sensibility that also runs through Novembre, the magazine she co-founded and continues to creatively direct, which has long explored the intersections of art and fashion.
Across her creative endeavours, there is a similar interest in transformation: taking an existing idea, object or visual language and finding a new way to see it. In Tétier Bijoux, that might mean turning a found object into a piece of jewellery; at Novembre, it might mean bringing together unexpected images, artists and ideas; and at Jean Paul Gaultier, it meant looking to an archive through the eyes of a new generation. Rather than working within a fixed discipline, Florence sees creativity as a constant remix.
Following Tétier Bijoux’s colourful collaboration in Copenhagen, BRICKS spoke to Florence about the origins of the brand, finding beauty in objects with a past, and developing a design practice without compromising her own creative instincts.
You work extensively with found and upcycled objects. What draws you to working with materials that already have a history, rather than starting with traditional jewellery materials?
The first reason is that I love thrifting, so it gives me an excuse to go hunting for interesting objects. The second is that I never formally studied jewellery making, so I had to develop my own process and way of creating jewellery.
Can you talk us through your design process, from finding an object or material to deciding what it could become?
I usually start with a moodboard or a concept, and then look for materials and small objects that fit within that context. From there, I find ways to bring my ideas to life.
There’s a really distinctive tension in Tétier’s work between the playful and the sculptural. How do you develop that visual language?
Maybe it comes from the fact that I work very instinctively, without putting too much pressure on myself. I see it as a very creative project and tend to collaborate with people who give me a lot of creative freedom. I also think a lot about show pieces when I work, without really considering the commercial aspect, which probably explains the sculptural side of the work.
What was it like seeing your work on the runway at Copenhagen Fashion Week, how did the collaboration with Paolina Russo come about, and can you tell us about working with the designer on her colourful collection?
It’s always an emotional and exciting moment because I usually create the jewellery after the clothes have already been made, so I never know whether the designers or stylists will respond to my pieces.
In this particular case, the collaboration with the girls from Paolina Russo and their stylist Samia Giobellina was very smooth. They showed me the moodboard, the clothes and the overall storyline, and I came up with some ideas. They chose their favourites, and I made them, all within three weeks.
It’s always an emotional and exciting moment because I usually create the jewellery after the clothes have already been made, so I never know whether the designers or stylists will respond to my pieces.
You’re also a professor, as well as the creative director of Novembre Magazine – how do these different practices feed into one another, and does working across disciplines influence how you approach Tétier?
I love being in touch with students; it keeps me grounded. I also end up working with many of them, so there’s a really nice exchange between teaching and my creative work.
What song/album/artist/podcast are you blasting on repeat while you’re working in your studio/space?
So many! Podcasts: Les Pieds sur Terre, The Nikki Glaser Podcast, Encore Heureux, COUCH by Lena Situations, Ça m’a saoulé, Fashion Sch00l, Folie Douce, and Un podcast à soi.
Music: Ariana Grande’s latest album, petal, Billie Eilish, Rosalía, PNL, Frank Ocean, Ino Casablanca, The Cure, Hole, PJ Harvey and 113.
What’s your weirdest or wildest fashion obsession right now?
UV-protective T-shirts for swimming. I’m currently obsessed with them.
What fictional character would LOVE your jewellery?
Fran Fine.
And who IRL would you love to see wearing your designs?
Courtney Love, Britney Spears and Zara Larsson.
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